Peterson, Frey had frequent contact

The Modesto Bee ^ | Sept 25, 2003 | John Cote' and Garth Stapely

[Canadian Outrage]

Yeah, where is that girl???? Us foxless folks like that running commentary. *L*

[MaggieMay]

Our beautiful string of weather just continues. Can you ever remember a summer into early fall like this?

[Canadian Outrage]

No, it's been quite a while since we had such a long beautiful hot summer. We could have done without the fires but the weather was sure nice. It's STILL nice. Looks like a beautiful fall too. I love waking up to sunshine. I get the blues if there is a lot of dark dreary days.

[STOCKHRSE]

"Perhaps, Ray. But it's already certain that there was more than one smiling, pregnant brunette living in that neighborhood."

So supena the one remaining and find out where she was.
Tell her to bring her retriever.Or is at impossible! Or better yet drive to their house. Duh...But do something There were only two. There is another life at stake.I am dying of curiousity ....;-0)

Use your head Luv, don't you think that if they were others MPD would have found them to cover their ass when the DA came forward. She exposed MPD for the liars and frauds that they are. They desperately needed another crutch:They went to te well too damn often.

"I know scent dogs are not perfect, but I just think those dogs they brought in would have found a little something along the street, if she'd been gallivanting all over the place on foot."

That is exactly what they did and it was published. The first ground scent dogs went in the direction away from the park instead of toward it. Yes thats right, the same direction as Laci went when she was seen. They went toward gallo too. They also wandered on to robles(?) for a ways.

But you see MPD was targeting Scott,of that there is no longer any doubt. So they used their selective prosecutorial provincial techniques and targed trucks. That almost blew up in their faces when the truck dog first indicated that Laci got into a truck in the middle of the street and trailed away. But it wasn't Scotts truck you see so that wouldn't do. The next thing I heard the pooch was following another truck.

" She being middle-class female, would be more cautious, especially while pregnant for her first time. I don't think she'd want to get too unpredictable with her route while near the end of pregnancy. Plus, it's uncomfortable to walk at that time"

I see that differently. She kept to the streets more b/c the parks are full of homeless people and she felt safer in the residental neighborhood.

Miss Beth walked like a fool for the first two and she loved it. She walked miles and worked every day until she delivered. What I am saying is if you are used to it there is no problem, besides you should have seen how quick her figure returned.

Laci walked throughout the pregnancy. I bet her legs felt better when she walked b/c I know Beth would walk to get her ankles down;Walking promotes circulation if you'll just get off the ass and do it, she used to say.

She didn't tell Scott she wouldn't walk on a street,she simply did both as was comfortable to her. Mrs Mitchell said she was walking *from* the park by her house that last day. And when she got on Buena Vista coming back, LaLoma park was on her left and accessible. Too much park and privacy IMHO,and that along with her size made her vulnerable. Laci met death that day;She was introduced by someone who knew or was told about her regular route back home.


"--but she took ABSOLUTELY NOTHING with her, not even a few quarters for a panhandler, b/c all her money, I.D., etc., was found in the house"

She did what she did and that was as she always did;She left money but no one knows if she left all her money b/c no one knows exactly what amount she had to begin with.

Personally, I never take ID Or my cash rool, but I always have one twenty,a derringer and my watch.That is the habit;If anything is added or subtracted it's a crisis, and I mean a crisis. Isn't that terrible?

"Do they still have Trapani's in Waveland? LOL, my husband used to drive that long, lonely road between I-10 and Waveland, not far from that NASA place. He claims a small yellow-lighted object followed his car one night, then zoomed out of sight, then appeared in front of his car!"

Trapani's all gone. Sorry!

Strange things do go on along that stretch, especially by the bridges over te back bay. Things land and take off but they have no shape per se,or it's not discernable, just sparks and molten matter. Their is also no take-off runway.

[Velveeta]

I hope the Prosecutor gets to bring in MacKenzie and Mac points his paw at Snott and barks "rit ras Rott"!

[Velveeta]

I think these are different bones.

[RGSpincich]

These are "new" bones, right? I know the one found last Spring was an animal bone.

[Velveeta]

Yes, these are new bones. The Contra Costa Corner took possesion of them today. Not yet determined if they are human.

New article:
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/7528456p-8441133c.html

[RGSpincich]

Too much park and privacy IMHO,and that along with her size made her vulnerable. Laci met death that day;She was introduced by someone who knew or was told about her regular route back home.

