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CNN Live At Daybreak
Coffey Talk: Laci Case Clues
Aired February 20, 2003 - 06:40 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Modesto, California, the search of Scott and Laci Peterson's home is over. Laci, as you know, was pregnant when she disappeared back on Christmas Eve. Police say they took up to 95 items from the house in this round of searches. As they searched the home yesterday, investigators put up yellow crime tape around the yard. Police say Laci's husband, Scott, is not a suspect but he has not been ruled out either.
So, did this new round of searches bring us any closer to a break in the case? We want to ask our favorite legal analyst Kendall Coffey. He joins us live on the phone from Miami.
Good morning -- Kendall.
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning.
COSTELLO: Hey, this time police were armed with a search warrant. Does that tell you anything about the way the investigation is progressing?
COFFEY: Well it certainly tells you it's a serious matter. Search warrants don't fall out of the sky. They require a judicial officer to find probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. So it doesn't mean that an arrest is imminent. But with 50 bags and boxes in a two-day search, this is obviously something very significant.
COSTELLO: So by that do you mean that police this time knew what they were searching for and it was indicated in the warrant that went before the judge?
COFFEY: Probably so. The warrant is sealed, but they obviously have had some developments that brought them back. It may not be so much direct evidence, things that they might have looked for in the first go around. But what they may be doing now is trying to break down inconsistencies, including, for example, whether or not some of the things Scott Peterson told them about his life are contradicted by some of the evidence they may find in the home or in the truck.
COSTELLO: Let's talk more about Scott Peterson. Police are not calling him a suspect but they sure are treating him that way. What can you say about that? I mean maybe he's not guilty. This is a terrible thing if he's not.
COFFEY: It's a horrible thing if a distraught husband is wrongly accused. But on the other hand, it's potentially an unspeakable crime. And he's misrepresented things to authority. The family thinks he's also lied about his statements that Laci Peterson knew about the alleged affair. So those kind of untruthful statements are exactly the kind of thing that cause somebody to become a person of interest, maybe a person of a lot of interest to police authorities.
COSTELLO: You know the interesting thing, I don't know if Scott Peterson has a lawyer, do you?
COFFEY: Apparently not. He had a lawyer who stepped down after he went on national television. But boy, he sure needs one.
COSTELLO: Yes. Kendall Coffey, thanks for your insight this morning, we appreciate it.
COFFEY: OK, 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 February 20, 2003 - 06:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Modesto, California, the search of Scott and Laci Peterson's home is over. Laci, as you know, was pregnant when she disappeared back on Christmas Eve. Police say they took up to 95 items from the house in this round of searches. As they searched the home yesterday, investigators put up yellow crime tape around the yard. Police say Laci's husband, Scott, is not a suspect but he has not been ruled out either.
So, did this new round of searches bring us any closer to a break in the case? We want to ask our favorite legal analyst Kendall Coffey. He joins us live on the phone from Miami.
Good morning -- Kendall.
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning.
COSTELLO: Hey, this time police were armed with a search warrant. Does that tell you anything about the way the investigation is progressing?
COFFEY: Well it certainly tells you it's a serious matter. Search warrants don't fall out of the sky. They require a judicial officer to find probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. So it doesn't mean that an arrest is imminent. But with 50 bags and boxes in a two-day search, this is obviously something very significant.
COSTELLO: So by that do you mean that police this time knew what they were searching for and it was indicated in the warrant that went before the judge?
COFFEY: Probably so. The warrant is sealed, but they obviously have had some developments that brought them back. It may not be so much direct evidence, things that they might have looked for in the first go around. But what they may be doing now is trying to break down inconsistencies, including, for example, whether or not some of the things Scott Peterson told them about his life are contradicted by some of the evidence they may find in the home or in the truck.
COSTELLO: Let's talk more about Scott Peterson. Police are not calling him a suspect but they sure are treating him that way. What can you say about that? I mean maybe he's not guilty. This is a terrible thing if he's not.
COFFEY: It's a horrible thing if a distraught husband is wrongly accused. But on the other hand, it's potentially an unspeakable crime. And he's misrepresented things to authority. The family thinks he's also lied about his statements that Laci Peterson knew about the alleged affair. So those kind of untruthful statements are exactly the kind of thing that cause somebody to become a person of interest, maybe a person of a lot of interest to police authorities.
COSTELLO: You know the interesting thing, I don't know if Scott Peterson has a lawyer, do you?
COFFEY: Apparently not. He had a lawyer who stepped down after he went on national television. But boy, he sure needs one.
COSTELLO: Yes. Kendall Coffey, thanks for your insight this morning, we appreciate it.
COFFEY: OK, 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
