Laci and Conner Peterson – Modesto, CA – Dec 24 2002

On December 24, 2002 Laci Peterson took her dog Mackenzie for a walk and disappeared.  She was 8 1/2 months pregnant with her son Conner.  This is the lie that was perpetuated until 2017 when eyewitness testimony given to the police was finally revealed by Scott Peterson’s appellate attorney team.  This evidence was suppressed for 15 years while Scott was being investigated, on trial for murder, convicted and sentenced to death, and was imprisoned.  Shame on the Modesto Police Department.

The Facts

Here are the facts.  Each fact is supported by multiple pieces of evidence including eyewitness testimony, receipts to establish timelines, computer evidence, jailhouse audio recordings, and testimony of law enforcement as well as court testimony, autopsy reports, and other verified official reports.

Other Facts

1. From the timeline of events and sightings (which were verified by receipts and other corroborating evidence) it appears that Laci attempted to take Mackenzie for a walk, went back home, did a few chores, then tried again later.  Two of the witnesses said she was struggling to keep Mackenzie under control.  That’s probably why she returned home then went back out later.
2. Five weeks before Laci’s disappearance, her husband Scott met Amber Frey through a mutual friend.  He told Amber he was single and looking for the right woman.  Amber, who was a single mother of a small child, believed him.  They had a sexual relationship that took place over four “dates”.  On December 9, Scott confessed to Amber that he was a widower and his wife had died.  Amber believed him.  Then she saw the newspapers and learned he had lied and his pregnant wife was missing.  So she called Modesto Police.
3. On Dec 30, Scott called Amber and told her he was in France celebrating a business deal with friends.  He was laughing and talking to people.  He was actually at Laci’s candlelight vigil.
4. Steve Todd and Glenn Pearce are arrested for the robbery at 516 Covina.
5. Over six weeks, Scott continues to call Amber, not realizing those calls are being recorded by the Modesto Police Department.  What they reveal is that Scott is a habitual liar and a narcissist.  They will be played at Scott’s trial, making the jury hate him.
6. Amber holds a press conference revealing her relationship to Scott Peterson and his lies.
7. Scott gives a TV interview to Diane Sawyer and repeatedly lies to her about what he told the police, easily proven lies by CCTV and recordings.  He also talked about Laci in the past tense.  This was before they found her body.
8. On Apr 14, 2003, baby Conner’s body is found on the edge of the bay.  Hours later, Laci’s torso is found.
9. On Apr 18, 2003, Scott Peterson was arrested in San Diego where he was vacationing with family.
10. The trial is held in 2005 and moved to Redwood City in San Mateo County.  More than half the jurors stated they already believed Scott Peterson was guilty because the media said he did it.
11. On Dec 13, 2004 Scott is sentenced to death.

Police Theory

Modesto police theorize that Scott killed Laci the evening of Dec 23 after she learned about Amber.  They believe he wrapped her body in a tarp, drove to the Marina, put her in the boat with anchors, and dumped her body in the bay.  This was disproved quickly at the beginning of the trial when more than 30 eyewitnesses saw Lacy on Dec 24 and she was on her computer looking for sunflower umbrellas.

Police then shifted their theory to Scott killing Laci on Dec 24 and dumping her body in the bay.  But Scott was shown to be on his computer from 10:30 to 10:56 am at the warehouse where he worked.

Laci’s torso was found, not the rest of her.  Conner had tape wrapped around his neck.  These are signs of an experienced criminal.  Police requested no further forensic tests on Laci’s body or Connor’s and they really should have.  There was zero forensic evidence in Laci’s house.  No blood.  No method of dismemberment.  Nothing.  Dismemberment is messy.

If you look at photos of Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce, the two burglars who robbed the house across from Laci’s on the day she was abducted, they have very dark skin and small frames.  In hoodies, they look Hispanic, exactly as they were described by multiple witnesses.  But Todd and Pearce told police they robbed the house on Dec 26, which was impossible because at least 50+ news vans were parked in the street covering the case.  Police believed them anyway.  They ignored all the evidence pointing to Todd and Pearce as the murderers.

10:33 am the Medinas left on vacation.

11:40 am Todd, Pearce, and the third burglar were already putting items from the Medinas’ house in their white van.

That means this was an inside job.  Someone in the neighborhood was alerting Todd and Pearce to when the neighborhood families would be gone so they could rob them.  That would explain how they managed to rob a dozen homes in the area that week.  Police never pursued that line of questioning.

