Peterson seen driving to marina 3 times

SFChronicle.com ^ | November 14, 2003 | Henry Lee

[hergus]

So you think this is going to be a big Stanislaus county money maker?
A conspiracy by those in control of Stanislaus county?

Hmmmmmm

I can say I never looked at it quite that way before.

[Sandylapper]

Yes, I do suspect that, hergus. MPD from the beginning could have said a little more than they told the public. Their posture was that "lives could be in danger", that "they were being very methodical", but when they take that position, they only made more interested people curious and suspicious.

Now, we're learning that they had tips that they should have followed up on. Any tip about that park or neighborhood should have had a thorough investigation, IMO. It should have been a priority. How "methodical" is that?

[fiesti]

Laci starts her walk in the park at 9:30 a.m.

How could this be??scott said she was mopping the floor at 9:30..............and then was gonna go shopping and then walk the dog huummmm seems he knew more about what she was gonna do then what laci knew he was gonna do

[Velveeta]

Homer Maldonado reports that he saw her between 9:45 and 10:00am in front of 211 Covena.

Mike Chiavetta sees her at the park at 10:45am, changes his timeline later to sighting at 10:30am, then tells Greta about 9:45am.

Campos sees her at 10:45am at the far end of the park, near the hospital about a 20 minute walk (for Greta) from the Covena home.

Vivian Mitchell sees her between 10:00 and 10:15am, 10 plus blocks away from the park.

***In November, Laci complains to her doctor's office that she is short of breath when she walks.***

[Devil_Anse]

I'm guessing that since her keys were found in her closet, we'll learn that the house was unlocked at trial

You are exactly right, RR. Early in the testimony (so it must have been Officer--now Detective--Evers' testimony) we are told that Scott said he returned to find the French doors unlocked.

[Devil_Anse]

Greta and Laura were a bit winded after making the walk from the Campos sighting site, to Laci's house?

But, you see, Laci just really hustled along that morning, with her rather widened pelvis and her spirited dog. "Gotta get going, I've got an appointment with two dirty men that anyone in their right mind would turn around and run from if they saw!"

This Campo woman's story is also subject to the work records. Many supervisors are very well aware of when their employees take breaks, and how long the breaks last. Whatever the woman's work was, there might be a record of when she was doing work that day, and when she was "away from her desk" or away from her mop, or away from whatever tools of her trade.

And the men are saying, "Shut your f---ing dog up"? Maybe some of those homeless might say that to someone whose dog barked at them. But if the dog is barking furiously, I don't see how they simultaneously just walked up and took possession of the dog's owner. If they got her, there in the park, how did Laci's body get to the Bay? Did the two dirty-looking men put her in their 2003 SUV and drive her there?

[Devil_Anse]

So Campos did say 10:50 a.m. several times. Whether she ever said 9:50, well, where's the proof that she did say that? (I don't think Mr. Geragos' testimony qualifies as proof that she said 9:50.)

Also, does this mean that this witness was definitely alone while taking her smoke break? There were a lot of butts in that ashtray Greta showed. I find it hard to believe there wasn't another person or two also taking their break there. And Campos sees this scene happen, with this pregnant woman being cursed at, and does NOTHING??? She's got a chainlink fence protecting her from the men... she doesn't even yell out?

[Devil_Anse]

I know, I can't forget Geragos' past performances whenever I see him on TV. In particular, I can't forget how his major tactic in defending the fat-hipped ex-Rapist-in-Chief on TV consisted of simply talking over other people. Just talked right over what they were saying, on and on, until they shut up.

Here we have a classic case of why police don't always want to release ALL the information on a crime while they are investigating it: they have to weed out the nuts and fame-seekers and overeager persons who just want a brush with "something important". These cops were taciturn about the case; Scott and the family put out Scott's story from the get-go. I'm sure the family was just doing it at the time b/c they weren't sure initially if there was foul play, and they were keeping their hopes up.

Then the fame-seekers and overeager persons come forward, with stories that dovetail beautifully into that initial account. But they can be easily weeded out when the other details--the details police kept to themselves--are later revealed.

So some of those people that the police "carelessly didn't bother to follow up on" had already been eliminated by the police themselves, b/c they knew so many details early on that the public didn't know.

