Peninsula's tragic endings

The SF Examiner ^ | April 5, 2004 | Jamie Casini

[runningbear]

Peninsula's tragic endings Five men to stand trial for allegedly killing their wives.

Peninsula's tragic endings
Five men to stand trial for allegedly killing their wives.

By Jamie Casini
Staff Writer
jcasini@examiner.com
Published on Monday, April 5, 2004

REDWOOD CITY -- Sharen Theresa Sulpizio-May. Adella Samaneigo. Laci Denise Peterson. Raye Lynn Rapoza. Donna Morrow. These five women share a tragic commonality -- all were allegedly murdered at the hands of their husbands. And all five men are currently awaiting trial in San Mateo County court. Five cases of this nature are an anomaly for the county, said Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

"Usually, we have one or two [of these cases] pending. Right now, we have five and that's high," Wagstaffe said.

As for whether a history of domestic violence exists in these homicide cases, Wagstaffe said the pattern is inexplicable.

"When a husband murders his wife, no pattern seems to exist," he said. "There is a lot of anger and frustration. Some are well planned executions, while others tend to be explosions of anger."

Women are much more likely than men to be killed by an intimate partner, and on average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Although charges are often pressed quickly in the cases of murder against a spouse, it is often a long wait for family members hoping for justice.

Joseph Morrow's trial on charges he murdered his wife, Donna Morrow, in 1991, will likely be delayed several months, according to Wagstaffe.

Eddie Rapoza is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluations to see whether he is competent to stand trial for murdering his seven-months pregnant wife, Raye Rapoza, and their 4-year old daughter, Tehani, in 2002. Scott Peterson's double-murder trial is expected to begin May 17.

Tirso Banuelos Erena's trial is scheduled for Aug. 9. He is charged with killing his estranged wife Adella Samaneigo by gunfire after an argument in March 2003. And most recently, Lawrence Edward May allegedly stabbed his wife to death after the pair attended a child custody mediation session in San Mateo on March 25. He is scheduled to make a plea on Tuesday.

On March 10, both May and Sulpizio-May filed applications for temporary restraining orders against one another. At the time of her death, both requests were pending hearings..........

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BUSH INKS LACI LAW

HISTORIC STEP: President Bush (right) signs the law inspired by Laci Peterson (above) as her mom, Sharon Rocha, and stepfather, Ron Grantski, look on. AP

BUSH INKS LACI LAW

By ADAM MILLER

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April 2, 2004 -- The emotional family of pregnant murder victim Laci Peterson joined President Bush at the White House yesterday as he signed into a law a fetus-rights bill dubbed "Laci and Connor's Law."

Flanked by Laci's mother, Sharon Rocha, and stepfather, Ron Grantski, Bush inked the history-making legislation, which makes it a crime to harm a fetus during an assault on a pregnant woman.

"His little soul never saw light, but he was loved, and he is remembered," Bush said of Connor, Laci's unborn child.

"And his name is forever joined with that of his mom in this statute," Bush said during the ceremony in the East Room. "All who knew Laci Peterson have mourned two deaths and the law cannot look away and pretend there was just one."

"The suffering of two victims can never equal one offense."

Laci was eight months pregnant when she was murdered in 2002. ........

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Two more prospective Peterson jurors chosen this morning

Posted on Mon, Apr. 05, 2004

Two more prospective Peterson jurors chosen this morning

By Brian Anderson

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

REDWOOD CITY - Lawyers and a judge were batting 1,000 this morning, moving two more prospective jurors to the final selection phase in the continuing murder case of Scott Peterson.

Both of the two San Mateo County residents brought into court for individual questioning before the lunch break were qualified to serve on the jury panel.

The first, an employment recruiter for Bank of America Securities, said she had heard about the case, but said she could be fair. She had been judged all her life as had her parents, she told defense attorney Mark Geragos after being asked for the reason behind her vow of fairness.

"I'm Asian," she said, adding that she grew up in a white world. "I've been judged all my life. My parents were Chinese. They lived in Taiwan. I know what it's like to be judged."

Judge Alfred Delucchi qualified the second juror over a prosecutor's objection that she had formed opinions about the case. Juror 6012 said she waffled on Peterson's guilt, saying at times that he might be guilty and at other times that he did not commit the crime.

The woman, a high school teacher, ultimately concluded that she did not have enough information to form a definitive opinion on whether Peterson is guilty of killing his wife Laci, 27, and the couple's unborn son.

"I never really made a decision," Juror 6012 said.

Prosecutors have said they will seek a death sentence if he is found guilty of two murder counts and a special circumstance. Peterson has pleaded not guilty.

Delucchi and lawyers on both sides of the case are working to seat 12 jurors and six alternates. They have qualified 17 people thus far for the final phase in May, at which the final panel will be selected.........

