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[somber music]
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- Most murder cases
are circumstantial.
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You don't get a smoking gun.
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- You take one of the things,
it's nothing.
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Two or three, it's nothing.
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But when you add them up,
it's pretty darn strong.
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- I never imagined
that this thing
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would still be percolating
20 years later.
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[invigorating music]
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- I have questions
about the case.
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It's always bugged me.
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- I know people
are really heavily
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invested that Scott's guilty.
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- There is no evidence
of cause of death.
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There is no evidence
of a crime scene.
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- Laci's already set the table
for Christmas brunch.
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You're gonna travel 90 miles
away to test your boat?
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I didn't buy it.
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- There isn't any evidence
that Scott Peterson
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engaged in any violence
involving his wife.
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- If you open your
mind a little bit,
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really consider
the investigation,
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there are a lot of questions.
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There have always been
a lot of questions.
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- When you know that the jury
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ultimately still
convicted him,
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you have to ask yourself,
what's going on here?
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- They gave us, in my opinion,
no realistic alternate theory.
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- The information we were given
in that courtroom
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only leads to the decision
we came up with,
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which is he's guilty.
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- The police can't
get it this wrong.
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The DA can't get it
this wrong.
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A jury can't get it
this wrong.
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The appellate process
can't get it this wrong.
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The media can't get it
this wrong.
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- Is this the way criminal
justice works in America?
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- Here I am two decades later,
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still trying
to solve this crime.
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- I'm still investigating.
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I'm still looking at the
evidence, asking questions.
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- It's gonna be a fight
for them to accept the truth.
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- December 13, 2004.
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People of State of California
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versus Scott Peterson.
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We, the jury,
fix the penalty at death.
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[dramatic music]
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- And in a case
that became something of
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a national TV obsession,
a judge today
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formally sentenced
Scott Peterson.
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- In spite of all
the pain and passion
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expressed in court today,
one person showed no emotion...
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Scott Peterson.
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- During my trial,
I was indignant.
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I was so angry at the media,
because the reports
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just weren't factual.
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I strived not to show
any emotion in the courtroom
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because I didn't wanna,
you know, see them break me.
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* *
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[indistinct chatter]
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- When Scott was moved
to death row,
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we made every effort
to get up there and visit him.
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For the first eight years,
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we had someone there
every week.
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- Our family has really
been the glue for Scott
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and for each other
through these...
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these hard times.
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And just fortunate
that that's the case.
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- He would repeatedly say he...
he was living visit to visit.
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It was his lifeline.
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[cell door clangs]
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[suspenseful music]
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* *
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[birds chirping]
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- Sitting through
Scott's trial
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and then spending years
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combing over police reports,
reading appellate documents,
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talking with lawyers,
our family had
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kind of been tethered
to the legal community
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for 17 years.
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My kids were grown.
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Ultimately, I made the
decision to go to law school.
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I certainly never have
felt like I needed to become
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a lawyer to help Scott.
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But I think now
that I am a lawyer,
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I certainly have
a much better understanding
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of the case and the issues.
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If Scott is granted
a new trial,
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we'll be able to take more
steps in the investigation.
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We'll be able to call people
to court to testify.
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We have an incredible
support system,
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an incredible team of people
who know this case
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and help our family.
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And without them,
we wouldn't be where we're at.
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And without Mike Gudgell,
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I don't know
that our investigation
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would be where it's at.
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[cheering]
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- I thought that
the trial was going to be
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the arbiter of the truth.
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And I don't think
that's accurate.
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Most of the journalists
covered the story
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from beginning to end,
I think expected a hung jury.
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I don't know anyone
who isn't terribly
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conflicted by the verdict.
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It was troubling
for those of us who really
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knew the case intimately.
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Scott was convicted,
but there was no how, where,
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when, even why.
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Everyone involved in the
case contributed in some way
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to a sort of a conspiracy
of circumstances
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that led to the verdict.
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- Anybody who disagrees
with the verdict,
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you have a right to disagree.
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But if you weren't there,
you don't know.
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- A lot of media coverage,
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so I think the jury pool
was partly biased.