[Devil_Anse]

Geragos did not cite one instance where the 9:45an time was used by Ms. Campos.

Really?? You mean he couldn't even show her to have said it ONCE??? Then he was throwing out stuff in his questions that didn't agree with the testimony that must have been previously given. "Assuming a fact not in evidence".

You're right, that looks desperate. And any judge knows the difference btw what counsel says, and what the witness says.

And why did the witness not scream or call security? People usually come running to help a pregnant woman--at least, that was my experience. The witness was protected by a chainlink fence and the near presence of her co-workers. So she could have screamed. Or she could have quietly alerted her employer's security staff.

Oh, and then the body ends up 90 miles away in the Bay. Well, probably Dirty and Skeeter strapped this dead pregnant woman to the back of a Harley and took her there right then.

[Devil_Anse]

You two got it right. We mustn't forget that Geragos and Greta are big buddies, both politically and professionally. Just as before the gag order, Geragos is feeding info (in this case, erroneous info) to his media buddies, and they are dutifully putting it out there. Case closed.

[Devil_Anse]

The transcripts ARE online!

[Devil_Anse]

They keep some information under their hats at first so that they can easily eliminate nuts and publicity-seekers who come to them. That is a solid rule of investigative work. It cuts down the amount of material they have to follow up on--it allows them to prioritize the many tips they receive, by seeing which are more probable and putting those first.

Plus, how are they supposed to follow up on tips when the Petersons are running a tipline of their own which BURIES tips and doesn't turn them over to police??

[Devil_Anse]

seems he knew more about what laci was gonna do than what laci knew he was gonna do

Amen. He also knew more about what Laci was gonna do than what Laci knew Laci was gonna do!

[RGSpincich]

I know, I can't forget Geragos' past performances...

Ah yes. The modes operandi of one Markarios Gregarios. Is he not infamous for making sensational courtroom claims that are later shown to be total fabrication?

SOS. He's about due for a sanction call.

[Devil_Anse]

Bravo! How much clearer could you make it?

[joathome]

He sure looks guilty in my book, too, but it bothers me that so much of this info was leaked to the press, and that everyone knew where he had gone fishing. If anyone ever wanted to set up this jerk, or cast suspicions on this jerk, the police sure helped....

[drjulie]

"If they got her, there in the park, how did Laci's body get to the Bay? Did the two dirty-looking men put her in their 2003 SUV and drive her there?"

I think I'm done with all of the talking head shows. They latch on to one thing, take it out of context, and fail to thoroughly analyze it. They talked about the importance of this witness but failed to point out various factors such as the one you mentioned. A good share of the time it appears that these talking heads haven't even read the transcripts, or the news reports for that matter.

[drjulie]

"He sure looks guilty in my book, too, but it bothers me that so much of this info was leaked to the press, and that everyone knew where he had gone fishing. If anyone ever wanted to set up this jerk, or cast suspicions on this jerk, the police sure helped...."

Good point...but...why would someone want to set him up? If this is what Geragos wants to argue then he is going to have to come up with an answer to this question. (I know the defense technically doesn't have to prove anything, however, I think a jury will want some kind of reasonable answer to this question.)

[Devil_Anse]

They latch on to one thing, take it out of context, and fail to thoroughly analyze it.

Exactly! These talking head shows are passion plays for the middle class. (Um, that would be... us.) They assign the roles of good guys and bad guys. And we cheer or jeer from the pit.

And embedded in the middle of these little theatrical productions are whatever messages they want to get out to the public. Such as, whatever messages Geragos might want to see thrown out there, to help him sway his jury later on.

[Devil_Anse]

why would someone want to set him up?

Sandylapper is the only one who has even a halfway decent hypothetical answer to this question: that Scott hired someone else to do Laci in, that he didn't pay them or didn't pay them enough, and that they turned around and put the murder on him.

Which scenario, if true, STILL MAKES SCOTT GUILTY OF CAPITAL MURDER.

I don't believe the scenario (no offense, Sandy) but at least it's an explanation of sorts. Which is more than we've gotten out of the defense, during this prelim, as they cast their nets out and just expect that judge to believe that someone gratuitously went to all the trouble of setting up this insignificant manure salesman.