Our Challenge
Through our "Featured Fact" articles we have been correcting misinformation that has been disseminated for over three years - one issue at a time. We realize that we are literally trying to prove Scott is innocent. The legal standard in our country is that the prosecution should have to prove that Scott is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. According to the prosecution, Laci was murdered by Scott sometime after 8:30 on the 23rd. You can see by the following statement from Prosecutor Rick Distaso's closing argument, they're not quite sure when:
"I can't tell you when he did it. I can't tell you if he did it at night. I can't tell you if he did it in the morning. I'm not going to try to convince you of something that I can't prove. I don't have to prove that to you. I only have to prove that he did it."
The prosecution never explained when Scott killed Laci and no one, including the prosecution, has ever given a series of events that fits the circumstances and explains how Scott could have killed Laci. We have stood by Scott and maintained his innocence. Not because he is family, not because we "hope" he is innocent, not because we "believe" he is innocent, but because we know he is innocent. There has been plenty of talk about Scott's "behavior" but not any talk about how exactly Scott could have carried out this crime. If it doesn't fit the circumstances, it is not true.
Our challenge is for those of you who believe Scott is guilty to put together a timeline of how this crime was carried out. Tell us how Scott could have committed this crime with a series of events that fits the circumstances. Based on our "Featured Fact: Scott's Timeline" (if you have not read this article, we strongly suggest you do so before accepting the challenge), we have constructed an outline of factual events that took place in the 24 hours before Laci was reported missing. If you think Scott is guilty, or if you're just up for the challenge, please construct a timeline with a series of events that proves he was able to perform all that would be entailed in committing the crime. Below the outline, we have listed a number of topics that must be addressed.
The topics listed contain frank, blunt questions and comments challenging the assertion that Scott killed Laci. We do not do this lightly. It is painful for us to speculate in what manner Laci's life was taken. Laci was a member of our family. She was not only a wife to Scott; she was a daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and aunt to us. We knew her and we loved her. Conner was a son, grandson, nephew and cousin that we did not get to meet.
FACTUAL EVENTS
December 23, 2002
8:30pm - Laci is on the phone with her mother (last known person to speak with Laci other than Scott)
December 24th, 2002
5:00am - Both Scott and Laci's cars are in the driveway per neighbor, Susan Medina
8:40-8:45am - Computer is being used at the Peterson home
9:39am - Friend, Kristen Reed sees Scott's truck in the driveway
9:48am - Scott is watching Martha Stewart
10:08am - Scott is on his cell phone somewhere between his home and his warehouse (travel time from home to warehouse is approximately 9 minutes)
10:30-10:56am - Scott is actively logged onto his computer at the warehouse
12:54pm - Scott purchases a ticket from the parking machine at the Berkeley Marina (travel time from Scott's warehouse to the Berkeley Marina of approximately 1 hour and 36 minutes)
2:12pm - Approximate time that Scott leaves the Berkeley Marina per cell phone records
3:25pm - Chevron purchase in Livermore
5:17pm - Scott calls Laci's mom to see if she is at their house helping prepare dinner (per Sharon Rocha's testimony)
"I can't tell you when he did it. I can't tell you if he did it at night. I can't tell you if he did it in the morning. I'm not going to try to convince you of something that I can't prove. I don't have to prove that to you. I only have to prove that he did it."
The prosecution never explained when Scott killed Laci and no one, including the prosecution, has ever given a series of events that fits the circumstances and explains how Scott could have killed Laci. We have stood by Scott and maintained his innocence. Not because he is family, not because we "hope" he is innocent, not because we "believe" he is innocent, but because we know he is innocent. There has been plenty of talk about Scott's "behavior" but not any talk about how exactly Scott could have carried out this crime. If it doesn't fit the circumstances, it is not true.
