Police say foul play likely (Laci Peterson)

Modesto Bee ^ | January 1, 2003 Posted: 06:02:00 AM PST | By PATRICK GIBLIN

[spectre]

..and she was small, about 5'1...I think.

sw

[vikingchick]

The difficulty with that scenario is that he rented a 12-14 foot boat, hardly the vessel to spend time in the ocean much less even get to the ocean. And someone would have seen him you'd think?

I know absolutely nothing about boats and such, and what kind of vessel you might use on the Bay. Maybe one of our Freeper fishermen/women could answer that. :) I suppose one could take pretty much any kind of boat out there, weather permitting, especially if you had a reason.

And also, I can't remember what the weather was like that day. I think somebody said it was nice outside.

As for somebody seeing him, there are all kinds of vessels on the Bay at any given time, esp a holiday. Lots of people only work half-days or get Christmas Eve day off. Who would notice a guy putting along in a boat towards the ocean, unless they were specifically asked to remember if they saw anybody of that description?

Disclaimer: Finally...I hope I'm completely wrong! I hope he's innocent. I hope I've only been reading too many True Crime novels, and I see evil where there is none. :)

[vikingchick]

But think about the cell phone. The ONE place you'd want to take your cell phone with you, would be out on the water...it's good in case of emergency, no?

LOL! Very good point. I sure would want that trusty cell right next to me in case the boat started to sink.

[pbear8]

How about if he was merely carrying a large cooler to his boat?

That's the only way I can think of. However, the ice chest would have to be pretty large and in that small a boat...seems difficult, top-heavy, etc.

[Scupoli]

But think about the cell phone. The ONE place you'd want to take your cell phone with you, would be out on the water...it's good in case of emergency, no?

LOL! Very good point. I sure would want that trusty cell right next to me in case the boat started to sink.

Me too.

[IamHD]

Hold the phone. I don't think the boat was rented. From what I have read, it was his own boat. Okay; with my racing thoughts, :) if the husband is involved, he could have put her body in the boat, earlier than 9:30, and drove away with nobody being the wiser. No?

[pbear8]

he might have been able to take off from the Berkeley Marina, cruise out into the ocean in any direction

Please trust me on this...you can't get from the Berkeley Marina to a suitable dump site outside the Gate and back in two hours. Even when we motor out and back at 5-7 knots (his rental wouldn't do much more) it takes at least 4 hours round trip - IF - and only if the tide is right. It can run 4 knots during a flood tide. Also you don't go out the Gate in that small a boat unless conditions are dead calm. He's not an experienced mariner.

You'd have to go past Mile Rock, the tourists on the Marin Headlands would all have to not see you, as would the tourists on the Bridge as well as the regular maritime traffic.

[Thinkin' Gal]

If she really did witness a break-in across the street, she had to have been outside. Would she have approached suspicious strangers, or not reported it? It she was already out the door, you'd think she would have had time to get back in the house and use the phone.

Okay, this could be possible... snatching her as she was fumbling for her keys, but what are the odds of seeing a burgarly and just happening to be totally vulnerable right outside the front door?

How did these guys know there were a couple of guns in the house and 50K in jewelry? Too much indiscreet neighborly chit-chat? Will she be found with a bullet in her head from one of these convenient weapons? When was the last time anybody else besides the husband saw or spoke to Laci? He could have done the deed the day before, and then went alibi fishing while his buddies ripped off the neighbors.

Well, the police have surely asked the ripped-off neighbors if Mr. Peterson knew about their jewelry stash.

[vikingchick]

Ha ha....I trust you. You sound like you know what you're talking about.

OK....trying to make the theory work....what if he didn't leave at 9:30, but rather earlier? Then is it possible he had time to do it?

[pbear8]

And also, I can't remember what the weather was like that day. I think somebody said it was nice outside. As for somebody seeing him, there are all kinds of vessels on the Bay at any given time, esp a holiday. Lots of people only work half-days or get Christmas Eve day off.

Captain Pbear and I are out there all the time teaching sail-training to at-risk youth. Captain PBear was out all Christmas Eve day running a commercial vessel in the Bay, didn't get home until 1800. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Vessel traffic(on top of Yerba Buena Island) has cameras monitoring the entire Bay, esp the two east-west traffic lanes to and from the Gate.

I recalll that the weather was not bad. I watched it all day because we had to do the music for Midnight Mass and I was worried about the harp getting wet.

I think he got rid of her (if he did it) somewhere closer to home, somewhere known to him.

[spectre]

"...he could have done the deed the day before and then went alibi fishing...."

Good thinkin, Gal :~)

Or, he dumped the body off somewhere else and still went "alibi" fishing.

sw

[pbear8]

I don't think the boat was rented. From what I have read, it was his own boat.

Then he trailered the boat (this would slow down his progress on the freeway)and is depending on his boat launch receipt as his alibi. Correct??

[OldEagle]

If hubby is involved it is more than likely that he hired a hit and used the fishing trip as cover. Being a husband and father I can't imagine leaving my 8 month pregnant wife on Christmas Eve..The important thing now seems to be their separate time lines and is there proof that HE actually was 70 miles away or did he have help on that.
Another plausible situation..Hubby had girl/boyfriend as accomplice. One did the deed the other got the ramp receipt?

[IamHD]

Yes, exactly. I posted a link up above. It does say that it was his boat, but doesn't say where the boat was kept. But, regardless, if he did do this, there would be nothing to load, (such as a body) once he got to the marina. There would be nothing for anyone to see. Just a man and his boat. Here, most fishermen have tarps, or a cover on the boat. I don't know if this is done in CA.

[pbear8]

OK....trying to make the theory work....what if he didn't leave at 9:30, but rather earlier? Then is it possible he had time to do it?

If he is depending to the fishing trip for a alibi then doesn't he want someone to know that he was going? I don't know why he said 9:30 either. Did he or she talk to anyone that morning? If not, he could have killed her anytime, even the night before dumped her, let the dog out, gone fishing and returned later to find her 'missing'.

Perhaps there are things I haven't considered...I wonder when anyone other than the husband last talked to her...

[TexKat]

Maybe she left the jerk and doesn't want him to find her.

I remember some posting the same thing about Chandra Levy.

Most unlikely with all this publicity.

But while saying that, does anyone remember the interview of Mrs. Peterson's mother. She was saying to Laci, not to worry, that they were coming for her. Was the mother trying to be optimistic or did she know something. It sounded very strange.

[Ann Archy]

So, why couldn;t he have stashed her dead body in the boat and then launched it in the bay and dumped her body??

[EllaMinnow]

"Before leaving Tuesday morning, Scott Peterson said his wife indicated that she planned to go grocery shopping and walk the dog, according to police.

Officers located people who said they saw her in the park about 10 a.m. Karen Servas, a neighbor, said she spotted the Petersons' golden retriever about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, his leash attached and muddy. Servas said she returned the dog to its yard, not realizing there might be something amiss."

http://www.modbee.com/reports/laci/story/5748328p-6686776c.html

Police said Scott Peterson tried calling his wife on his cell phone when he finished fishing but was not able to reach her. When he arrived home, he said he found her purse in the house and her sport-utility vehicle in the driveway.

[vikingchick]

Another scenario: He could have dumped the body anywhere inside the Bay too, without being noticed. If he weighed it down, it would sink down in the mud and stay there covered with 30 feet of water. He didn't necessarily have to go out past the Golden Gate. [Sorry to sound graphic.]

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks for the timeline. What am I missing? If she took the car to the park and the car was found at her house ?

1 she did not go to the park.
2 she went to the park and returned in the car.

but they are still looking in the park for her or evidence of foul play.