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CNN Live Saturday
Scott Peterson Expected to Be Charged With Double Homicide Monday
Aired April 19, 2003 - 16:15 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Four months after Laci Peterson disappeared from her Modesto, California, home, her husband, Scott, is behind bars in a California jail. Authorities expect to charge him early next week with the murders of his wife and unborn baby. CNN's Rusty Dornin has more on this unfolding story -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Scott Peterson arrived here in Modesto. He was driven here by Modesto police, arrested in San Diego. Arrived here about midnight last night. About 50 people stayed up outside the jail jeering at Scott Peterson as he was brought inside. Jail officials say he was booked and they say he spent a very uneventful night in jail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was not any major incident. He did a lot of sleeping last night and he had an opportunity to make some phone calls, and essentially, he is in a cell where he's by himself, within supervision of deputies, and he'll be there until his arraignment on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Now, they're saying that the arraignment will take place Monday or Tuesday. He's likely to face double homicide charges with special circumstances. They're not saying now whether or not they will seek the death penalty in this case.
Meantime, this is a town in mourning. For four months, people just hoped that Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner (ph), would be found and brought back alive. And people here are just remembering.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN (voice-over): It's rare to see a photograph of Laci Peterson where you don't see this, the 1,000-watt smile guaranteed to light up a room. Stacy Boyers (ph) went to elementary school with Laci. In January, Boyers (ph) told CNN that enthusiasm was Laci's middle name.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Laci is always smiling, no matter where we are, what we're doing. She's always bubbly and talkative, and she's usually the center of attention. DORNIN: Like when she was a cheerleader at Downey High School in Modesto, California, always confident, always charming. Then, it was on to San Louis Obispo to college. Her brother says she wasn't your typical college student. Forget the keg parties, Laci would take her big brother wine tasting.
Here at the Pacific Cafe in Morro Bay, Scott Peterson waited on tables. Laci was one of his customers. They dated, and two years later were married. The cafe owner Abba Immani (ph) says the young woman always seemed very happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was sweet and always smiling, laughing, every time they came and ate here after even they got married.
DORNIN: Married and still in college, Laci and Scott opened this burger joint then called The Shack. Blake and Christine Reid (ph) remember Laci and Scott throwing gourmet dinner parties at their home. In this photo, the Reids (ph) say Laci crashed the guy's cigar smoking huddle on the patio and wanted to be part of the picture. According to the Reids (ph), Laci and Scott made no secret of the fact they wanted to move on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They wanted to buy a home and they wanted to go someplace where their family was there to help support them.
DORNIN: Laci's hometown, Modesto, was that place. She was very close to her family, especially her mom, Sharon, for whom Laci's disappearance was pure agony.
SHARON ROCHA, LACI'S MOTHER: I love my daughter so much. I miss her every minute of every day. I miss seeing her. I miss our talks together. I miss listening to the excitement in her voice when she talks to me about her baby.
DORNIN: The baby already had a name, Conner (ph), and he had a small room painted bright blue in their home on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) avenue, ready and waiting just days before Christmas. That's when Laci last spoke to her mother.
ROCHA: She was fine. She was looking forward to Christmas Eve. They were coming to our house for dinner.
DORNIN: It never happened. What did was beyond any mother's nightmare.