Our challenge is for those of you who believe Scott is guilty to put together a timeline of how this crime was carried out. Tell us how Scott could have committed this crime with a series of events that fits the circumstances. Based on our "Featured Fact: Scott's Timeline" (if you have not read this article, we strongly suggest you do so before accepting the challenge), we have constructed an outline of factual events that took place in the 24 hours before Laci was reported missing. If you think Scott is guilty, or if you're just up for the challenge, please construct a timeline with a series of events that proves he was able to perform all that would be entailed in committing the crime. Below the outline, we have listed a number of topics that must be addressed.
The topics listed contain frank, blunt questions and comments challenging the assertion that Scott killed Laci. We do not do this lightly. It is painful for us to speculate in what manner Laci's life was taken. Laci was a member of our family. She was not only a wife to Scott; she was a daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and aunt to us. We knew her and we loved her. Conner was a son, grandson, nephew and cousin that we did not get to meet.
FACTUAL EVENTS
December 23, 2002
8:30pm - Laci is on the phone with her mother (last known person to speak with Laci other than Scott)
December 24th, 2002
5:00am - Both Scott and Laci's cars are in the driveway per neighbor, Susan Medina
8:40-8:45am - Computer is being used at the Peterson home
9:39am - Friend, Kristen Reed sees Scott's truck in the driveway
9:48am - Scott is watching Martha Stewart
10:08am - Scott is on his cell phone somewhere between his home and his warehouse (travel time from home to warehouse is approximately 9 minutes)
10:30-10:56am - Scott is actively logged onto his computer at the warehouse
12:54pm - Scott purchases a ticket from the parking machine at the Berkeley Marina (travel time from Scott's warehouse to the Berkeley Marina of approximately 1 hour and 36 minutes)
2:12pm - Approximate time that Scott leaves the Berkeley Marina per cell phone records
3:25pm - Chevron purchase in Livermore
5:17pm - Scott calls Laci's mom to see if she is at their house helping prepare dinner (per Sharon Rocha's testimony)
Topics to Address
Below is a list of twenty topics that need to be addresses in your timeline. If you read through the topics and cannot give an explanation or do not understand what is being asked, we assert you do not have enough information to say Scott is guilty.
1. Explain why Scott is spontaneously committing to things at the salon on the evening of December 23rd . If he had plans to murder his wife that evening, one would think he would be too preoccupied with his plans to make the offers.
2. Explain when and how Scott killed Laci.
3. When Laci's body was recovered, there was a piece of duct tape stuck to her pants. Explain why and how duct tape got on Laci's pants.
4. Explain how and when Scott cleaned up all the “crime scenes” without leaving any evidence of a murder or cleaning up.
5. Explain who was on the computer at the house from 8:40-8:45.
6. Explain why the curling iron is on the bathroom counter with the cord stretched toward the outlet , and explain why the bench is in front of the mirror. (see pic below)
1. Explain why Scott is spontaneously committing to things at the salon on the evening of December 23rd . If he had plans to murder his wife that evening, one would think he would be too preoccupied with his plans to make the offers.
- Scott invited his sister-in-law, Amy over for pizza to their home that evening. (She declined because she already had plans with a friend)
- Scott offered to pick up a gift basket for Laci and Amy's grandpa the next day.
2. Explain when and how Scott killed Laci.
- Why is there no physical evidence of murder?
- No blood? No struggle? No cadaver scent?
- Why did no one see anything or hear anything?
3. When Laci's body was recovered, there was a piece of duct tape stuck to her pants. Explain why and how duct tape got on Laci's pants.
- Where did the duct tape come from?
- Why was it necessary?
4. Explain how and when Scott cleaned up all the “crime scenes” without leaving any evidence of a murder or cleaning up.
- What clean up was required at the house? In the truck? At the warehouse? In the boat?
- What needed to be disposed of and where was it disposed?
- When did he clean up?
- What did he clean up with?
- Why would he tell the police he filled the mop bucket for Laci if he had really filled it for himself to clean-up. After all, he emptied it as well. He could have never mentioned the mop or buckets at all and no one would have thought twice about how clean the floor was because the maid was there the day before.
- Why is there no cadaver scent at the house?
- Why is there no cadaver scent in the truck?
- Why is there no cadaver scent at the warehouse?
