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CNN Live Sunday
Scott Peterson's Parents Speak Out
Aired April 20, 2003 - 16:19 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.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Prosecutors in California say they have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty against Scott Peterson. Peterson is set to be arraigned possibly as early as tomorrow for the murders of his wife Laci and their unborn son, Connor. David Mattingly is in Laci's hometown of Modesto and he joins us now with the latest from there -- David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sophia, Scott Peterson's parents going public today, speaking out for the first time on behalf of their son saying they support their son and they are very critical how Modesto police have handled this investigation. They accuse investigators of not paying attention to other possible leads and other possible Laci sightings and focusing entirely on their son.
Now, some quotes from "TIME" magazine, Scott mother, Jackie Peterson, is quoted saying, "You have a district attorney calling this a slam dunk before there's even an arraignment. I'm felling like I'm living in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union." Now, when asked about why police consider their son a flight risk, Scott's father, Lee Peterson said it is another smear on him that he was going to run to Mexico. And how ridiculous. The kid lives here. They, referring to investigators, run him out of Modesto, and he goes on the repeat that Scott was not running.
Meanwhile, this Easter holiday has also become a time of remembrance and mourning for Laci Peterson and her unborn son. This was the scene just a short time ago outside the house that Laci shared with her husband Scott. There was just an incredible number of tokens of sympathy to be seen for Laci and her unborn son, Connor, that's spreading almost entirely across the entire width of the front yard. But it is just one indication of possibly the depth of sadness being experienced here by so many people in this community and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's horrible what happened and that this sort of puts an ending to it. My wife has been feeling so bad regarding it and I think this brings it all together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: And since his arrest on Friday, Scott Peterson remaining right here in the county jail in Modesto, awaiting arraignment possibly tomorrow or Tuesday on double murder charges -- Sophia. CHOI: David, let's go back to what the Petersons are saying about this case now. They've criticized detectives saying that they have neglected many good leads. What kind of leads are they talking about?
MATTINGLY: They specifically refer to other people coming forward saying they had seen Laci. That think felt that some of the leads were credible. When investigators apparently did not. That is a source of their criticism there. They're also very almost bitter in listening to their comments that the police seem to focus almost entirely on their son from the very beginning of this investigation. And that's the point they were trying to make today.
CHOI: OK. David Mattingly with the latest on the Peterson case, thank you so much for that.
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 April 20, 2003 - 16:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Prosecutors in California say they have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty against Scott Peterson. Peterson is set to be arraigned possibly as early as tomorrow for the murders of his wife Laci and their unborn son, Connor. David Mattingly is in Laci's hometown of Modesto and he joins us now with the latest from there -- David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sophia, Scott Peterson's parents going public today, speaking out for the first time on behalf of their son saying they support their son and they are very critical how Modesto police have handled this investigation. They accuse investigators of not paying attention to other possible leads and other possible Laci sightings and focusing entirely on their son.
Now, some quotes from "TIME" magazine, Scott mother, Jackie Peterson, is quoted saying, "You have a district attorney calling this a slam dunk before there's even an arraignment. I'm felling like I'm living in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union." Now, when asked about why police consider their son a flight risk, Scott's father, Lee Peterson said it is another smear on him that he was going to run to Mexico. And how ridiculous. The kid lives here. They, referring to investigators, run him out of Modesto, and he goes on the repeat that Scott was not running.
Meanwhile, this Easter holiday has also become a time of remembrance and mourning for Laci Peterson and her unborn son. This was the scene just a short time ago outside the house that Laci shared with her husband Scott. There was just an incredible number of tokens of sympathy to be seen for Laci and her unborn son, Connor, that's spreading almost entirely across the entire width of the front yard. But it is just one indication of possibly the depth of sadness being experienced here by so many people in this community and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's horrible what happened and that this sort of puts an ending to it. My wife has been feeling so bad regarding it and I think this brings it all together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: And since his arrest on Friday, Scott Peterson remaining right here in the county jail in Modesto, awaiting arraignment possibly tomorrow or Tuesday on double murder charges -- Sophia. CHOI: David, let's go back to what the Petersons are saying about this case now. They've criticized detectives saying that they have neglected many good leads. What kind of leads are they talking about?
MATTINGLY: They specifically refer to other people coming forward saying they had seen Laci. That think felt that some of the leads were credible. When investigators apparently did not. That is a source of their criticism there. They're also very almost bitter in listening to their comments that the police seem to focus almost entirely on their son from the very beginning of this investigation. And that's the point they were trying to make today.
CHOI: OK. David Mattingly with the latest on the Peterson case, thank you so much for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