Post-Trial Facts the Modesto Police Suppressed

1. During the trial, two jurors who had already decided to convict Scott Peterson, got three other jurors who believed Scott was innocent kicked off the jury so they could insure a guilty verdict and sell a book deal.  Their names are Mike Belmessieri and John Guinasso.  John had actually threatened one of those jurors because he refused to vote to convict Scott.  A third juror, Richelle Nice, was publicly ridiculing Scott Peterson during the trial and had committed juror misconduct.
2. Police claim Laci’s body was weighted down with four to five cements blocks and the tidal action caused her body to move and be torn apart.  Impossible.  She had to have been dismembered before her body was dumped in the bay.  Conner was found with one and half loops of tape around his neck and was knotted near his left shoulder.
3. During the trial, the prosecution used Dr. Devore to establish Conner’s death on Dec 24 using the formula designed by Dr. Jeanty (the expert) and measurement of one bone.  Scott’s appellate attorney went straight to Dr. Jeanty who confirmed that Dr. Devore used the wrong formula and needed to measure three bones, not one.  He examined Conner’s body and determined he was alive as late as Jan 3 meaning Laci was kidnapped and held captive for at least a week, possibly two.  Scott could not have killed her.  He was constantly watched from Dec 24 on.
4. Modesto Police used a scent dog at the marina named Trimble.  Trimble had repeatedly failed certification and had a 75% failure rate.
5. Lt Aponte, a prison guard, had called in a tip to the Modesto Police twice telling them he had a taped conversation between inmate Shawn Tenbrink and his brother Adam, who was a close friend of Steven Todd (the burglar).  Adam was telling Shawn that Laci had confronted Steve about robbing her neighbors and they threatened her.  Then Shawn tells Adam to shut up because they’re recording the conversation.  Lt. Aponte gave the tape of this conversation to Modesto Police.  They conveniently lost it.
6. Police publicized Scott’s alibi.  Anyone with a vehicle could have dumped Laci and Conner’s bodies on the beach without being caught.  The beach is completely accessible.  This would frame Scott, making him the perfect fall guy.
7. Modesto is called the city of “Murder, Meth, and Auto Theft” by the locals.  It is not a quiet suburb.  It is a crime riddled city.  One mile from Laci’s home is the Airport District where all the meth houses are.  The crime there is constant including murder.  Also, several homes in Laci’s neighborhood were robbed in the week surrounding Laci’s disappearance.
8. Modesto Police had been investigating a satanic cult in the area in the disappearance of seven pregnant women who all disappeared between 1999 and 2002.  Evelyn Hernandez was also 8 1/2 months pregnant and abducted from Modesto six months before Laci.  Her torso was found, but not her infant.
9. Five blocks away from Laci’s home was Lourdes Avila’s storefront.  She was also 8 1/2 months pregnant on Dec 24 when two Hispanic men came to the store.  They’d been watching her outside for 30 minutes then chased her into the store where she called 911.  Fortunately, they left.  But this was around the time that Laci was abducted.  Lourdes called Modesto Police and reported this.  A detective came out and then the police buried it.
10. A fact that was suppressed was that it was common for Mackenzie to be loose in the yard because Laci would garden in the backyard.  When the neighbor put Mackenzie back inside the gate, Laci then left on her walk with Mackenzie.  This means there is a complete timeline of her morning up to her abduction.  It makes a complete circle with her walk with Mackenzie and they return to the house where she sees the three people robbing the Medinas’ house.  She confronts them and is abducted.
11. Shortly after noon, Tom Harshman saw two men hovering around a pregnant woman peeing on the side of the road then shoved her into a white van.  He reported this tip to the Modesto Police, who buried it.

The Attention Seeking Judge

Judge Delucchi was the trial judge in Scott Peterson’s case.  He made three crucial mistakes which resulted in an extremely biased and unfair trial:

1. Jury selection.  Judge Delucchi immediately dismissed all jurors who opposed the death penalty insuring a biased trial.
2. Unreliable evidence allowed.  Judge Delucchi allowed the prosecution to admit evidence from a dog sniffer, Trimble, who failed 75% of the time and was not certified.  He also allowed evidence by a hydrologist about tidal wave action when he was neither an expert nor had any evidence to support his evaluation.
3. Excluded evidence that was relevant.  Judge Delucchi refused to allow defense to provide evidence that no one could dump a 150 pound body with four to five cement blocks tied to it over the edge of Scott’s small aluminum boat without the boat capsizing.

Burglars or Satanists

There are two theories that fit the evidence.  I believe it was the burglars.  She was right across the street and had confronted them.  Then they were seen abducting her and letting her pee by the side of the road before shoving her back in their white van.  Two of the burglars were arrested and the police have their names.  (Underlined and bolded above.)

The other theory is Satanists in the area who were believed to be abducting pregnant women and performing rituals on the babies.  Since they’ve made no arrest in this area, and they’ve proven to be poor investigators, I’ll stick with the burglar theory.

Although Scott Peterson didn’t murder his wife and son, he did contribute to their murder by repeatedly lying to police and everyone else for two years.  He cared little for Laci or Conner and way more for his own reputation.  That’s why he was convicted.  Jurors saw the videos of Laci eight months pregnant at a Christmas party alone right before she disappeared.  At the exact same time, Scott was with his mistress, Amber Frey, at another Christmas party laughing and smiling.  All of the videos surrounding Laci’s disappearance show Scott sitting far away from her as though he was already eliminating her from his life.  The only thing that puts him on the bay in that boat is that parking ticket which anyone could have paid for.  He looked guilty, he acted guilty, and he was guilty…of being a creep.

Bibliography

The Murder of Laci Peterson, 2017 series, Episodes 1-6.