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Laci's Clothes by Jane Hamilton
On December 23, 2002, Laci Peterson had a very busy day. At 8:30 a.m. her housekeeper arrived. At 10:08 a.m. she checked out at Trader Joes with a large order of groceries. Between 12:30 and 12:45, she arrived at Sweet Serenity Day Spa to get a facial. At 2:35 Laci and her husband Scott went to the Hera Medical Group for her regularly scheduled prenatal exam with her ob-gyn, Esther Tow-Der. Laci and Scott then planned to go to the hospital to pre-register for the delivery, according to Lacis mother, Sharon Rocha. At 5:45 p.m. they went to Salon Salon where Amy Rocha, Lacis half sister, gave Scott a haircut and showed Laci how to do a new hairstyle. They invited Amy to come home with them for a pizza, but she had other plans. They left the salon around 7:00 after making a phone call to order the pizza. At 8:30 p.m., Laci spoke to her mother briefly on the phone.
On the morning of December 24, Scott Peterson left home to try out his new boat and do some fishing in the San Francisco Bay. When he returned home his wife Laci was not there. Her whereabouts were not known until her body was found lying on the rocks at Pt. Isabel on April 14, 2003. What she was wearing when she was seen on December 23 and what Scott said she was wearing on the morning of December 24 became very important information.
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IN THE MORNING Margarita Nava, Lacis housekeeper, told Detective Brocchini that when she arrived at 8:30 a.m. Laci was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and (probably) black stretch-type maternity pants, as that was her usual outfit.
This was a typical outfit for her according to Debra Wolski, Lacis instructor at the Village Yoga Center.
IN THE AFTERNOON Tina Reiswig, the manicurist at Sweet Serenity Day Spa told Detective Grogan in March of 2003 that Laci was wearing black Capri pants, black Mary Jane shoes that weren't high-heeled, and a long-sleeved white shirt, that was not wrinkled, but crisp. She also mentioned a silver-gold wristwatch. Michelle Buer, the owner of Sweet Serenity Day Spa said that Laci had on black bottoms, a white shirt, and a black sweater, and black Mary Jane shoes. Buer described the shirt as possibly having a collar and being a button up shirt. She describes the bottoms as Capris or a skirt. She was interviewed by Detective Brocchini over the phone on January 17, 2003, and was interviewed by Grogan on March 19. Amy Rocha, described Laci as wearing a black blouse with either cream polka dots, or cream little flowers. She wore cream-colored Capri (ankle length) pants, black Mary Jane shoes, a black jacket and a cream colored scarf. Amy was interviewed numerous times during the course of the investigation. Christopher Johnson, the owner of Salon Salon recalls Laci sitting on a black couch and wearing something that was dark on the top and lighter on the bottom. He was interviewed by Grogan on January 17 and also in February 2003. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AT SALON SALON
MPD had the opportunity to verify the descriptions of Lacis clothing by checking video surveillance tapes at Salon Salon.
Amy Rocha told MPD very soon after Laci disappeared that there was a surveillance system at SS and that they should check the videos. There were several cameras in the shop. One would have caught Scott and Laci as they entered the salon and again as they were leaving. Another would have shown them as they sat in the salon chair.
Chris Johnson, the owner, says that the tapes would still have been available when the police first came to the salon after Lacis disappearance. He does not recall that they mentioned the video cameras or asked for the tapes even though they came to Salon Salon 2 or 3 times within the first week or two after Laci went missing.
Laurie Wesenberg, the manager, said that by the time Detective Grogan interviewed her on February 4, the videotapes had been reused and there was nothing on them from December 23.
THE BLACK PANTS From Distasos Opening Statement:
And this is what Scott told Sharon Rocha on February 13, 2003 in a phone conversation:
LACIS WALK A number of witnesses reported seeing Laci walking her dog McKenzie on the morning of December 24 in the Covena/La Loma neighborhood. Most of the tips were not investigated even though the clothing description matched Scotts statements. Detective Craig Grogan testified: I would say the majority match with black pants or white shirts, with the description that was released to the media. Through Grogans testimony and media reports we learn about some of the people who saw Laci wearing black pants on her walk. These people include Homer Maldonado, Vivian Mitchell, Grace Wolf, and Tom Harshman.
During the first search, MPD was specifically looking for the items that Laci was described as wearing on the morning of December 24: black stretch pants, a white long sleeved shirt, and white tennis shoes. The only black pants recovered were brand new (never worn) found in a bag in the nursery.
None of the clothing items which Laci was described as wearing on the morning she disappeared were found in the house during the first search.
In the early morning hours of January 19, 2003, Kim McGregor, who lived near the Petersons, broke into the Covena house and took a number of clothing items. Among the items recovered from a garbage can where Kim led MPD was a pair of black stretch GAP pants. These pants were never considered to be evidence, never tested, and were returned to Scott. These pants had not been found in the house in December even though MPD was specifically looking for black stretch pants.