- Why is there no cadaver scent in the boat?
- Why is there no cadaver scent in the toolbox?
- Why is there no smell of bleach? (Contrary to media reports and a made for TV movie – there was no smell of bleach in the home. All officers on the scene the evening of December 24th testified there was no bleach smell in the home.)
5. Explain who was on the computer at the house from 8:40-8:45.
- If it was Laci, did Scott kill her after 8:45 ? If it was not Laci, where was she?
- If it was Scott on the computer at home, why was he on the computer?
- Was he “pretending” to be Laci because he knew the police would check his computers? If so, why didn't he tell the police, “Laci was on the computer this morning.”?
- If Scott was just on the computer, had he already killed Laci? Why check the weather in San Jose? Why would weather matter, as he would have had no choice at that point except to dump her body?
6. Explain why the curling iron is on the bathroom counter with the cord stretched toward the outlet , and explain why the bench is in front of the mirror. (see pic below)
- Did Scott “stage” the curling iron and bench in the bathroom?
- When did he stage them?
- If he staged it, why wouldn't he point it out to the police?
- Did he know the police were going to photograph his house?
- If he staged it, the only person he mentioned it to was Sharon Rocha (Laci's mom) in a December 28th phone call. And he doesn't mention the fact that the curling iron and bench were out when the police arrived, he just mentions how cute Laci looked sitting on her bench curling her hair the way Amy showed her the night before.
- Prosecutor Rick Distaso argued in his rebuttal close that the curling iron was out because Laci took it to the salon. Amy never testified to this, but if she had, why is the cord not wrapped around it?
7. Explain why Scott is watching “Martha Stewart” on television.
8. Explain why Laci was found in clothing, as though she got up and got dressed the morning of December 24th.
8. Explain why Laci was found in clothing, as though she got up and got dressed the morning of December 24th.
- Keep in mind that the clothes Laci was wearing the evening of December 23rd were found in the home.
- Also keep in mind that the blue pajamas that Scott said Laci wore the night of the 23rd are in the top of the hamper. Below is a photo of Laci in Scott's pajama pants.
- Why would Scott say he last saw Laci in black pants and a white shirt if he had killed her and knew she was wearing khaki capris?
9. Explain why McKenzie (the dog) was found outside of the backyard with his leash on.
- Karen Servas, the next door neighbor, stated that McKenzie would get out of the yard sometimes. Is this all that happened?
- Who put the leash on McKenzie?
- If Scott put the leash on McKenzie to “stage” that Laci went for a walk, was he hoping someone would find McKenzie and confirm his story?
- If Scott put McKenzie outside with the leash on to go with the “she was going to walk the dog” story, why did he take the leash off McKenzie when he got home? Why didn't he come home and immediately start his “search for his missing wife who was walking the dog” act?
- Did Scott drop off McKenzie somewhere? Did McKenzie follow Scott's truck down the street? Did McKenzie remain standing in the street right in front of their house for over 10 minutes until Karen Servas estimates she found him?
- Could Karen be mistaken about what time she put McKenzie back in the yard? Did she put the dog back earlier? Later?
- Karen testified that Scott and Laci's gate was open when she put McKenzie back. Did Scott “release” McKenzie into the neighborhood then leave the gate open?
- Scott found out that Karen had put McKenzie back in the yard the evening of December 24th when she returned his phone call. Scott immediately handed his cell phone to a police officer to talk to Karen. This was the first information they were getting that might help pinpoint when Laci disappeared. If Scott had put the leash on McKenzie and Karen was the culmination of his well thought out plan, why did Scott immediately hand his phone to the police without first finding out what else she had seen?
- Karen initially estimated putting McKenzie back in the yard around 10:30am . Over the next couple days, reports of Laci walking the dog started coming in. If Scott had killed Laci, why then, did he call Karen back and implore her to see if she could pinpoint a more accurate time as to when she found the dog? Would not he just be happy that someone found the dog out in the neighborhood and that people were reporting that Laci had walked the dog?
