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CNN Live Sunday
Laci Peterson's Memorial Service Gets Under Way Tonight
Aired May 04, 2003 - 18:00 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to move on to our top story -- our other top story, I should say, at this hour -- the Laci Peterson memorial.
Now, Laci Peterson would have turned 28 today. Instead of a celebration, her family and friends are paying tribute while her husband sits in a Modesto jail, charged with killer Laci Peterson and their unborn son, Connor.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is in Modesto where the memorial service is about to get underway -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, as you said, this should have been a big, joyous birthday party today for Laci Peterson, turning 28. She should have been holding her son, Connor, who would have been nearly three months old.
Instead, this community is gathering to say goodbye.
Just a short time ago, they did seat Laci Peterson's family at the memorial. It is just about to get underway here.
This community has been in mourning for this woman and -- for a long time. And they began lining up for this church about three hours ago. Many people here, they've seen her picture on every street corner, on every store front. Many people who've never met Laci Peterson felt like they knew her. They wanted to come and to say goodbye to her.
Now here the program today will be celebrating the life of Laci Peterson. There will be several, of course, speakers, her family, her friends. Their also is a video vignette that's done to music that will be a tribute, and there will be a final tribute by Van Morrison of "Brown Eyed Girl" before this memorial service is over.
Now, of course, Scott Peterson did apply to come to this memorial service. He was turned down by the sheriff of Stanislaus County. Apparently, in some cases inmates are allowed to attend these kinds of events, but he is not being allowed to come.
Also, his family decided not to come as well. They said they did not want to create a distraction from or create any kind of three-ring circus that might result by having his family attend the service.
Meantime, Scott Peterson will be back in court tomorrow. His attorney, Mark Geragos, will be discussing some motions for search warrants and also whether the judge in this case will be able to continue -- Anderson.
COOPER: You know, Rusty, so often in a case like this, all we know about the victim or victims in this case are what we hear about in court or what we see on television. I suppose that's part of the reason that the family wanted this very public memorial, this, as you said, this celebration of her life, so that we're not just focusing on the death, the manner in which she died, the gruesome details. We are really celebrating a life.
DORNIN: Exactly. Also, they received such an incredible outpouring of support from around the world, and so much help from people and volunteers, thousands of volunteers, who went out and who combed the riverfronts and combed parkland areas when they thought -- when she was still missing and really helped out on this case -- that they wanted them to also be able to grieve in a very public way.
Now, of course, her remains have not been released, so the funeral, they have no idea when they're going to be able to schedule a funeral for Laci Peterson because there is no indication of the date when the remains will be released.
COOPER: Rusty, as you mentioned, the Rocha family has been seated. The service is underway. We are going to be continuing to come back to this, really, over the course of the next hour or so, when Laci Peterson's brother speaks. He's going to be the only member of the Rocha family who is speaking at this service. We will come and bring that to our viewers, live.
Rusty, I know you will be monitoring events, and we will bring them to our viewers as warranted.
Thanks very much, Rusty. We'll check back with you very shortly.
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 4, 2003 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to move on to our top story -- our other top story, I should say, at this hour -- the Laci Peterson memorial.
Now, Laci Peterson would have turned 28 today. Instead of a celebration, her family and friends are paying tribute while her husband sits in a Modesto jail, charged with killer Laci Peterson and their unborn son, Connor.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is in Modesto where the memorial service is about to get underway -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, as you said, this should have been a big, joyous birthday party today for Laci Peterson, turning 28. She should have been holding her son, Connor, who would have been nearly three months old.
Instead, this community is gathering to say goodbye.
Just a short time ago, they did seat Laci Peterson's family at the memorial. It is just about to get underway here.
This community has been in mourning for this woman and -- for a long time. And they began lining up for this church about three hours ago. Many people here, they've seen her picture on every street corner, on every store front. Many people who've never met Laci Peterson felt like they knew her. They wanted to come and to say goodbye to her.
Now here the program today will be celebrating the life of Laci Peterson. There will be several, of course, speakers, her family, her friends. Their also is a video vignette that's done to music that will be a tribute, and there will be a final tribute by Van Morrison of "Brown Eyed Girl" before this memorial service is over.
Now, of course, Scott Peterson did apply to come to this memorial service. He was turned down by the sheriff of Stanislaus County. Apparently, in some cases inmates are allowed to attend these kinds of events, but he is not being allowed to come.
Also, his family decided not to come as well. They said they did not want to create a distraction from or create any kind of three-ring circus that might result by having his family attend the service.
Meantime, Scott Peterson will be back in court tomorrow. His attorney, Mark Geragos, will be discussing some motions for search warrants and also whether the judge in this case will be able to continue -- Anderson.
COOPER: You know, Rusty, so often in a case like this, all we know about the victim or victims in this case are what we hear about in court or what we see on television. I suppose that's part of the reason that the family wanted this very public memorial, this, as you said, this celebration of her life, so that we're not just focusing on the death, the manner in which she died, the gruesome details. We are really celebrating a life.
DORNIN: Exactly. Also, they received such an incredible outpouring of support from around the world, and so much help from people and volunteers, thousands of volunteers, who went out and who combed the riverfronts and combed parkland areas when they thought -- when she was still missing and really helped out on this case -- that they wanted them to also be able to grieve in a very public way.
Now, of course, her remains have not been released, so the funeral, they have no idea when they're going to be able to schedule a funeral for Laci Peterson because there is no indication of the date when the remains will be released.
COOPER: Rusty, as you mentioned, the Rocha family has been seated. The service is underway. We are going to be continuing to come back to this, really, over the course of the next hour or so, when Laci Peterson's brother speaks. He's going to be the only member of the Rocha family who is speaking at this service. We will come and bring that to our viewers, live.
Rusty, I know you will be monitoring events, and we will bring them to our viewers as warranted.
Thanks very much, Rusty. We'll check back with you very shortly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