Now, outside the house where Laci Peterson dreamed of a new family, a shrine to her and her unborn son. Tammy Crause (ph), a family friend, felt she had to come.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was great for this neighborhood, let me put it that way. She really was. She was involved in everything, and she was just a great little girl. And we're going to miss her a lot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: Now, the pictures you just saw were taken just a couple of hours ago outside Laci Peterson's house. And from what we understand just in the last two hours, that has almost doubled in size and people continue to come. There's been a large outpouring of grief in this community. The family has asked to be left alone this holiday weekend, but they say they will give a statement to the public sometime on Monday -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, and I know that's going to be a very difficult time for that family. It's such a heartbreaking story for the entire community there. Thanks very much, Rusty.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Monday>
Aired April 19, 2003 - 16:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Four months after Laci Peterson disappeared from her Modesto, California, home, her husband, Scott, is behind bars in a California jail. Authorities expect to charge him early next week with the murders of his wife and unborn baby. CNN's Rusty Dornin has more on this unfolding story -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Scott Peterson arrived here in Modesto. He was driven here by Modesto police, arrested in San Diego. Arrived here about midnight last night. About 50 people stayed up outside the jail jeering at Scott Peterson as he was brought inside. Jail officials say he was booked and they say he spent a very uneventful night in jail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was not any major incident. He did a lot of sleeping last night and he had an opportunity to make some phone calls, and essentially, he is in a cell where he's by himself, within supervision of deputies, and he'll be there until his arraignment on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Now, they're saying that the arraignment will take place Monday or Tuesday. He's likely to face double homicide charges with special circumstances. They're not saying now whether or not they will seek the death penalty in this case.
Meantime, this is a town in mourning. For four months, people just hoped that Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner (ph), would be found and brought back alive. And people here are just remembering.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN (voice-over): It's rare to see a photograph of Laci Peterson where you don't see this, the 1,000-watt smile guaranteed to light up a room. Stacy Boyers (ph) went to elementary school with Laci. In January, Boyers (ph) told CNN that enthusiasm was Laci's middle name.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Laci is always smiling, no matter where we are, what we're doing. She's always bubbly and talkative, and she's usually the center of attention. DORNIN: Like when she was a cheerleader at Downey High School in Modesto, California, always confident, always charming. Then, it was on to San Louis Obispo to college. Her brother says she wasn't your typical college student. Forget the keg parties, Laci would take her big brother wine tasting.
Here at the Pacific Cafe in Morro Bay, Scott Peterson waited on tables. Laci was one of his customers. They dated, and two years later were married. The cafe owner Abba Immani (ph) says the young woman always seemed very happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was sweet and always smiling, laughing, every time they came and ate here after even they got married.
DORNIN: Married and still in college, Laci and Scott opened this burger joint then called The Shack. Blake and Christine Reid (ph) remember Laci and Scott throwing gourmet dinner parties at their home. In this photo, the Reids (ph) say Laci crashed the guy's cigar smoking huddle on the patio and wanted to be part of the picture. According to the Reids (ph), Laci and Scott made no secret of the fact they wanted to move on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They wanted to buy a home and they wanted to go someplace where their family was there to help support them.
DORNIN: Laci's hometown, Modesto, was that place. She was very close to her family, especially her mom, Sharon, for whom Laci's disappearance was pure agony.
SHARON ROCHA, LACI'S MOTHER: I love my daughter so much. I miss her every minute of every day. I miss seeing her. I miss our talks together. I miss listening to the excitement in her voice when she talks to me about her baby.
DORNIN: The baby already had a name, Conner (ph), and he had a small room painted bright blue in their home on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) avenue, ready and waiting just days before Christmas. That's when Laci last spoke to her mother.
ROCHA: She was fine. She was looking forward to Christmas Eve. They were coming to our house for dinner.
DORNIN: It never happened. What did was beyond any mother's nightmare.
Now, outside the house where Laci Peterson dreamed of a new family, a shrine to her and her unborn son. Tammy Crause (ph), a family friend, felt she had to come.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was great for this neighborhood, let me put it that way. She really was. She was involved in everything, and she was just a great little girl. And we're going to miss her a lot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: Now, the pictures you just saw were taken just a couple of hours ago outside Laci Peterson's house. And from what we understand just in the last two hours, that has almost doubled in size and people continue to come. There's been a large outpouring of grief in this community. The family has asked to be left alone this holiday weekend, but they say they will give a statement to the public sometime on Monday -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, and I know that's going to be a very difficult time for that family. It's such a heartbreaking story for the entire community there. Thanks very much, Rusty.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Monday>
