Husband of missing Modesto woman lied about girlfriend, family says

Modesto Bee ^ | 1/17/03 | Jim Wasserman

[hoosierskypilot]

MODESTO, Calif. (AP) - The husband of a missing pregnant woman may have lied about his relationship with a girlfriend and possibly other things, a spokeswoman for the family said Friday.

Kim Petersen, a spokeswoman for relatives of Laci Peterson, 27, of Modesto, said police have shown the family recent photographs of Scott Peterson with a girlfriend. The husband had previously denied such a relationship, the family said.

"Now, however, they believe he has lied to them about this, and possibly other things as well," Petersen said.

"Approximately two weeks ago, Ron Grantski, Laci's stepfather, asked Scott if he had a girlfriend. Scott told him no and Ron believed him," Petersen said.

"The family is asking him to tell everything he knows and to fully cooperate with the Modesto Police Department," Petersen said. "Their family is the most important thing to them and if Scott has nothing to hide, they ask him to prove that."

Laci Peterson was reported missing on Christmas Eve. She is due to deliver a baby boy on Feb. 10. Her husband told investigators he went fishing at the Berkeley Marina on Christmas Eve morning.

Police did not indicate to the family if investigators believed Scott Peterson was responsible for his wife's disappearance, according to Petersen.

"The family knows that the police are doing their job," Petersen said. "They don't want to do anything that can hurt their chances of finding Laci."

Petersen, executive director of the Carole Sund-Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation, which is sponsoring a reward for Laci Peterson's safe return, said the Modesto center closed Thursday.

Volunteers also canceled plans to open a one-day center in Los Angeles on Sunday.

"Although Laci has not been located yet, our search effort will not stop," said Brad Saltzman, general manager of the Red Lion Hotel in Modesto, who had been organizing the volunteer centers. "We will continue to search for Laci and her baby boy."

Police have repeatedly said Scott Peterson is not a suspect but has been less than cooperative.

[hoosierskypilot]

This is a picture of him at her candlelight vigil. I've never been to such a vigil, but it would seem he should be more somber than depicted.

< IMG SRC="http://www.modbee.com/ips_rich_content/16-17a1peterson.jpg">

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[hoosierskypilot]

Oops. Sorry.

[vikingchick]

As loathsome as it is for me to defend Scotty-poo, in this particular photo, maybe somebody said something humorous to him at the moment the photo was shot. Someone could have said: "Hey Scott....isn't that photo of Laci beautiful?" and then he looked at it and smiled.

HOWEVER, that doesn't mean he's innocent of any wrongdoing. I still think they need to go back and check out the SF Bay again.

[runningbear]

Small caps

Good morning hoosier!

[vikingchick]

What are you doing up at this hour? LOL

[runningbear]

here ...here... Hi VC... Long thread yesterday... ;o) Off having a garage sale today..

[vikingchick]

I can't sleep. I have to pretty soon though or I'll start to hallucinate. (sp?) Good luck on the garage sale.

[blondee123]

this is from the Modbee article yesterday:
"He did not sit with family members at a vigil for his wife that was held on New Year's Eve. Instead, he mingled with friends and family in the crowd, laughing and smiling a good deal of the time."

[runningbear]

I fell asleep early last evening, and since I am going to do this garage sale of 'stuff', have to get up early to put all the goodies and place them in the neatness way...lol.. Need to clear 9 yrs of living and buying stuff I no longer need. :o) You should of seen the junky cabinets I put on the sidewalk curb, 'free sign posted', about 7 of them, all gone within 24 hours....lol.. Somebody thought they were still good, or good burning wood!.... So, about a carafe of coffee to wake me up, and ready to rumble....lol.. It's cold out!

[runningbear]

did you see the Modesto Bee editorial. They want the city politicos to do something on Modesto's image. They want those who experience such media blitz influxs such as Simi Valley, LA...LOL... Ah, I don't think so! Southern CA is very different in mind sets than Northern Ca... Weather must play a very big part.. My sister in San Diego tells me, it is sunny and 80 degrees yesterday.... erghhhh! Cold here, and sucked in with that crappy fog! ;o) burrrr!

[KneelBeforeZod]

when I lived downtown san jose with a bunch of my college friends in an old victorian we'd throw our beer cans and bottles on the front lawn. they'd be gone in the morning.

well... by lunch when we woke up.

[KneelBeforeZod]

maybe they need a name change like Pittsburg did... too bad the crime still sucks in "Baypoint"

[truthkeeper]

It was 85 here in L.A. yesterday, and very dry. It felt like June. We desperately need some rain.
Good luck with the garage sale, r-bear.

[RGSpincich]

Volunteers also canceled plans to open a one-day center in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Reality sets in.

[RGSpincich]

More details.