- Why would Scott tell the police that McKenzie is protective of Laci if his plan was to tell everyone she was abducted while walking the dog?
- Where was McKenzie while Scott was loading the body? Take into account the door to the house and the gate would have had to be open. Did Scott take the time to secure McKenzie while loading her body, or was McKenzie running around in and out of the house and backyard?
10. Explain how and when Scott loaded her body into his truck.
- Did he load her into the tool box or bed?If she was loaded into the bed of the truck, were the umbrellas loaded on top of her?
- If she was loaded into the toolbox, how did she fit? Was rigor mortise setting in? The police found many items in the toolbox the evening of the 24th . Where were these items while Laci was in the tool box?
- The prosecution claimed that Laci was wrapped in a tarp. There were umbrellas in the bed of Scott's truck at the end of the day wrapped in a tarp. Is this the same tarp? Why would he need to cover her body with umbrellas if she is wrapped in the tarp?
- How long would it take to load her body into the truck?
11. Explain why Scott is checking his voice mail while he drives to the warehouse.
- Shouldn't Scott be watching the body in the back of the truck? Making sure the tarp's not flapping around?
- Wouldn't he be watching his surroundings to make sure no one sees anything?
- If he had released McKenzie into the neighborhood, would he maybe be watching what the dog is doing?
12. Explain how long it would take to transfer her body from the truck to the boat.
- When did Scott transfer her body from the truck to the boat? Before or after he used the computer? (This would have to be done with the warehouse door open. There was not enough room in the warehouse to back in his truck and be hidden from view. The warehouse diagram below shows Scott's boat in the lower right hand corner)
Warehouse Diagram
|
Scott's truck with boat attached
|
- If she was in the tool box, did Scott climb over the umbrellas to take her out of the tool box and load her into the boat? Or did he unload the umbrellas, remove her body, and then put the umbrellas back in his truck? (The umbrellas are still in Scott's truck at the end of the day.)
- Why is there no skin, tissue or blood any of these places? Why is there no cadaver scent in the boat or at the warehouse? Where did Scott put her in the boat? Between the seats? Across the seats? How did he deal with rigor mortis?
The inside of Scott's boat
13. Explain why Scott is on his computer looking up how to assemble a mortiser and checking e-mails if he has multiple crime scenes to clean up and a body to dump.
14. Explain when Scott assembled the mortiser.
15. Explain whether or not Scott weighed down Laci's body.
- Where is Laci's body while he is on the computer? Was she in the back of the truck in the parking lot while he was on the computer or was her body already in the boat?
14. Explain when Scott assembled the mortiser.
- If he assembled the mortiser that morning, was Laci's body laying there?
- If he assembled it sooner, why did he look up instructions on how to assemble it that morning?
15. Explain whether or not Scott weighed down Laci's body.
- If he did, when did he attach the weights/anchors? What did he attach the weights with?
- If she was wrapped in a tarp at the house, did he un-wrap her, put the weights on her, and then wrap her up again? Why is there not skin, tissue or blood anywhere?
- If she was weighed down, would her body stay right where he dumped her in the shallow water?
- When did he make the weights/anchors? If he made them with concrete, they would have to set up.
- If the concrete on the flat bed trailer at warehouse is left over from Scott making anchors to weigh down his dead wife's body, why didn't he clean up the concrete?
- If he made anchors to weigh down Laci's body, why would he make an extra one to be his “boat anchor” and show his “MO” to the police?
Flatbed trailer in warehouse
|
Homemade boat anchor
|
- If he did not weigh her down, why was she not found sooner?
- How much weight is required to keep a 150# decomposing body submersed?
- What was the total combined weight of Laci and the weights?
16. Explain how long it took Scott to drive to the Berkeley Marina. The speed limit while pulling a trailer is 55mph.
- Did he exceed that speed limit while driving to the Berkeley Marina with his wife's dead body in the boat?
- Was Laci's body in the boat while driving to the marina, or did he leave her in the truck?
