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CNN Saturday Morning News

Modesto Women Missing For Two Weeks

Aired January 11, 2003 - 09:07   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: To Northern California now. The search for Laci Peterson may resume today, weather permitting. The eight-months-pregnant Modesto woman has been missing for two weeks.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is following the case. She's live now at the Modesto Police Department. Hi, Rusty. How is the weather?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather up in the San Francisco Bay area is better today for divers. And dawn should be breaking in about an hour, and that's when they're scheduled to jump into the San Francisco Bay at the Berkeley Marina. Now, that is where Scott Peterson, Laci Peterson's husband, said he went fishing on Christmas Eve, the day his wife disappeared.

Now, divers using a side-scanning sonar did discover the other day an object they say resembles a body. They're now saying they're 50 percent sure this object is a body. But they say the operation this morning should take at least a couple of hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. DOUG RIDENOUR, SPOKESMAN, MODESTO POLICE: My understanding, what they will do is that they'll try to find the image, the location of it. They'll send their divers down. Once they send the divers down, it's my understanding the divers should have some idea, obviously, whether it's a body or it isn't a body. As far as determining the identity and those kinds of things, it would have to be brought up to the surface and taken to the proper facility to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, obviously this new development puts a very hot spotlight on Scott Peterson. Police are remaining very tight-lipped about him and are not even saying whether he's being cooperative or not.

Meantime, Laci Peterson's family says they are still very supportive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT LAROCHA, MISSING WOMAN'S BROTHER: You know, my confidence is so high that Scott had nothing to do with it, I'm not really that concerned. It's not bothering me too much. And it seems to me if it really was something significant, they'd be out there today to take care of it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, if it is significant, and it is indeed a body that relates to this case, there will be a press conference here today. Otherwise they're just going to send out a media advisory, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, very good. Rusty Dornin, we will wait to hear about that. Thank you.

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 11, 2003 - 09:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: To Northern California now. The search for Laci Peterson may resume today, weather permitting. The eight-months-pregnant Modesto woman has been missing for two weeks.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is following the case. She's live now at the Modesto Police Department. Hi, Rusty. How is the weather?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather up in the San Francisco Bay area is better today for divers. And dawn should be breaking in about an hour, and that's when they're scheduled to jump into the San Francisco Bay at the Berkeley Marina. Now, that is where Scott Peterson, Laci Peterson's husband, said he went fishing on Christmas Eve, the day his wife disappeared.

Now, divers using a side-scanning sonar did discover the other day an object they say resembles a body. They're now saying they're 50 percent sure this object is a body. But they say the operation this morning should take at least a couple of hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. DOUG RIDENOUR, SPOKESMAN, MODESTO POLICE: My understanding, what they will do is that they'll try to find the image, the location of it. They'll send their divers down. Once they send the divers down, it's my understanding the divers should have some idea, obviously, whether it's a body or it isn't a body. As far as determining the identity and those kinds of things, it would have to be brought up to the surface and taken to the proper facility to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, obviously this new development puts a very hot spotlight on Scott Peterson. Police are remaining very tight-lipped about him and are not even saying whether he's being cooperative or not.

Meantime, Laci Peterson's family says they are still very supportive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT LAROCHA, MISSING WOMAN'S BROTHER: You know, my confidence is so high that Scott had nothing to do with it, I'm not really that concerned. It's not bothering me too much. And it seems to me if it really was something significant, they'd be out there today to take care of it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, if it is significant, and it is indeed a body that relates to this case, there will be a press conference here today. Otherwise they're just going to send out a media advisory, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, very good. Rusty Dornin, we will wait to hear about that. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com