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- Why did he leave his wife
alone, eight months pregnant,
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on Christmas Eve
to go fishing by himself?
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- There was a tremendous
pressure on the media
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to report every day.
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And as a consequence,
particularly the tabloid press
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would report rumors.
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- Was Scott Peterson
planning to hire hit men
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to kill his wife, Laci?
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- Every evening, I would sit
and watch one of the shows
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and I'd wanna throw
my shoe at the TV.
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Initially, I spent a year,
year and a half
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covering a case
from beginning to end.
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I went on to do other things,
including covering the wars
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in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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But it always bothered me.
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[unsettling music]
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I don't really even
think the case was solved.
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So when I got back
from covering the two wars,
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I devoted as much time as I
could to digging more into
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what might have happened
to Laci.
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This is 2015.
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The first thing
I had to do was get
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the 50,000 pages of documents
and police reports.
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And then I had to go
through those documents
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and find what questions
or clues
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were buried in those pages.
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There was dozens of
different tips that came in,
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and I spent years
looking into those.
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But it finally came down
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to the burglary
across the street.
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- We have two people
in custody.
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We do not believe that,
at this time,
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that there's any connection
with the missing of Laci.
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[ominous music]
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- The police characterized
the Medina burglary
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as kind of a meth addict, and
it was a crime of opportunity.
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The Airport District
was sort of a high crime area
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not far
from Laci and Scott's house.
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And there was a larger effort
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to burglarize houses
in that neighborhood.
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I would call it
a criminal network.
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I suspect that more
people were involved
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in the burglary than
Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce.
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This is just a working theory.
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I haven't been able
to prove it yet.
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And that comes to the
question of smoking gun.
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But I think it's
much more complicated
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than what the police believe.
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- Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce
admitted their involvement
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with the Medina burglary,
telling the police
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that the burglary happened
on December 27th.
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When the police pointed out
to them that it couldn't have
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happened on the 27th because
the Medinas were already home,
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they changed their story
and said that the burglary
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happened on the 26th.
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It wasn't until much later
that people began to question
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whether this burglary really
occurred on December 26.
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We believe that Laci
encountered the Medina
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burglary on December 24th.
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At 11:40 a.m.,
Diane Jackson saw three men
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that were dark-skinned,
not African American,
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in front of the Medina home.
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- So I think Steven Todd
shared information
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about the Medina home
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with people
in the Airport District.
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It's their practice
to share targets like that.
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It's possible that
three men in the van
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were some of his friends
or accomplices.
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- So what likely happened is,
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other people showed up
to help.
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The police have
never identified that van,
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never identified the men
associated with the van.
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And that van was parked
directly in front of the house
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that was burglarized.
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It's directly across the street
from Scott and Laci's home.
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So this confrontation
with Laci could have involved
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the people in the van,
not necessarily
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Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce.
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- Steven Todd confessed almost
immediately to the burglary.
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And I think
that says something.
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I think he was told, you're
gonna have to take the fall.
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I mean, you know, there's
a confidential informant
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that turned him in, so he was
gonna serve time regardless.
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The burglary could have
occurred about the same time
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Laci went for a walk.
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It's possible that Laci
confronted the burglars
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00:10:02,702 --> 00:10:04,871
or saw the burglars,
or the burglars saw her
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00:10:04,971 --> 00:10:07,974
and were worried about whether
she would call the police.
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00:10:10,910 --> 00:10:15,982
- So if you didn't kill Laci,
who killed Laci?
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[ominous music]
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- We had a client
who was innocent
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but an entire world
against him.
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He's not capable of doing this.
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And we truly believe that.
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We also believe that...that the
evidence backed us up on it.
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To have a verdict of guilty
214
00:11:02,796 --> 00:11:07,100
and then the death penalty,
215
00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,271
no words can describe the
disappointment, the sadness.
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It was a huge shock.
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00:11:13,306 --> 00:11:18,945
I thought, despite the
hatred towards Scott,
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that they would actually
listen to the evidence
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00:11:22,916 --> 00:11:26,653
and they would base their
decision on the evidence
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00:11:26,753 --> 00:11:27,987
and only on the evidence.