- If he was driving with the boat cover on, how long did it take to affix it so that it wouldn't come off on the freeway? There are loops on the boat cover, but no hardware or rope as part of the cover. What did he use to affix the boat cover? Would the boat cover stay on while driving on the freeway? Bruce Peterson testified the cover was for use while storing the boat, not towing the boat. Below is a pic of Scott's boat with the cover.
17. Explain why Scott would go to the busiest marina on the San Francisco Bay, why he would go somewhere he had never been before, why he would use a boat he had never had in the water before, and why he would go at high noon on a holiday to a recreational area to dump Laci's body. Explain why Scott would drive 90 miles to dump her body then come home and tell the police right where he was. Explain why Scott would dump Laci's body in a shallow area.
18. Explain how Scott dumped her body (weighed down?) out of the boat with out the boat capsizing.
19. Explain why the police, FBI, Navy, Coast Guard, Department of Justice, and Sheriff's Departments, etc. never found her body even though they started searching on December 27th .
20. Nancy Grace speculates that Scott must have made two trips to the marina. The quote below was taken from the Larry King Live show that aired June 15, 2004.
GRACE: I think, given what we know right now, they'll have to present a two-trip-to-the-bay because, when he went to go fishing in the afternoon, believe you me, if he is, in fact, guilty, he did not dispose of Laci's body at that time in plain view in the middle of the day. Now, another thing we were talking about earlier about what's the strongest evidence -- I say it's the timeline. We have Scott Peterson, based on triangulation of cell phone records and cell phone towers, in his own neighborhood at 10:08. At 10:18, the neighbor finds the dog running free with a muddy leash. He's narrowed it down to 10 minutes for an unknown assailant to grab his wife. And he happens to be in the neighborhood at the same time. I think they've got to go with a two-trip-to-the-bay.
There are many additional topics that point to Scott's innocence that need explanation including the condition and circumstances of Laci and Conner's bodies when they were found. We have not included these issues but we will address them at a later time.
Your timeline must:
Info can be emailed to [email protected]
18. Explain how Scott dumped her body (weighed down?) out of the boat with out the boat capsizing.
- How long did it take to dump her body out of the boat?
- How did rigor mortis affect Scott's ability to dump her out of the boat?
- How long did it take to motor to Brooks Island and back?
19. Explain why the police, FBI, Navy, Coast Guard, Department of Justice, and Sheriff's Departments, etc. never found her body even though they started searching on December 27th .
- If she was weighed down, wouldn't she be right where he left her 3 days later when they started to search?
- If he didn't use enough weight, would she float to the surface?
- The search teams used trained water dogs to sniff the surface of the water for gases that decomposing bodies emit. Why didn't these dogs pick up the scent of a decomposing body, especially in such shallow water?
- If he dumped her in such shallow water, why was she not found?
20. Nancy Grace speculates that Scott must have made two trips to the marina. The quote below was taken from the Larry King Live show that aired June 15, 2004.
GRACE: I think, given what we know right now, they'll have to present a two-trip-to-the-bay because, when he went to go fishing in the afternoon, believe you me, if he is, in fact, guilty, he did not dispose of Laci's body at that time in plain view in the middle of the day. Now, another thing we were talking about earlier about what's the strongest evidence -- I say it's the timeline. We have Scott Peterson, based on triangulation of cell phone records and cell phone towers, in his own neighborhood at 10:08. At 10:18, the neighbor finds the dog running free with a muddy leash. He's narrowed it down to 10 minutes for an unknown assailant to grab his wife. And he happens to be in the neighborhood at the same time. I think they've got to go with a two-trip-to-the-bay.
- If you believe he took two trips, when did he make the first one?
- Why would he make the second trip?
There are many additional topics that point to Scott's innocence that need explanation including the condition and circumstances of Laci and Conner's bodies when they were found. We have not included these issues but we will address them at a later time.
Your timeline must:
- Be in chronological order
- Contain all the Factual Events listed above
- Address all 20 topics listed above
- Thoroughly explain any additional topics you choose to include
Info can be emailed to [email protected]