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CNN Live Event/Special
Divers Continue Search For Evidence in Laci Peterson Case
Aired May 23, 2003 - 20:30 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we get to a story that is still developing at this hour. Divers today battled the waves and winds of part of San Francisco Bay to search for evidence in the Laci Peterson case.
Mike Brooks is watching from onshore once again from Richmond, California.
Mike, hello.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
It's very, very windy here today, and after eight straight days of diving and scanning the bottom of San Francisco Bay, divers and sonar technicians packed up and went home.
Now, they did not really find anything of evidentiary value, a source tells CNN, but they plan to return here at a later date, but that has yet to be determined.
Now in another twist in the Laci Peterson case, CNN has spoken with a potential defense witness, and he says that he saw a -- what he describes as a suspicious van at a gas station in Laci's neighborhood. Now this man lives about three blocks from Laci, and after he left the gas station, he saw what he describes as a small, attractive, pregnant woman walking a dog. now it caught his attention because the dog was jumping up on the woman. He thought it was going to knock her over in her pregnant state and do some harm to her. So he went home and discussed this with his wife.
Well, two days later it's brought about by the media that Laci Peterson, who lives in his neighborhood, is missing. He goes to the command post that they had set up there in a park nearby their home, he talks to Modesto detectives. He told the detectives his story. The detectives basically dismissed it out of hand, telling him that they believe Laci Peterson left her home in a car and that the dog picked up a scent that went out of the neighborhood. So again, another twist.
Now on May 27, Tuesday, Scott will be back in court, Daryn, and what will be discussed there is whether or not the search warrants and their autopsy reports will remain sealed.
So right now, another twist. Court case coming up on Tuesday and we'll see if the autopsy reports and search warrants remain sealed or if they're going to be open to the public -- Daryn.
KAGAN: In terms of those reports being sealed, as I understand it it's the defense and the prosecution that want those sealed, not just the defense.
BROOKS: That's correct. The defense and prosecution want them to remain sealed, but the media and some in the public want it open so they can see exactly what the prosecution has and exactly what the defense has and possibly reveal a little bit of the defense strategy on how they're going to go about defending Scott Peterson.
KAGAN: Mike Brooks in Richmond, California. We'll let you get in out of the wind there, friend. Thank you so much.
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 May 23, 2003 - 20:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we get to a story that is still developing at this hour. Divers today battled the waves and winds of part of San Francisco Bay to search for evidence in the Laci Peterson case.
Mike Brooks is watching from onshore once again from Richmond, California.
Mike, hello.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
It's very, very windy here today, and after eight straight days of diving and scanning the bottom of San Francisco Bay, divers and sonar technicians packed up and went home.
Now, they did not really find anything of evidentiary value, a source tells CNN, but they plan to return here at a later date, but that has yet to be determined.
Now in another twist in the Laci Peterson case, CNN has spoken with a potential defense witness, and he says that he saw a -- what he describes as a suspicious van at a gas station in Laci's neighborhood. Now this man lives about three blocks from Laci, and after he left the gas station, he saw what he describes as a small, attractive, pregnant woman walking a dog. now it caught his attention because the dog was jumping up on the woman. He thought it was going to knock her over in her pregnant state and do some harm to her. So he went home and discussed this with his wife.
Well, two days later it's brought about by the media that Laci Peterson, who lives in his neighborhood, is missing. He goes to the command post that they had set up there in a park nearby their home, he talks to Modesto detectives. He told the detectives his story. The detectives basically dismissed it out of hand, telling him that they believe Laci Peterson left her home in a car and that the dog picked up a scent that went out of the neighborhood. So again, another twist.
Now on May 27, Tuesday, Scott will be back in court, Daryn, and what will be discussed there is whether or not the search warrants and their autopsy reports will remain sealed.
So right now, another twist. Court case coming up on Tuesday and we'll see if the autopsy reports and search warrants remain sealed or if they're going to be open to the public -- Daryn.
KAGAN: In terms of those reports being sealed, as I understand it it's the defense and the prosecution that want those sealed, not just the defense.
BROOKS: That's correct. The defense and prosecution want them to remain sealed, but the media and some in the public want it open so they can see exactly what the prosecution has and exactly what the defense has and possibly reveal a little bit of the defense strategy on how they're going to go about defending Scott Peterson.
KAGAN: Mike Brooks in Richmond, California. We'll let you get in out of the wind there, friend. Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
