Scott's Behavior:  Lies and Deception

Much of the State's "circumstantial evidence" case against Scott rested on perceived lies and deception, beginning with his efforts to keep the affair with Amber concealed. 

Some of the claims of lies and deceptions are either blatantly false or grossly misrepresented.  Many others simply are inconsequential -- their only value was character assassination. 

One of the State's claims is that Scott secretly purchased the boat.  Nadia Taze effectively exposes the illogic of this conclusion.  Misconceptions:  Premeditated II The Secret Boat & Internet Searches

Despite the illogic of the conclusion, the public clings to it because the Defense team didn't successfully produce evidence that anyone knew about the boat, much less Laci.  Rumors circulated that the Defense had a picture of Laci standing in the boat, but all the Defense produced was hearsay testimony from Investigators that Laci was at the warehouse just previous to December 24 and asked to use the bathroom in another business.  That didn't prove that Laci saw the boat, or knew about the boat, or was ever in the boat.  The alleged picture was not presented as evidence. The business owner was not called as a witness.

The affair itself is inexcusable.  However, the attempt to conceal it is not only understandable, it is admirable.  The only honorable motivation Scott could have had to reveal the affair to the police, and to family members, is his own suspicion that Amber was involved.  Indeed, had Scott Peterson been guilty, he had the perfect opportunity to throw Amber to the wolves and direct suspicion towards her.  Her past vengeful behavior, if he knew anything at all about it, would have provided very good fodder for a hungry media and given the MPD something else to chew on for awhile.  Had he been guilty, he had much to gain and little to lose by making the affair known.

But, he didn't throw Amber to the wolves, probably because he never seriously considered that she might be involved.  In all of the phone conversations with Amber, there is only one indication that he might have considered her involvement as a possibility, in the January 8 phone call, but he quickly backs off.  But more importantly, the fact that he did not disclose to anyone any information about Amber protected her from the media onslaught for at least a month.  Yes, that's right, and that is what millions of people fail to give him credit for, including Amber -- his silence kept the wolves at bay for her, while doing nothing to further his own vindication.

The reality is, the affair did not do nearly as much damage to Scott's public image as his continuing to talk with her during the weeks after Laci's disappearance -- not because of what the continuing relationship was in substance, but because of what the State made it appear to be -- romancing Amber instead of looking for Laci.  The Amber Phone Calls: Evidentiary Value Analysis 

LE intentionally made it a big media story that divers would be going down on the 11th to recover the object found by sonar searches on the 9th--reportedly a body.  They monitored Scott's whereabouts through his cell phone activity. 

Around 10:30 he was known to be near the Berkeley Marina because he checked his voice mail and it was activated at the Berkeley Marina switch, but no one saw him.  Later in the day he checked voice mail again in the Gilroy/Hollister area.  The following calls were admitted as evidence to show Scott lied about his whereabouts.  The following indicates the time of the call, the person Scott was talking to, and where Scott said he was compared to cell site locations.  Click on the overview map to enlarge.

People's 207A-2 & A-3 10:48 am, Jackie Peterson, west Fresno

People's 207A-5 12:55 pm, voice mail from Sharon Rocha (Scott whistled)

People's 207A-6 & A-7 12:56 pm, Sharon Rocha, Bakersfield

People's 207A-8 & A-9 1:01 pm, Lee Peterson, Bakersfield

People's 207A-10 & A-11 1:21 pm, Guy Miligi, coming home from Bakersfield

People's 207A-12 1:25 pm, voice mail to Mike Richardson

People's 207A-13 & A-14 1:31 pm, Heather Richardson, in Button Willow

People's 207A-15 2:02 pm, Robert Weaver, not specified