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00:11:28,088 --> 00:11:30,090
Because I thought,
there's no evidence here.
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00:11:30,190 --> 00:11:31,758
There's no forensic evidence,
there's nothing
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00:11:31,858 --> 00:11:34,194
to tie him to the murder.
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Our client didn't do it.
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00:11:38,732 --> 00:11:39,933
Nothing has changed since.
226
00:11:40,033 --> 00:11:42,969
In fact, at this point,
years later,
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00:11:43,069 --> 00:11:45,638
there's more
exonerating evidence
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00:11:45,739 --> 00:11:47,774
that have come to light.
229
00:11:47,874 --> 00:11:49,743
- In my years
of investigating it,
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00:11:49,843 --> 00:11:52,445
I investigated a lot of leads
231
00:11:52,545 --> 00:11:54,314
and looked
at all possibilities...
232
00:11:54,414 --> 00:11:57,117
that Scott was involved
in a murder for hire,
233
00:11:57,217 --> 00:11:59,919
Laci was abducted
for her unborn child.
234
00:12:00,020 --> 00:12:01,855
Most of them
have been dead ends,
235
00:12:01,955 --> 00:12:03,923
but a process of elimination
at this point.
236
00:12:04,024 --> 00:12:06,026
And, you know,
there are a few things
237
00:12:06,126 --> 00:12:08,895
that are left
that are promising.
238
00:12:11,398 --> 00:12:14,334
And I think the most
important piece of information
239
00:12:14,434 --> 00:12:16,036
is the van.
240
00:12:19,439 --> 00:12:22,742
[tense music]
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At the very beginning, police
were looking for a brown van.
242
00:12:25,178 --> 00:12:28,448
And all the media was also
looking for a brown van.
243
00:12:28,548 --> 00:12:30,083
- A brown van could back up
244
00:12:30,183 --> 00:12:31,985
a defense theory
Laci was abducted.
245
00:12:32,085 --> 00:12:33,687
- Numerous witnesses
reported seeing
246
00:12:33,787 --> 00:12:37,323
a suspicious brown van in the
neighborhood that morning.
247
00:12:37,424 --> 00:12:41,795
- I noticed three people across
the street on the Medinas' lawn
248
00:12:41,895 --> 00:12:44,264
and they were right next
to a van.
249
00:12:44,364 --> 00:12:45,231
- I always look around.
250
00:12:45,331 --> 00:12:47,767
And I have never seen
a van like that before.
251
00:12:47,867 --> 00:12:49,736
- And so you saw the van,
coincidentally,
252
00:12:49,836 --> 00:12:50,970
at the same time you saw Laci?
Or...
253
00:12:51,071 --> 00:12:52,972
- Yes. No, no, same time.
254
00:12:53,073 --> 00:12:54,407
- There's some variation,
but there were three or four
255
00:12:54,507 --> 00:12:57,210
witnesses who saw the same van
across from the Petersons',
256
00:12:57,310 --> 00:13:01,081
next to the Medina home, on
the morning Laci disappeared.
257
00:13:04,250 --> 00:13:07,153
And then I heard
about an orange van
258
00:13:07,253 --> 00:13:10,857
that had burned
in the Airport District
259
00:13:10,957 --> 00:13:12,792
the morning after
Laci disappeared.
260
00:13:12,892 --> 00:13:14,227
Maybe that's our brown van?
261
00:13:14,327 --> 00:13:17,197
- Police recently took
the van to this crime lab,
262
00:13:17,297 --> 00:13:20,200
examined it, and concluded
that the van was not
263
00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:22,669
in any way involved
in the disappearance
264
00:13:22,769 --> 00:13:24,904
of Laci Peterson.
265
00:13:26,706 --> 00:13:30,010
- I remember sort of, you know,
those internal instinctual
266
00:13:30,110 --> 00:13:33,346
alarm bells going off
that there was something wrong
267
00:13:33,446 --> 00:13:36,683
and that...this sort of feeling
stuck with me.
268
00:13:36,783 --> 00:13:38,218
So that's 2004.
269
00:13:38,318 --> 00:13:40,353
And then fast forward
over ten years.
