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I personally know the two detectives which conducted his investigation. The case is NOT some sort of slam dunk people think and/or thought it was. Unless you know a lot about the case, the next points I shall make will sound foreign to you. I suggest you read up on the investigation. The key point in the prosecution of the case, was the photographs of the Scott Peterson's boat storage. There were photographs on the day Lacy was missing, of a two saw horses with a piece of plywood on them. Hand made concrete anchors were on the plywood; a total of 6. 2 were missing. They were matches to the ones, not scientifically mind you, to the ones found on Lacy's body.
In so far as Scott Peterson, I would argue everyone else's psychological assessment of him. He is a classic psychopath. Although not proven, he is probably responsible for the death of a female when he was in college.
This case is very baffling to most serious persons who study criminal law/justice. Like it or not, the case is ENTIRELY circumstantial. There isn't one shred of physical evidence, to show Scott committed the crime. No DNA, fingerprints, all the things people like to see. None of it. He still maintain's his innocence and, there is some evidence to show he is POSSIBLY innocent.
MOST of us in the criminal justice field were shocked he was even convicted, not to mention the death penalty, based upon such thin circumstantial evidence. But hell, you can't ever figure out what a jury will do.
On a sidebar, for you "crime junkies." Yes, I have another friend, a close friend who I work out with quite often. He is a Sgt at San Quentin, assigned to death row. Scott Peterson receives BAG LOADS of mail, every week, from women, all over the world, with marriage proposals. Many of these women send photos, of shall we say, different stages of compromise? Many of these women are, in my friends words, "Hotter then hell."
Yes, he was convicted on circumstantial evidence alone.
Do you all remember the Scott Peterson trial? He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Lacy Rocha Peterson, and unborn child.
Scott Peterson was a "way cool" surfer/waiter type student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I don't know if he graduated or not. I believe he met Lacy there. They then returned to one of the bigger towns in California's Central Valley where they lived a suburban life. Interestingly enough, he was a fertilizer salesman to the huge farming industry there.
The whole thing was weird. After her disappearance, he got involved in "looking for her," making public appeals. I remember when the whole thing blew apart. I had just come back from a vacation in South America and was sitting in the hotel breakfast area in Fort Lauderdale, watching the TV while I ate. The news announced that Lacy's body had washed ashore in the Bay Area. He evidently took her out in a boat from one of the marinas in the Bay Area one night and dumped her into the Bay, thinking he could "hide" the evidence. He then grew a beard, and escaped to Mexico. But they found him.
A lot of questions: Why did he marry her in the first place if he wanted his freedom? Did he do this because he wanted to be with Amber Frey? Is there any background/familial data on him that he would indicate why he was so sociopathic? Did he have a prior record?
I thought he dyed his hair and beard and tried to escape but was caught before getting to Mexico.
It was through Amber Frey that he was caught as I recall. She contacted police and they taped their convos when she realized she was dating a man whose wife was missing. There was a bit of concern that she might have been involved in the news, but she was cleared. Was on the news here in Fresno as Amber Frey is from here.
It's assumed he wanted to be rid of Lacey to be with Amber, but it doesn't seem Amber had the same feelings for Scott. She was a single mother with a small child and going slow with a new guy was how it has been related.
Scott seemed the picture of "normal" with a beautiful wife. Doesn't seem to be any prior indication of psychpathy that made the news at least. No prior record that I recall.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot
Yes, he was convicted on circumstantial evidence alone.
Wow. Thought there had been some dna evidence in the boat.
I thought he dyed his hair and beard and tried to escape but was caught before getting to Mexico.
It was through Amber Frey that he was caught as I recall. She contacted police and they taped their convos when she realized she was dating a man whose wife was missing. There was a bit of concern that she might have been involved in the news, but she was cleared. Was on the news here in Fresno as Amber Frey is from here.
It's assumed he wanted to be rid of Lacey to be with Amber, but it doesn't seem Amber had the same feelings for Scott. She was a single mother with a small child and going slow with a new guy was how it has been related.
Scott seemed the picture of "normal" with a beautiful wife. Doesn't seem to be any prior indication of psychpathy that made the news at least. No prior record that I recall.
Wow. Thought there had been some dna evidence in the boat.
I am not sure if they found something later. I remember reading about this case. I am pretty sure but I could be wrong.
This case continues to fascinate me. Seems to some misinformation in here, though, that I would like to comment on.
We do not know how Lacy died, since Scott has never admitted to killing her. She likely didn't drown, though. Investigators suspected she was what is termed a "soft kill"- death by strangulation or suffocation. There was no evidence of excessive blood loss in that house. Circumstantial evidence suggests that she was wrapped in a tarp and transported in the boat, so it's very unlikely she was alive going to the bay.