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Peterson Judge 'Pleased as Punch'

Peterson Judge 'Pleased as Punch'

Ryan McKeel

Two more people qualified Monday as potential jurors in the Scott Peterson double murder trial.

Judge Al Delucchi said he was "pleased as punch" that the number of possible jurors has reached 17. Delucchi has said he hopes to have between .......

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Jury pool reaches 17 potentials

Posted on Tue, Apr. 06, 2004

Jury pool reaches 17 potentials

By Brian Anderson

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

REDWOOD CITY - Officials moved a step closer to seating a jury in the Scott Peterson trial Monday, qualifying two additional prospective jurors for the final phase of the selection process.

After seven days of questioning possible jurors, Judge Alfred Delucchi has tallied a pool of 17 San Mateo County residents from which to pick a final jury panel. They hope to find about 50 more.

The two most recent additions -- an employment recruiter and a high school teacher -- said they had heard about the case, but could be fair. One, the teacher, said she had even mentioned to someone that she believed Peterson might have killed his wife, Laci, 27, and the couple's unborn son.

The move prompted prosecutors to challenge the woman. But Delucchi noted the woman also had said Peterson might be innocent and that she agreed to set aside any prior thoughts. She was asked to return May 13 for the final stage of jury selection.

Also qualifying was a headhunter for Bank of America .........

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Public Wants Televised Coverage of Case

Public Wants Televised Coverage of Case

REDWOOD CITY — The judge in Scott Peterson's double-murder trial says he's received letters from members of the public who are upset that he is not allowing the trial to be televised.

Judge Alfred A. Delucchi says one woman expressed concerns that she had been following the case closely and was upset she would not be able to watch the trial unfold on television.

The trial was moved from Modesto to Redwood City after a judge found that an impartial jury couldn't be seated in Peterson's hometown.

Delucchi has commented that pretrial .........

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MONDAY'S DEVELOPMENTS

Posted on Tue, Apr. 06, 2004

MONDAY'S DEVELOPMENTS

Jury selection continued at the San Mateo County courthouse in Redwood City. Last month, the jury pool was reduced from 1,000 to about 300, mainly because most of the prospective jurors' employers would not pay them for the duration of the estimated six-month trial. In the current, more in-depth selection phase known as Hovey voir dire, those who were not initially dismissed have returned to be individually questioned.

In this phase, people are dismissed for being adamantly for or against the death penalty, and for having a strong belief that Scott Peterson is guilty of killing his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son. About 12 people have come to court for questioning each day. Hovey voir dire began March 22 and is expected to last through early May.

Those who are not dismissed will return to court May 13, known as the ``Big Spin'' day, when the pool will be narrowed to 12 jurors and six alternates. Opening arguments are scheduled May 17.

Also on Monday, the prosecution and defense teams got new, padded chairs to replace the hard, wooden ones they had been using. They requested the new chairs a few days ago, prompting Judge Alfred Delucchi, who presides over the case, to call them ``cream puffs.''

``They're much more comfortable,'' said Peterson's attorney, Mark Geragos, outside court.

People chosen Monday to return to court: 2

People chosen to return since Hovey voir dire began: 17

Those chosen Monday to return included a woman who recruits brokers for a financial firm and said she could understand being on trial because she is Asian and has ``been judged all my life.'' The second person asked to return was a woman who looked to be in her early 20s, who is interested in Scientology and cosmetology and who is willing to quit her temporary teaching job to serve on the jury.

WHAT'S NEXT

Jury selection will continue through Thursday. Court is closed Fridays........

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Calif. Man Held Liable for Killing Unborn Victim

[Sandylapper]

Thanks for the ping, rb! We'll get to trial one of these days!

[Yaelle]

Thanks for the ping!

Can you believe some jurors think Scott MIGHT be innocent??

And Jo-Ellen cuddling up to Scotty? YECCCHHH. I just had breakfast. Does she think it's all part of her job to relax the sicko defendant that she's trying to get to walk free, or is she "taken in" by his "charm"?

[oceanperch]

Good News outa Bad News here.

Last summer I fell off of the chaste wagon for a couple of months for a young handsome stud but stupid as the dullest crayon in the box. The pool boy. He even comes from a wealthy family from Mass.
who he is somewhat estranged from.

Well after I broke it off with him and told him he was not welcomed in our home or anywhere near it, he was out for what he could get but I saw it coming and in a very friendly way parted from the relationship.

Dummy kept calling and trying to nudge back in as predators do. We met a few times under the guise to run my dogs and I picked a place that had video security (it is a terrorist target) just to be on the safe side. This guy was not a threat in a physical sense just a gigolo who had a lousy game.