270
00:13:43,556 --> 00:13:45,992
[suspenseful music]
271
00:13:46,092 --> 00:13:48,294
Not believing
everything I heard
272
00:13:48,395 --> 00:13:50,497
either in the media
or the police,
273
00:13:50,597 --> 00:13:54,300
I started following the leads.
274
00:13:54,401 --> 00:14:00,040
I decided to look through all
the documents, 40,000 pages.
275
00:14:00,140 --> 00:14:04,310
I started, on my own,
interviewing witnesses.
276
00:14:04,411 --> 00:14:06,680
I went to interview
the owner of the van
277
00:14:06,780 --> 00:14:10,216
where it was stolen,
a moving and rigging company.
278
00:14:10,316 --> 00:14:13,153
And he told me that
the employees could take
279
00:14:13,253 --> 00:14:15,155
some of the vehicles home
and he believed
280
00:14:15,255 --> 00:14:17,290
it was kind of an inside job.
281
00:14:17,390 --> 00:14:20,994
If it was an inside job,
and if employees were allowed
282
00:14:21,094 --> 00:14:23,096
to take the van home
for the weekend or whatever,
283
00:14:23,196 --> 00:14:25,231
they could have just
taken the van back
284
00:14:25,331 --> 00:14:27,334
and no one would have
even known.
285
00:14:27,434 --> 00:14:29,369
So I think very logical
that it was burned
286
00:14:29,469 --> 00:14:32,505
to cover up a crime.
287
00:14:32,605 --> 00:14:34,374
After that, I'm looking into
288
00:14:34,474 --> 00:14:37,077
the criminal community
in Modesto,
289
00:14:37,177 --> 00:14:38,244
and some of the names
I'm seeing
290
00:14:38,345 --> 00:14:40,580
are associated with
that burnt van.
291
00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:42,315
The last person to drive it
292
00:14:42,415 --> 00:14:45,251
definitely had a criminal
record, including burglary.
293
00:14:45,352 --> 00:14:48,855
And a family member
of the owner of the van
294
00:14:48,955 --> 00:14:53,293
was associated,
a friend of Steven Todd.
295
00:14:53,393 --> 00:14:56,496
Steven Todd's wife's sister
lived in a house
296
00:14:56,596 --> 00:14:59,466
right next to where
the burnt van was found.
297
00:14:59,566 --> 00:15:01,568
- The thing about
the Airport District,
298
00:15:01,668 --> 00:15:03,236
it isn't that big of an area.
299
00:15:03,336 --> 00:15:06,172
And to have a burned-out van
found near the relative
300
00:15:06,272 --> 00:15:09,142
of one of the burglars
isn't anything, to me,
301
00:15:09,242 --> 00:15:11,544
that would be
suspicious whatsoever.
302
00:15:11,644 --> 00:15:14,047
Why now is this just coming up?
303
00:15:14,147 --> 00:15:16,516
It seems interesting to me.
304
00:15:16,616 --> 00:15:22,522
* *
305
00:15:22,622 --> 00:15:24,224
- I wanna show you the van.
306
00:15:24,324 --> 00:15:28,228
So these are the six color
pictures I was able to get.
307
00:15:28,328 --> 00:15:30,230
And to my knowledge,
are the only pictures
308
00:15:30,330 --> 00:15:34,234
that remain out of possibly
over a hundred that were shot.
309
00:15:36,436 --> 00:15:39,072
I found the three-
or four-page report
310
00:15:39,172 --> 00:15:41,274
from Bryan Spitulski,
the arson investigator.
311
00:15:41,374 --> 00:15:44,144
So I decided
to give him a visit.
312
00:15:44,244 --> 00:15:46,046
And he looked at me
and he said,
313
00:15:46,146 --> 00:15:47,914
I've been waiting ten years
for someone
314
00:15:48,014 --> 00:15:49,449
to come and ask questions
about this.
315
00:15:52,719 --> 00:15:54,254
- My name is Bryan Spitulski.
316
00:15:54,354 --> 00:15:56,690
I've been a fire investigator
for almost 30 years.