The anchors attached (?) to her body have not been recovered. Nor has her skull.
It is thought by experts that Amber is not the reason Scott killed Lacy. Not Amber in and of herself, that is. More so what she represented to Scott- freedom and carefree sex, a playboy lifestyle rather than a suburban dad one. It may have been unlikely he would stick around, once he had total freedom, seeing as Amber had a child (which he had NEVER expressed interest in- wouldn't hold relative's children/infants, etc.)
Some question why he would not simply divorce Lacy. Well, that doesn't work for him and his "carefree playboy" lifestyle, since then he would be saddled with child support payments, alimony, and a bitter ex-family to contend with. He never wanted a child, according to multiple witnesses' testimony. He was "kind of hoping for infertility," as he told one acquaintance. This is a man who told his mistress that he "lost" his wife (two weeks prior to Lacy's disappearance), and that the only child he could see having in his life, was his mistresses'; all the while he has a heavily pregnant wife waiting for him at home. Completely cold-hearted.
I have read several books on the case, included Catherine Crier's (highly recommend) and Sharon Rocha's (Lacy's mother, also excellent). Sharon feels that at one point Scott truly did love Lacy. I wonder if it was a testament to his acting abilities though. I always wondered too what purpose Lacy served in Scott's life- why marry her when he clearly preferred a carefree life? Lacy may have pushed him, in her own way- she was known to be very headstrong. Maybe marriage was just another new thrill he wanted to experience. Who knows. From what I understand it wasn't about money- his family was quite wealthy and helped him rather generously.
I don't think this thread should devolve into a DP debate- there're other forums for that. There are many questions remaining about this case, mostly regarding the exacts- how exactly did Scott kill her, why exactly, and so on. I'm hoping she was sleeping, as investigators suggested to Sharon Rocha. But you know, other evidence seems to suggest not. SHe was found wearing the same color pants her sister last saw her in, but the top she was wearing with them was found crammed into a drawer with clean clothes. The pajamas she usually slept in were found shoved in a paper bag. I wonder if maybe some kind of argument broke out while Lacy was changing that night, and Scott chose that moment to kick her or strike her violently (she was found with three broken ribs, which occurred immediately prior to death). I have a feeling things were not well in the household, though Lacy may have tried to keep up appearances. She had to have had a hunch that something was not right, as much time as he spent wooing Amber. Either way, Lacy's death was premeditated weeks in advance. So it was just a matter of him getting down to business, rather than an irrational act occurring in the heat of the moment. So it is an act, well deserving of the death penalty. This was a cold, cold blooded murder.
Somehow I always thought this case was full of holes. Like I believed OJ was guilty, I somehow believe Scott was innocent.
I believe Petersen is guilty. My problem is with a death sentence. There is simply too much about what happened that is unknown or open to speculation. This is not a case of a serial killer or someone who sexually abused and than murdered a young child. There is so much angst and so many emotions involved in a marriage that I think these killings should not have the death penalty as an option. Even Lacey Petersen's mother indicated she would be satisfied with a sentence of life without parole.
I think the jury in this case reacted very strongly to the obvious lies that Petersen had told during the investigation of the crime.
The chances of being executed in California right now are pretty low. It would make more sense to accept that and sentence Petersen to life without parole.
I personally know the two detectives which conducted his investigation. The case is NOT some sort of slam dunk people think and/or thought it was. Unless you know a lot about the case, the next points I shall make will sound foreign to you. I suggest you read up on the investigation. The key point in the prosecution of the case, was the photographs of the Scott Peterson's boat storage. There were photographs on the day Lacy was missing, of a two saw horses with a piece of plywood on them. Hand made concrete anchors were on the plywood; a total of 6. 2 were missing. They were matches to the ones, not scientifically mind you, to the ones found on Lacy's body.
In so far as Scott Peterson, I would argue everyone else's psychological assessment of him. He is a classic psychopath. Although not proven, he is probably responsible for the death of a female when he was in college.
On a sidebar, for you "crime junkies." Yes, I have another friend, a close friend who I work out with quite often. He is a Sgt at San Quentin, assigned to death row. Scott Peterson receives BAG LOADS of mail, every week, from women, all over the world, with marriage proposals. Many of these women send photos, of shall we say, different stages of compromise? Many of these women are, in my friends words, "Hotter then hell."
Hadn't heard about the college female.
And, some women are "sicker than he*l," too!!
If I recall, he fled towards the Mexican Border, with a "new" look which was dyed hair and a goatee or beard with camping stuff in his car...
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