Posted on 01/27/2003 5:19:40 AM PST by runningbear
Peterson continuing to stay mum
Peterson continuing to stay mum
By PATRICK GIBLIN
BEE STAFF WRITER
John Walsh, the host of TV's "The John Walsh Show" and "America's Most Wanted," said he has pleaded with Scott Peterson to answer questions and make a public statement.
Peterson refused, Walsh said Sunday after taping "The John Walsh Show" in Modesto.
"I talked to Scott on the phone for about 45 minutes and his parents for about an hour," Walsh said in the lobby of the DoubleTree Hotel. "I said, 'You need to show you are cooperating with the police fully, and you need to clarify the situation.'"
Peterson's wife, Laci Peterson, vanished Christmas Eve. Scott Peterson told police he went fishing that morning and his wife had plans to walk their dog in East La Loma Park.
Since then, police have said they have not been able to eliminate Peterson as a suspect in his wife's disappearance. Laci Peterson's family said two weeks ago that police told them Scott Peterson was having an affair, a report that Peterson has called "a bunch of lies."
Peterson has not given an extensive media interview since his wife disappeared, though he has talked briefly with some reporters.
A volunteer center used to coordinate efforts to find Laci Peterson was closed the day after police talked to her family.
Friday, the Modesto Police Department held a news conference where 28-year-old Fresno area resident Amber Frey said she had a recent romantic relationship with Peterson, but did not know he is married.
Walsh said he told Peterson that the affair is "old news" and the investigation needs to refocus on finding Laci. He said he reminded Peterson that the parents of Danielle van Dam, a 7-year-old who was murdered last year in San Diego County, came forward and admitted that their lifestyles didn't meet everyone's moral standards.
"That put everyone's attention back on the victim, and a man was arrested and then convicted for the murder because the parents stepped up to the plate," Walsh said he told Peterson. "That's what you need to do."
Despite the conversation, Peterson still declined to appear on Walsh's shows, which will air at 2 p.m. Thursday on KQCA-58.
"We just don't understand why he won't talk," Walsh said. "I told him that when Adam went missing, I would have stood naked in the middle of Times Square and let people shoot at me just to get my son back."
Adam, Walsh's 6-year-old son, disappeared in Florida in 1981 and was found murdered. No one was ever convicted in the case. The incident prompted Walsh to lobby for children's rights and to host the show "America's Most Wanted."
No comment from Peterson family
Peterson's parents had agreed to an interview for the show, but changed their minds after talking to Scott, Walsh said.
"Scott's father called up and said he agreed it was time for Scott to start defending himself," Walsh said.
Steve Howard, spokesman for the Peterson family, said Sunday he did not have any comments on the case.
"Nothing is pending," Howard said. "There's nothing I can say right now."
Without Peterson, Walsh spent his morning filming in front of the Peterson home on Covena Avenue.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
John, Scotty boy ain't talkin because he has something to do with the Laci disappearance!
AMW to be aired this Thursday night. Check your local programming.
Almost Everyone Is Talking In Modesto
POSTED: 1:09 p.m. PST January 26, 2003
UPDATED: 11:20 p.m. PST January 26, 2003
MODESTO, Calif. -- It seems like everyone in Modesto this weekend was talking about the case of missing Modesto mother-to-be Laci Peterson. Well, almost everyone.
Her husband, Scott Peterson, has remained relatively silent since Friday's stunning developments. KTVU's Diane Guerrazzi did speak with him for a brief moment Saturday, but as has been the trend in the case, he had little to say.
However, that wasn't the case around the Central Valley town.
"I really had a lot of compassion for him at first, but now it makes you wonder whether there's more to it," said Becky Zipser of nearby Turlock.
Andrea Rosario of Modesto said: "I have bad thoughts about the girlfriend and the husband. That's just personally what I think."
And then there was Modesto's Anthony Dorn.
"My feeling on it?" he said. "Just because he has an outside relationship it doesn't mean he was involved with it, but the whole situation seems a bit shady to me."
Candace Hicks said there is now little question in her mind.
"With her coming out, I think he's even more guilty," she said. "Even though she came forward and said this, it just made it seem like she wasn't involved. But I think he's guilty. Really, really guilty."
In Fresno, the father of Amber Frey -- the woman who came forward Friday to declare she had an affair with Scott Peterson -- told the Modesto Bee, his daughter had been duped.
"I keep telling her that she didn't do anything wrong," Ron Frey told the paper. "He not only fooled her, but he fooled the nation for a month."
Meanwhile, Scott Peterson arrived home in Modesto on Saturday after spending several days in Southern California. A search planned for Sunday in his native San Diego was delayed at least a week.
It wasn't known what effect the stunning developments Friday had on Peterson, but it shook up just about everyone else.
It started with the Rocha family staging an emotional press conference Friday afternoon. Laci's brother -- Brent Rocha -- confirmed that he confronted Scott about his alleged affair and that Peterson had admitted to it.
"I would like Scott to know I trusted him and stood by him in the intial phases of my sister's disappearance," Rocha said. "However, Scott has not been forthcoming with information regarding my sister's disappearance and I'm only left to question what he might be hiding."
He added, "because we have so many questions, I can no longer support him."
Laci's mother -- Sharon Rocha -- made an impassioned plea for her daughter's return.
"Since Christmas Eve, our one and only focus has been to find Laci and bring her home to us," she said choking back tears. "I love my daughter and miss her every minute of every day. I miss seeing her. I miss our talks together. I miss the excitement in her voice when she talks about her baby...Someone has taken all this away from me."
Hours later, Frey strolled into the limelight.
"First of all, I met him on Nov. 20," the single 28-year-old mother said. "When I was introduced, I was told he was not married. Scott told me he wasn't married. We had a romantic relationship. When I discovered he was involved in the Laci Peterson case, I immediately contacted the Modesto Police Department."
"Although I could have sold the photos of Scott and I to the tabloids, I didn't want to jeopardize the investigation. I knew it (going to the police) was the right thing to do. I am very sorry for Laci's family and the pain it has caused them. I pray for her safe return."
Modesto police said they had brought Frey forward because her identity had been uncovered by the media covering the case and they were hounding her. They added that Frey was not a suspect in the case.
Meanwhile, Peterson's sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, defended him during a series of Friday evening calls to national television networks.
"There is absolutely no way Scott had anything to do with Laci's disappearance," she said. She was "unaware of any affair and frankly, it wouldn't matter. It's a distraction from what our primary focus needs to be, and that's to bring Laci home."
Click the link for the rest of the story, KTVU.com.....
Blood samples, possibly from the baby, will be forthcoming.
Amber told police of SP's ebullient attitude and plans for Europe before and after the murder, IMO.
SP knows anything he says can and will be used against him.
His best bet is a game of russian roullette or a mad dash for the Mexican border. I'll bet he's fluent in Spanish.
Yeah, I have wondered too why the attorney hasn't stepped to the plate. The attorney could make a statement for Scott. (Not that it would make me feel better).
He can borrow my automatic.
It is painfully obvious that SP has no crediblity whatsoever, and he is now put himself in a position to have to explain ALL his actions.
sw
If I was a husband that wanted to clear myself as a suspect I would be taking endless lie detector test, have the biggest mouth in the world, going right to the top of the BIG media circus to get the word out to help find my wife, especailly who carried my child!
It wouldn't matter how many affairs I had!
And what is so suspect is even if he was trying to cover up the affair(s) it doesn't matter now...He should be screaming from mountain tops to find his wife!
His demeanor is so unbelievably deceptively transparent at this point!
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