317
00:15:56,790 --> 00:15:59,159
In 2002, I was
a fire investigator
318
00:15:59,259 --> 00:16:01,261
for Modesto City
Fire Department.
319
00:16:03,263 --> 00:16:07,500
December 25th, the fire
came in for a vehicle fire
320
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:09,969
in an alleyway.
321
00:16:10,070 --> 00:16:12,072
As I did my walk around,
I noticed
322
00:16:12,172 --> 00:16:14,007
there was a mattress
in the back of the van
323
00:16:14,107 --> 00:16:17,143
that was mostly consumed
by the fire.
324
00:16:17,243 --> 00:16:19,612
- And they put this round
gas can over the mattress,
325
00:16:19,713 --> 00:16:23,583
I'm sure thinking that the gas
can would destroy the mattress.
326
00:16:23,683 --> 00:16:27,220
But the metal gas can
actually protected this
327
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,357
foot-and-a-half circle
of mattress.
328
00:16:30,457 --> 00:16:31,925
- It was a little bit
discolored,
329
00:16:32,025 --> 00:16:33,360
but it wasn't burned at all.
330
00:16:33,460 --> 00:16:35,962
It's kind of a grayish
off-white fabric
331
00:16:36,062 --> 00:16:38,932
with rust-colored stains
in it.
332
00:16:39,032 --> 00:16:40,400
It looked like blood to me.
333
00:16:42,769 --> 00:16:46,539
And I cut away a piece of that
fabric so we could understand,
334
00:16:46,639 --> 00:16:50,310
was this just a rust color
or was this truly blood?
335
00:16:51,478 --> 00:16:53,380
When we cut it away
and we stuck it
336
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,516
into the container that
had the luminol in it,
337
00:16:56,616 --> 00:16:57,283
it went blue.
338
00:16:57,384 --> 00:16:59,686
There's human blood
on that item.
339
00:16:59,786 --> 00:17:05,025
* *
340
00:17:05,125 --> 00:17:07,660
[birds chirping]
341
00:17:07,761 --> 00:17:10,463
[car horn honking]
342
00:17:13,166 --> 00:17:14,634
- Between Christmas
and New Year's,
343
00:17:14,734 --> 00:17:18,438
the news started to come out
about Laci missing.
344
00:17:18,538 --> 00:17:20,440
When I heard that,
that's when I got on the phone
345
00:17:20,540 --> 00:17:24,177
and called up my detective
and said, look,
346
00:17:24,277 --> 00:17:26,279
now, you know,
we've got this van.
347
00:17:26,379 --> 00:17:28,314
We've got a mattress
in the back of it.
348
00:17:28,415 --> 00:17:31,017
It's similar in description
of what everybody's saying.
349
00:17:31,117 --> 00:17:32,085
I think you need
to take a look at that.
350
00:17:32,185 --> 00:17:34,921
[inquisitive music]
351
00:17:35,021 --> 00:17:37,457
- The detectives came out.
The police chief came out.
352
00:17:37,557 --> 00:17:41,294
It was a really high-profile
development in the case.
353
00:17:41,394 --> 00:17:44,230
The first test at the scene,
354
00:17:44,330 --> 00:17:45,999
right after
they found the van,
355
00:17:46,099 --> 00:17:47,167
was a presumptive test.
356
00:17:47,267 --> 00:17:49,202
It's a field test.
357
00:17:49,302 --> 00:17:51,338
- And then the next day,
a sample would be
358
00:17:51,438 --> 00:17:53,807
hand-delivered to the
Department of Justice
359
00:17:53,907 --> 00:17:57,143
for a more in-depth analysis.
360
00:17:57,243 --> 00:17:58,478
- And it was tested there,
361
00:17:58,578 --> 00:18:00,480
and they couldn't
detect blood.
362
00:18:04,517 --> 00:18:07,754
- So at that point,
it seemed like
363
00:18:07,854 --> 00:18:12,025
the...the air left the van.
364
00:18:12,125 --> 00:18:16,629
It was no longer something
that needed to be looked at.
365
00:18:16,730 --> 00:18:21,234
Even though we had
the positive luminol test,
366
00:18:21,334 --> 00:18:23,503
that was it.