Some time after the first search warrant was executed on December 26-27, 2002, and the time of the second search warrant February 18-19, 2003, the prosecution developed a new theory. They decided that Laci had been murdered the night of December 23 as she was undressing. They wanted to prove that Laci was wearing khaki pants at the time she was murdered and not the black pants that Scott described her wearing on the morning of December 24. This also allowed them to discount the numerous sightings of Laci wearing black pants in the neighborhood on the morning of the 24th. One of the items they were specifically looking for in the first search was the black pants. In the second search they were looking for the light colored pants and black and cream flowered blouse that Laci had worn in the afternoon/evening of the 23rd.
From Distasos Opening Statement:
And from Detective Grogans testimony:
CLOTHING FOUND IN THE HAMPER
MPD realized sometime before the second search that the flowered blouse had been photographed in the clothing hamper during the first search in December. Detective Coyle did not list the items found in the hamper as he unloaded it and then put things back. He was not looking for that blouse at that time. The December photo also included a blue item which appeared to be the pajamas that Scott had described Laci wearing on the night of the 23rd.
Distaso assumes that this means Laci was killed as she was undressing:
Geragos says this confirms the truth of the story Scott gave to police and later in a phone call with Sharon Rocha:
During this search, the black blouse with cream colored flowers which had been photographed in the hamper on December 26-27 was found in a dresser drawer. The cream colored scarf and the black Mary Jane shoes were also recovered. And the pants which Laci had been wearing on the night of the 23rd were found hanging in the closet, clipped at the cuff, and were identified by Amy Rocha.
The black pants which had been recovered from the garbage can with other items stolen by Kim McGregor were returned to Scott on the same day that the search warrant was executed.
Detective Brocchini was present during this search warrant and entered the house as an assistant.
Black stretch pants which were not found in the house during an exhaustive search in December, were found in a dresser drawer.
And After Detective Hendee left on the 19th, he was told that another pair of black maternity pants (brand name GAP) were found in the closet.
Dr. Brian Peterson testified about the clothing that Laci was wearing when her body was recovered at Point Isabel.
On July 23, 2003, Amy Rocha was asked to identify a photo lineup of pants (Peoples 15). The ones she had identified on Feb. 18 (Defense A) were not in the lineup. She said 1 and 3 were definitely not the ones Laci wore on Dec. 23 (#3 was the pair of pants Laci was found in). Laci was not found in the pair of pants she wore to Salon Salon on the night of the 23rd.
Trial Transcripts
Brocchini, Al / MPD / June 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 Buer, Michelle / Sweet Serenity Spa Owner / June 3 Coyle, Ray / MPD / July 12, 19, 20 Grogan, Craig / MPD / Sep 20 21 22 23 27 28 29 30 Hendee, Henry Dodge / MPD / July 13, 14, 15, 19 Johnson, Christopher / Salon Salon Owner / June 3 Nava, Margarita / Housekeeper / June 2 Peterson, Brian / Forensic Pathologist / Sep 15, 16 Reiswig, Tina / Sweet Serenity Spa / June 3 Rocha, Amy / Laci's half-sister / June 3 & 7 Skultety, Rudy / MPD / July 12 & Sep 13 Wesenberg, Laurie / Salon Salon Mgr / June 3 Wolski, Debra / Yoga Instructor / June 21 & 22
Defense Exhibits:
Prosecution Exhibits:
Woman vanishes on walk December 26, 2002. First article on this case published by the Modesto Bee. Describes the search conducted thus far, and notes that the police had made contact with individuals who saw Laci in the park on the 24th.
FBI joins inquiry into woman's disappearance December 27, 2002. ModBee. Reviews the search conducted so far, including the search warrants served on the Covena home.
February 19, 2003. ModBee. Reports on the search of the Covena home by MPD, who spent about 10 hours in the home on the 18th, and returned on the 19th.
Police again search Laci Peterson's home: Spokesman: No arrests imminent in missing woman case February 19, 2003. CNN.com
Feb. 28: Did Police Overlook Important Peterson Clue? February 27, 2003. KTVU. Vivian and Bill Mitchell told The Bee they saw Laci Peterson at about 10 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 24, wearing white and black clothes and walking with a golden retriever.
Body found, may be Laci Peterson April 14, 2003. Contra Costa Times article about the discovery of the dismembered female body at Point Isabel on April 14.
Laci Peterson's remains identified; husband arrested April 18, 2003. CNN. Brief article reporting the identification of the remains and Scott's arrest
Another witness saw dog June 6, 2003 ModBee. Reports Laci-sightings on the morning of December 24 by Mike Chiavetta, neighbor and school teacher, Homer and Helen Maldonado, and Vivian and Bill Mitchell.
FEATURED FACT: THE TAN PANTS
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