Ray, back in May Greta VS interviewed Baden and some girlfriends of Laci. The girlfriends stated that Laci was having soreness and swelling in her ankles and legs. They rejected the notion that Laci was walking at all that day. Baden, Greta and the camera crew did a walk thru at the park.

The walkthru at the park of her most likely route, including a downhill trek through steep terrain, would have been at the beginning of her walk. All involved detemined that the hill was too steep and the footing too loose for Laci. You're right, it was secluded. But it was also trashy and littered, not the type of place she would walk. I don't think she would have attempted to walk up that hill at the end of a walk, either.

Homer Maldonado, in his possible sighting, described Laci's locations and times in such a way that would indicate her route was going in the opposite direction of what Mrs. Mitchell described. We traced it out on the map at the time and could not reconcile the Mitchell and Maldonado accounts of the alleged sightings.

Anyway, I just wanted to weigh in on the walking thing since we did spend some time on it earlier. Good seeing you again.

[RGSpincich]

I just have a nagging feeling that Carroll is something from the defense team and am waiting to see where all the chips fall.

Matt Dalton written all over it. The attorney is beginning to wilt under the lights too, Muni, Mani, Mene, whatever his name is. That "secluded" story isn't flying very well.

[Devil_Anse]

YESS!!

I hope those Petersons aren't practicing mind-control on McKenzie...

[Devil_Anse]

Well, Rusty, I honestly don't think he's from the defense team, but I am beginning to think (alas) that he is bogus.

OTOH, if Muna comes up with that "witness" who saw Scott stop by where Carroll was "working as a handyman", now that's different! I mean, if ANYONE other than Carroll can put even Carroll and Scott in the same place, I'll gladly retract my tentative comment that Carroll is probably bogus.

[Rusty Roberts]

Sandy, my impression was that the girl worked at the club and that she kept the picture, which is kind of strange in itself. Obviously, the money is in selling the pictures to the patrons, and on those occassions they don't bite and purchase, I don't see the reason for the girl to hold the picture. Oh, ok, here comes the next stage of the conspiracy: Scott was being set up, see, he was just in this club see, havin a boys night out, see and happened to be caught in a picture with this girl and some nasty charecters that do really bad things to pregnant women, and Scott just happened to mention that with the pregnancy and all, he was a little strapped for cash and it sure would help if maybe her car was stolen---BUT that's all Scott wanted, he had no idea anything more would happen, Scouts honor. All Scott wanted was to get some cash flow in order to do more for Laci and Connor, the people he loved more than anything in the world, after all, they all shared the most glorious relationship known to mankind....and these same bad people have a van, a tan van that just so happens fits the description that MG and MD (slimeball lawyer who is now no longer a part of the firm---OFFICALLY, so they say) put out almost immediately upon being hired and meeting with Scote, with the caveat that they would be able to produce the real killers within a matter of days.

Methinks this is all going according to a certain plan, a certain orchastrated plan, nothing happens in this case by chance.

[Devil_Anse]

Ray, how old was Beth when she had dem first two pregnancies?

I gained too much weight on the first. It's a common mistake. You get all determined to "eat right". I was in despair during the early part, too nauseated to eat. I was sure that would be very bad for the baby. But it's natural; I shouldn't have worried about it.

I had no problems at all, really. BUT I WELL remember walking, towards the end. Needless to say, I wore flat shoes at all times. I worked the whole time, too. I would bet money that Laci was feeling really LARGE. She was short, no taller than 5'4", I think, so her situation is comparable to what mine was. My mother commented that I had a rolling gait, like a sailor on deck. NO WAY, in my opinion, would Laci have walked for the sheer feel-good of it. I bet she just walked exactly as much as she thought she had to for her health--but no more. I can't emphasize enough that walking is not fun at that stage; furthermore, her friends said she was not feeling well in the legs and ankles.

They DID subpoena that other pregnant woman, Kristen Dempewolf. It's obvious that they've talked to her a good bit. I heard there were one or two others in the area. I feel confident that they at least looked for those, too.

I never heard any of that about the dogs following trucks. Let me know approximately where that was mentioned, and I'll go read it.

You have a point about the residential streets probably looking safer to her than the park. However, I'll bet there was a regular crowd who walked their dogs in the park. That's how it usually is. It's certainly possible that she was planning to walk on the street, but WHY then did she tell Scott she was going to the PARK?? That's what he said!!

