Scott did not Flee

Featured Fact: Scott did not Flee

Due to inaccurate news reports, things falsely implied in court, and rumors, many people inaccurately believe that Scott had intent to flee to Mexico, or that he actually fled to Mexico. We can address the later by simply stating that Scott did not flee to Mexico. He was arrested in San Diego as will be outlined below.

Scott begins spending more time in San Diego ...

On January 15th, the Rocha family was informed about Scott's affair with Amber Frey. On January 16th, the Modesto volunteer center for Laci was closed down against Scott's wishes. Beginning in late January until his arrest on April 18th, Scott made multiple trips to San Diego to be with family. Scott had been literally forced out of his home. His wife and unborn child had been taken from him, there was constant traffic driving by their home, media was camped out there, their home had been stripped of many items during the search warrants (none of which had any evidentiary value), radio DJs called out to him with bullhorns while airing their show live from in front of his house, his house had been broken into, and the volunteer center and any effort to find Laci alive had ended in Modesto.

On January 19th, our family held a one day volunteer center at a hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel was owned by the same group that owned the Red Lion where the volunteer center for Laci was in Modesto. When the idea was suggested to us by hotel management, we accepted. Why not Los Angeles? Laci had been gone for about a month and at that point and could have been anywhere. It was an opportunity for us to keep Laci's picture in the national media.

On the January 20, 2003 show of Larry King Live, one of the guests, a former FBI profiler named DeLong, expressed her concern at Scott's traveling to Los Angeles and San Diego, stating that he may be "making a run for the border". This was the beginning of public speculation that Scott was going to flee, and yet three months later Scott still had not fled.

Scott continues the search for Laci...

Once Scott's affair was made public and the Modesto volunteer center had been closed down, Scott could have just given up and let everything die down. He didn't have to do any interviews. He could have said nothing as his attorney, Kirk McAllister had advised. In an interview with Maria Shriver in mid 2003, Kirk McAllister said that he had told Scott to, "Keep his mouth closed tighter than a cow's ass in fly season." But Scott chose to ignore the advice of his attorney because he wanted to find his wife. Scott conducted media interviews without an attorney present and stated for people to think of him what they wanted but to not give up on looking for Laci. Is this something a guilty person would do or did Scott have what is know as the "arrogance of innocence"?

Scott goes to Mexico for work and comes back...

Scott's trips to southern California are confirmed by police surveillance and the testimony of Officer Skultety. Not only were the police aware that Scott was in southern California, but there is no testimony that Scott ever attempted to flee. Scott not only made multiple trips to San Diego, he also went to Guadalajara, Mexico and came back on a business trip in early February. He left Los Angeles for Guadalajara on February 3rd and returned on February 7th. The police were aware that he was going there. See the testimony of Detective Grogan for confirmation.

Two bodies are found and the media attention intensifies...

On April 13th, the body of a baby was found on the Richmond shoreline. On April 14th, the remains of a woman were found on the shore at East Bay Regional Park. There was widespread speculation that these were the bodies of Laci and Conner. The media presence at our homes in San Diego returned. At any given time, at least six media vans and satellite trucks were camped out at Scott's parent's house and at least three vans were at his brother Joe's house. Each arrival and departure was met with constant questions regarding Scott's whereabouts and the identity of the bodies.
During that week, Scott had stayed with friends in San Diego, and with his sister, Susan, and her family in the Escondido area (also in San Diego County). On Wednesday, April 16th, Scott wrote down one partial and three complete license numbers of vehicles that were following him. Based on the media presence at our homes, Scott believed them to be private investigators hired by the media and indicated so in a fax to his attorney, Kirk McAllister. This fax was entered as exhibit D6W-5.

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