Anyway since he could not get over on me he quickly went for his next target and stupidly told me everything and I mean everything. Mean while over the past six months I was hearing a little here and there about what a jerk this guy was down to using his son to gather sympathy to use men and women.

I stopped meeting with him as he was falling off the deep end using meth. with his new victim/girlfriend and getting really tweeky/dangerous.

Yet he continued to call pouring his soul out.

I listened until I had heard enough.
I alerted authorities the local Sheriff Dept. to the danger this woman was in.

See he told me he wanted to kill her by stuffing ice cubes down her throat and told me this on more than one occasion amongst all the predator hobbies he had going on. It got really sick and twisted listening to his confessions.

Well the Sheriff dept. was not interested in a crime that had not been committed and even asked why I did not go tell this woman she was in harms way, I told them I don't mess in peoples lives personally but do have a conscience and felt it important enough to tell the authorities let them sort it out. I did not tell them all the other freaky things he told me.

He was proud that he was taking her for every penny she had. Meanwhile giving thanks to God I was street smart from growing up in my youth to see what he was and certainly had my antennae up after hanging out here on this thread for over a year now.

All Scott Petersons are predators and eventually like all mental illnesses left untreated progress into crimes like murder.

They get to narcissistic and confident in their evilness as well as lacking any empathy for others.

Well I read in the paper since I had told him to stop calling my cell period he was to sick of a man and that I would turn him in to authorities if he called anymore the calls stopped pronto.
Then I read in the paper that he flipped the womans car that he was scamming with her and her three young kids in it. All went to the hosp but doing ok but she was cited for letting him drive knowing he was suspended and had over six citations for DWS and uninsured.

Low and behold two weeks ago I get a call from a female Police Officer investigating him.

I sat down and told her everything I knew and I mean everything down to the embarrassment that I had a brief romp with him.

She thanked me for my info and said it strung little pieces she had all together and details he had shared with me gave her just what she needed to go to the DA.

What she did tell me is that she too thought he was very charming, alluring and a nice guy but things didn't add up. She said the current victim did get a restraining order and her house that he remodeled looked like a destruction crew hit it. The things he shared with me in phone calls as if I was his priest she said really helped but even scared her. I will spare all of you way to creepy.

She called me again last week and I told her I would not ever testify or get more involved with her case as I have my family and life to go on with but I knew he would hang himself eventually. She told me he had sent his son to the boy's mom and was on the run the thought was since he still considered me "the nice lady" as he referred to me to others that he might contact me out of desperation, so I had my home watched and scanner on and it was a bit scary for 24hrs even hearing that they thought they had him down the road from my place.

They got him and he is going to be locked up for awhile. I gave info so his family could be alerted to what he has been up to.

Moral of the story don't fall off the chaste wagon. I am very strong and dominant in a good way and extremely independent and don't trust anyone.

I knew the affair was wrong kinda had the Dudley Moore in"10" mid life child thing going on. What saved me was the good sense to know it was wrong and get up and walk away as his friend but knowing he would continue to target other women he had to be stopped.

He knew I was not going to be his victim and he knew I had every detail of his life from who his Dad is and he didn't want me to make that phone call and enlighten him all the way down to his SSI # and like I said details that would freak ya'll out.

I guess I should thank all of you because I certainly learned allot over the past year and it definitly made a differance on how I handled the situation.

The big thing is don't allow yourself to be a victem. Don't put up with anyones sh** and they will not hang around. LOL Maybe that is why I have been single for the past 20yrs.

[Jackie-O]

OMG OP!! What a nightmare! I sit hear moaning about being lonely from time to time, but when my friends accuse me of being too picky, I tell them that I'm being picky because not only do I have to look out for my own safety, but my young children, first and foremost!
Thanks for sharing this lesson....

[Devil_Anse]

Whoa, WHAT a tale, OP!!

And good for YOU for being one less victim of this conscienceless sicko!!!

"Don't put up with anyone's sh**." Sounds harsh; sounds mean, blah blah blah... but you know, OP, there's no better advice!! This doesn't mean we have to confront and crush all the people who hand us sh**; it means, rather, that we need to know b.s. when we see it, and simply refuse to tolerate it, even if it means never speaking to the person again.

And to me, your advice does NOT sound "harsh" or "mean"--it just sounds SMART.

Some would tell you, "Oh, just stay away... run... don't do anything... you might get into trouble..." But then you have to ask yourself, do I want to keep running away all the time? Or do I want to put out the word that I am not someone who will quietly go under a manipulative person's harmful spell? The second alternative seems much the better one, to me. "Live free or die", as that state motto goes.

Congratulations to you, for being one less fool in the world!

[Devil_Anse]

Oh, hey, c'mon, Yaelle... Scott COULD be innocent!

Innocent of ever having had one iota of feeling or caring for another person, that is!!