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/4977662.htm

Posted on Sat, Jan. 18, 2003

Woman's family believes husband lied
LACI PETERSON'S RELATIVES DEMAND TRUTH AFTER REPORTS OF AN AFFAIR
By Lori Aratani and Linda Goldston
Mercury News

MODESTO - Laci Peterson's family stood by her husband for weeks, but after police showed them evidence that Scott Peterson was having an affair, the devastated family Friday called on him to reveal everything he knows about his pregnant wife's disappearance.

``If Scott has nothing to hide, they ask him to prove that,'' said Kim Petersen, a family spokeswoman who is not related to the family.

News that Scott Peterson was allegedly cheating on his pregnant wife stunned many in this Central Valley town, still struggling to understand how a mother-to-be could vanish from her home on Christmas Eve.

Police have not ruled him out as a suspect but refused to answer questions Friday about the latest revelations in a case that has drawn national attention and a $500,000 reward for Laci Peterson's safe return.

Throughout the search, police have sifted through more than 2,600 tips but continue to look at Scott Peterson, who said he discovered his wife missing after returning from a solo fishing trip to the Berkeley Marina.

Two weeks ago, Laci Peterson's stepfather, Ron Grantski, asked Scott whether he was having an affair, Kim Petersen said.

``Scott told him no and Ron believed him,'' she said. ``Now, however, they believe he has lied to them about this, and possibly other things as well.''

She said police showed the family recent photographs of Scott Peterson with a woman they said was his girlfriend.

Scott Peterson called the allegations ``a bunch of lies'' in an interview Friday with a reporter from KTVU-TV. He had refused to speak with reporters since his wife's disappearance but broke his silence on Thursday, when he told San Jose's KNTV that he wanted the media to focus on the search for his wife, not him.

``Make me the biggest villain in the world if you want to. As long as it keeps her photograph in the press,'' Peterson told the television station. ``I really don't care what people think of me as long as it continues to keep Laci's picture, description, tip line in the media.''

His family lives in San Diego County and could not be reached Friday, but they have been adamant that he loved her too much to ever harm her.

Modesto police issued a statement Friday that said ``there will be no further press conferences in the Laci Peterson investigation until there is significant new information or a break in the case.''

The statement also said police will not respond to rumors or speculation about the case, including a report in the Modesto Bee on Thursday that Peterson had taken out a large insurance policy on his wife during the summer, after she became pregnant. The newspaper also reported that police told Laci Peterson's family about Scott Peterson's alleged extramarital affair on Wednesday night before it was revealed in the National Enquirer on Thursday.

Kim Petersen, the family spokeswoman, read the family's statement in a meeting room at the Red Lion Hotel, where a volunteer command center had bustled with activity until Thursday, when volunteers decided to shut it down. There are no plans to reopen it.

Scott Peterson told KTVU that he would open his own search center and continue looking for his wife, who is expecting their first child next month.

Laci Peterson's family will not give interviews until next week unless there is a major break in the case, Kim Petersen said.

Volunteers abruptly canceled a press conference in Los Angeles on Friday and halted plans to post fliers about Laci Peterson around the Los Angeles area on Sunday.

``Although Laci has not been located yet, our search effort will not stop,'' said Brad Saltzman, who had been organizing the volunteer center in Los Angeles. ``We will continue to search for Laci and her baby boy.''

Last weekend, the family suffered through the possibility that Laci Peterson's body was in the murky depths near the Berkeley Marina after sonar revealed an object large enough to be a body. The object turned out to be an old anchor.

The statement issued Friday by Modesto police said investigators are continuing to search ``areas surrounding Stanislaus County'' but did not reveal the locations.

From the beginning, police have said they could not rule out Scott Peterson as a suspect in his wife's disappearance. The family's public appeal for him to come clean with police has added to the suspicion.

``He should have been more forthcoming,'' said Tracy Wilkinson, a waitress at Fuzio's restaurant in Modesto, where the talk is all about Laci and the Oakland Raiders. ``It looks bad for him.''

[RGSpincich]

Scott Peterson told KTVU that he would open his own search center and continue looking for his wife, who is expecting their first child next month.

SP and OJ Investigations, Inc.

[runningbear]

LOL... ah, a frat house aye!!! SJSU... My college during the 1990's... Beer cans, and bottles, well they are still being lifted from the bins, and hunted down by the homeless or down and out.. Or those that can get the booze money, and they stand by 7-11 stores and beg...

[runningbear]

I still like the old name, and homes used to be very cheap there! Not now... since BART came thru...

[KneelBeforeZod]

There were a few regulars around SJSU...the best story for scamming beer change was the guy who said he needed "$5.23 (or whatever it was) for batteries for my science experiment"

Of course there were always those who needed "change for the bus to get back to Santa Clara so I can go to work tomorrow"