There is nothing absurd at all in at least wondering if Scott had to do with it. Therefore, I think the MPD were acting sensibly in suspecting him. It's not like they did anything over-the-limit to him. He had his freedom, in fact he went up to Berkeley and hid out, and nobody bothered him! They got warrants, didn't try to force or fake his cooperation. They didn't arrest him until they really had something.

She always left her KEYS, cellphone, and I.D. at the house when she went walking?

Waveland, ah yes. Trapani's gone. Not surprising. I assume that probably two other joints sprang up in its place. My husband's old classmate is the mayor now, I hear. And I am thrilled to hear you confirm that, you, too, believe that strange things can be seen on that lonely road! Makes my husband look so much less crazy!

[Rusty Roberts]

DA, I saw that walk through with Gretta and I thought then there was no way Laci was walking there that day or any day in the latter part of her pregnancy: too steep and loose ground, not to mention safety overall. Also, good point about her being only 5'4", that makes it even more unlikely.

Then, as you and others have pointed out, Laci was having a bad case of water retention/swelling which is very uncomfortable and not condusive to being on her feet, much less walking. She had been complaining about it and was only doing what she had to do to get by.

So,bottom line, I still believe whatever happened occurred durring the evening of 12/23, early morning of 12/24. No on can absolutely confirm interaction with Laci after the phone call with her mother on 12/23.

Eye witnesses are dangerous to whichever side puts them on when there are multiple winesses: easy to knock down, especially given that their sightings are in opposing times and directions, but I will await the couts to do that job. It's the old story: 4 people are eye witnesses to a car accident and they see 4 totally different accidents.

[Sandylapper]

I would just love to hear what the DA in Stanislaus responds to the evidence that has so far been presented to him with respect to Carroll's story. It would be so easy to verify the existence of Dirty and Skeeter in Fresno, the girl at the club (I understood that Carroll gave her name to LE and maybe her address?), as well as the new lady who met Scott at her home, outside talking with her husband. I know Dirty and Skeeter might not be from Fresno, but how and where did Carroll meet them? Somehow I got the impression this was not their first trip to Fresno. If this is a defense scam, it'll blow up big time, IMO.

I can't yet discount Carroll's story since Amber is afraid and had to move to a gated community. Who is/was threatening her?

[Sandylapper]

So,bottom line, I still believe whatever happened occurred durring the evening of 12/23, early morning of 12/24. No on can absolutely confirm interaction with Laci after the phone call with her mother on 12/23.

I'm with you on that one, Rusty, although I thought Ray presented a good theory. The problem I have with Ray's theory though is, we heard that in Scott's conversation of the 24th with Lee, that Laci was mopping the kitchen floor. That would indicate that Laci was doing her house chores early, after which she would take MacKenzie for a walk. But she wouldn't have done all her chores and taken a walk before opening the blinds. JMO. Men and a jury might not understand that mentality, but when a woman completes her chores, she opens the blinds. Right, girls? Especially after a mop job.

I'm with Ray in that I do believe that LE's focus was strictly on Scott, as was the media, and subsequently the whole nation.

[runningbear]

thanks vel... blondee helped sort that out with the story of 'those' bones.. ;o)

[Jackie-O]

I'm here lovees..just can't really post much from work...having the ups and downs at home with DDL. (Darling daughter Lisa) Last couple of days have been on the down side. Lurking heavily from work! ;0)

[drjulie]

I surely can't speak to the legal issues - it doesn't take long for me to bump up against the limits of my knowledge there. I can speak to the issue of the memories & eyewitness testimony of those folks who supposedly saw Laci in the park that day. In recent years we've learned quite a bit about memory and perception. For one thing, people often misperceive events. If they do, what is in their memories will be inaccurate. Assuming the perception is correct, the memory is not like a stored video tape. It can actually change in storage (like if new scenes were added or old scenes deleted from your movie on tape). Subsequent experiences can change that memory. Also (and probably more common) memories can be changed when retrieved. These people who "saw Laci" are not necessarily lying - especially if they are used to seeing her walk her dog. There perceptions or memories could be inaccurate. I was involved in a case years ago where a lady remembered seeing a man at a store on a particular day (she was used to seeing him there several days a week). It was proven (no doubt) that at that time he was dead in his apartment. She still, to this day, believes that she saw him. I'm not saying that this proves that these folks did NOT see Laci ....I'm just saying that this evidence is not very powerful and, as a defense attorney, I wouldn't count on it saving my client.