[Devil_Anse]

Yes; I really thought the poor woman would never smile again. How she and Laci's father and step-father bear up, I'll never know.

[Devil_Anse]

Flirting with Jo Ellen Demetrius??! During jury selection??!

How totally pathetic!

[Canadian Outrage]

Demetrius is WAY OVER RATED in my opinion. This type of behaviour will definitely serve to turn the Jurors off. Many comments have already been made by some of those that have been questioned and released. They take offense to Peterson's laughing and joking around in such a serious atmosphere. In case he's forgotten, it's his butt that is on the line. Personally, I hope he keeps it up.

[Canadian Outrage]

Good for you OP. Sounds like your common sense rose up and took control just in time. NEVER speak to the creep again. When the right man comes along, you will know it.

[Canadian Outrage]

What'd I tell ya about those 20 somethings airheads!! I trust the Prosecution will strike that little airhead at the first oportunity.

[Velveeta]

almost touching, smiling, laughing, joking

Oh PUKE! It's disgusting that the defense team and Scotty all seem to be having sooooo much fun with this trial.

[Velveeta]

WOW, OP! So glad that you were able to recognize a dangerous situation and that you got away from that creep. Better yet that he's locked up!

[Jackie-O]

In case he's forgotten, it's his butt that is on the line.

And the rest of him too! ;o)

I agree with you Lynn...I hope he keeps it up. Maybe he thinks it's going unnoticed because there are no cameras present..but the jurors will see, and the spectators will see and get the word out. Media is represented in the courtroom, hopefully one of them will pick up on it. Maybe I'll drop Greta and Nancy Grace an e-mail and mention it, tell them to tell their reporters to observe this behavior...

[Jackie-O]

I just wrote to Nancy..now to Greta.
Dear Nancy,
I read on the message board here today that one of the posters who has been attending the triall has noticed that Scott and Jo Ellen have been "sitting close, almost touching at times", smiling, laughing, joking. I know some jurors who have been dismissed have said that this type of behavior was "creepy" to them. Could you mention this to your reporters attending the trial, to see if they observe the same thing? I would think that this would NOT go over well if it does continue once the trial starts!
Thanks,
Jackie-O

[Yaelle]

Scott COULD be innocent!

Innocent of ever having had one iota of feeling or caring for another person, that is!!

From Cell 214

Miss Devil (and I bet you are one in bed), First you need to prove to me that there ARE other people in the world. How do you know they aren't all tricks and I really am the only real one?

Signed Jaquie Scott Peterson

[Yaelle]

He is LAUGHING? JOKING AND FLIRTING? UGH!!!!

The other wife-murderer convicted on circumstantial (though excellent) evidence, Bruce Koklich, was sentenced to life in prison last week, and actually had the gall to remain arrogant throughout sentencing and do a little happy sign like thumbs up or something (I forget) as he was led away.

These guys think "Morality is for the weak, not for me."

Koklich killed his wife Jana, the daughter of the late CA State Senator Paul (?) Carpenter. He died after hearing about his daughter. Her body was never found, but Koklich's stories did not mesh with the evidence, and he was trying to have sex with his teenaged niece a couple of weeks after Jana's "disappearance." His first trial deadlocked, and we used to see him all the time in the neighborhood as he went about his business. CREEPY!!!

[Yaelle]

Wow, OP, what you have been through. The power of the cult of personality. I am sure that once those little ones learn how to get everything they want out of mommy, they go on to see the world as THEIRS; they just have to know how to wheedle what they want out of everyone.

Your story makes me realize that the stricter I am with my kids, probably the better for them. I want my children to grow up GOOD. I think maybe these boys like your guy and Scotty started out with winning looks and strong personalities, but it took an enabling Mom to allow them to develop into amoral narcissists. I PRAY I don't do that with my sons. I am very easygoing but that doesn't have to mean SPOILING them into narcissists.

So glad you told all and got out of there. Stay safe.

[Canadian Outrage]

Yup - No morality or feelings for these creeps. I can hardly believe they let this guy walk around between hung jury verdict and retrial!! Because Peterson showed such a DEFINITIVE attempt to flee, he'll NOT be released if the first jury deadlocks. I'll bet the Prosecution will have new charges filed before the ink is dry on the verdict in this case, IF it happened. I somehow think Laci's beautiful smile juxtaposed beside her raviged remains will take care of any hanging jury. NOT ONLY THAT, he's gonna convict himself with his OWN mouth. There is enough known NOW for a conviction AND Death Penalty.

[Devil_Anse]

SHRIEEEEK!!!

(whew... it's only you...)

You know, Yaelle, when you call him "Jaqui Scott", I start to get visions of the whole Norman Bates thing! You don't suppose they ever put Jackie P in the... in the... FRUIT CELLAR, do you?