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CNN Live Today
Missing Woman Mystery
Aired January 03, 2003 - 11:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: California Police declined to call him a suspect in his pregnant wife's disappearance, but they're still focusing on Scott Peterson today. Modesto detectives are asking any witnesses to vouch for Scott Peterson's whereabouts the day Laci Peterson disappeared. That was Christmas Eve.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the story today in Modesto.
Ed, we understand that Laci Peterson's parents are still backing their son-in-law, though.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yesterday, they came out and did so publicly, as well as his parents did so, after much of the briefing that was done yesterday, focused a lot on Scott Peterson, and exactly what they did was put out a picture of his truck and the boat that he says he used to go fishing in on Christmas Eve. That was the day he says he last saw Laci Peterson. That morning, about 9:30 Christmas Eve, the morning when he decided to go fishing at the Berkeley Marina in the Bay area, about 85 miles away from here, so authorities are putting out the picture of a Ford F-150 2002 pickup truck, a bronze color, and a 14-foot aluminum boat with a small outboard motor on the back end of that boat, as well.
So what they've asked people to do around here is if they saw that truck and that boat or Scott Peterson between December 23rd and December 25th to call authorities. They'd like to hear what you had to say.
And I just had a chance to speak with the police chief here in Modesto, and he says, since these pictures were put out yesterday afternoon, they've had about 300 phone calls to the tip line already, so they're very encouraged by that, some pretty decent phone calls, he says, have been coming in since that came out.
Scott Peterson's family saying they understand that this would be part of the process, and although police here say he's a suspect, they haven't been able to eliminate him. They want to be able to corroborate his story he's been telling police, and that's want to get this information, so that they can eliminate him from the list. Until they do that, at this point, they have no other choice but to continue to look at him.
Now, Laci Peterson's mother came out also yesterday and tried to get the focus back on her daughter, reminding people that she's still missing and encouraging people to continue to look for her
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SHARON ROCHA, LACI PETERSON'S MOTHER: We have been through so much these last days that I'd like to make a plea to the person or person who's have my daughter. I'd like -- I would hope that you would have some compassion in your heart that if this was your daughter, or your sister or your mother, would you want them to live in the fear and terror that my daughter has been living in? And if it was your mother or your sister or your daughter, would you want them to have the heartache or the pain that we have been going through? Please bring our daughter home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Very emotional moment yesterday for Laci Peterson's mother. Also, police say they have taken forensic evidence from the truck, from the pickup truck, Scott Peterson's pickup truck and the boat, and that information,and evidence has been sent off for analysis although authorities won't specify what kind of evidence that has been at this point so they continue to work the case.
And we're also told, you might have heard talk about a burglary that happened across the street from Laci Peterson's home the day she was abducted. We're told that there could be some developments in that part of the story today, and what authorities here are hoping for is that whoever's responsible for that burglary might be able to provide some information as to what exactly happened around Laci Peterson son's home the day she was abducted.
So that information is still trickling in. Authorities here telling me they're confident that something might happen envoy that front later envoy today -- Carol.
LIN: Good, Ed, at least they've got leads to follow. I mean, so many cases are dead ends. So at least they've got something and sometime before this will baby is due to be born. So let's hope they find her real soon.
Thank you very much, Ed Lavandera, reporting live in Modesto, California.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 3, 2003 - 11:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: California Police declined to call him a suspect in his pregnant wife's disappearance, but they're still focusing on Scott Peterson today. Modesto detectives are asking any witnesses to vouch for Scott Peterson's whereabouts the day Laci Peterson disappeared. That was Christmas Eve.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the story today in Modesto.
Ed, we understand that Laci Peterson's parents are still backing their son-in-law, though.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yesterday, they came out and did so publicly, as well as his parents did so, after much of the briefing that was done yesterday, focused a lot on Scott Peterson, and exactly what they did was put out a picture of his truck and the boat that he says he used to go fishing in on Christmas Eve. That was the day he says he last saw Laci Peterson. That morning, about 9:30 Christmas Eve, the morning when he decided to go fishing at the Berkeley Marina in the Bay area, about 85 miles away from here, so authorities are putting out the picture of a Ford F-150 2002 pickup truck, a bronze color, and a 14-foot aluminum boat with a small outboard motor on the back end of that boat, as well.
So what they've asked people to do around here is if they saw that truck and that boat or Scott Peterson between December 23rd and December 25th to call authorities. They'd like to hear what you had to say.
And I just had a chance to speak with the police chief here in Modesto, and he says, since these pictures were put out yesterday afternoon, they've had about 300 phone calls to the tip line already, so they're very encouraged by that, some pretty decent phone calls, he says, have been coming in since that came out.
Scott Peterson's family saying they understand that this would be part of the process, and although police here say he's a suspect, they haven't been able to eliminate him. They want to be able to corroborate his story he's been telling police, and that's want to get this information, so that they can eliminate him from the list. Until they do that, at this point, they have no other choice but to continue to look at him.
Now, Laci Peterson's mother came out also yesterday and tried to get the focus back on her daughter, reminding people that she's still missing and encouraging people to continue to look for her
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SHARON ROCHA, LACI PETERSON'S MOTHER: We have been through so much these last days that I'd like to make a plea to the person or person who's have my daughter. I'd like -- I would hope that you would have some compassion in your heart that if this was your daughter, or your sister or your mother, would you want them to live in the fear and terror that my daughter has been living in? And if it was your mother or your sister or your daughter, would you want them to have the heartache or the pain that we have been going through? Please bring our daughter home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Very emotional moment yesterday for Laci Peterson's mother. Also, police say they have taken forensic evidence from the truck, from the pickup truck, Scott Peterson's pickup truck and the boat, and that information,and evidence has been sent off for analysis although authorities won't specify what kind of evidence that has been at this point so they continue to work the case.
And we're also told, you might have heard talk about a burglary that happened across the street from Laci Peterson's home the day she was abducted. We're told that there could be some developments in that part of the story today, and what authorities here are hoping for is that whoever's responsible for that burglary might be able to provide some information as to what exactly happened around Laci Peterson son's home the day she was abducted.
So that information is still trickling in. Authorities here telling me they're confident that something might happen envoy that front later envoy today -- Carol.
LIN: Good, Ed, at least they've got leads to follow. I mean, so many cases are dead ends. So at least they've got something and sometime before this will baby is due to be born. So let's hope they find her real soon.
Thank you very much, Ed Lavandera, reporting live in Modesto, California.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