It was done.
367
00:18:23,603 --> 00:18:28,641
* *
368
00:18:28,742 --> 00:18:32,045
It has been in my mind
and has kept me awake
369
00:18:32,145 --> 00:18:35,115
and has bothered me at night.
370
00:18:35,215 --> 00:18:37,384
Why didn't this get brought up?
371
00:18:37,484 --> 00:18:40,453
There's blood
on a mattress in a van
372
00:18:40,553 --> 00:18:46,292
that was burned about a mile
from where Laci disappeared.
373
00:18:46,393 --> 00:18:49,396
That screams
"needs further investigation."
374
00:18:49,496 --> 00:18:51,364
- They couldn't determine
whether it was human blood
375
00:18:51,464 --> 00:18:53,566
or not, but there was
human DNA.
376
00:18:55,568 --> 00:18:57,637
I contacted the defense
and said,
377
00:18:57,737 --> 00:19:00,473
are you aware
of these photographs?
378
00:19:00,573 --> 00:19:02,342
They weren't aware of it.
379
00:19:02,442 --> 00:19:04,611
But they asked
for the photos themselves
380
00:19:04,711 --> 00:19:08,181
and then they asked
for further testing.
381
00:19:08,281 --> 00:19:10,717
It's possible that
they could get a sequencing
382
00:19:10,817 --> 00:19:14,454
and find out whose DNA
is on that mattress.
383
00:19:40,413 --> 00:19:42,582
- When you think about it,
it basically comes down
384
00:19:42,682 --> 00:19:45,518
that there was a crime,
there's DNA.
385
00:19:45,618 --> 00:19:49,689
We should probably find out
whose DNA it is.
386
00:19:49,789 --> 00:19:51,424
Pretty simple.
387
00:19:56,196 --> 00:19:57,697
[birds chirping]
388
00:19:57,797 --> 00:20:00,567
[dog barking]
389
00:20:01,935 --> 00:20:03,136
- Hello.
- Hi.
390
00:20:03,236 --> 00:20:04,237
- Hi.
Good to see you again.
391
00:20:04,337 --> 00:20:06,573
- Good to see you.
392
00:20:06,673 --> 00:20:07,507
Good.
393
00:20:07,607 --> 00:20:09,242
Ready to work.
- All right.
394
00:20:09,342 --> 00:20:12,645
[suspenseful music]
395
00:20:12,746 --> 00:20:14,614
- Well, I was thinking it
could just be a good idea
396
00:20:14,714 --> 00:20:17,117
to kinda lay out big picture
of what we know
397
00:20:17,217 --> 00:20:19,285
the evidence to be right now.
398
00:20:19,386 --> 00:20:21,621
This is the evidence, starting
with some of the things
399
00:20:21,721 --> 00:20:25,425
we've known for 20 years,
all the way up to new evidence
400
00:20:25,525 --> 00:20:26,826
we've just obtained
in the last year
401
00:20:26,926 --> 00:20:30,363
and how we worked our way
through this evidence
402
00:20:30,463 --> 00:20:33,133
as kind of a family
and a team of people
403
00:20:33,233 --> 00:20:34,768
trying to solve a crime.
404
00:20:34,868 --> 00:20:38,471
We all know that Laci
went missing on December 24th.
405
00:20:38,571 --> 00:20:41,608
The dog was found in the
neighborhood with a leash on.
406
00:20:41,708 --> 00:20:45,178
Karen Servas had put
McKenzie back in the yard
407
00:20:45,278 --> 00:20:46,913
no later than 10:18.
408
00:20:47,013 --> 00:20:49,249
And she had closed the gate.
409
00:20:49,349 --> 00:20:50,583
The neighbors
across the street,
410
00:20:50,684 --> 00:20:52,585
they had left the morning
of December 24th.
411
00:20:52,686 --> 00:20:54,487
They returned home
December 26th
412
00:20:54,587 --> 00:20:56,456
to find their home
has been burglarized.
413
00:20:56,556 --> 00:20:58,491
You have the neighbor,
Diane Jackson,
414
00:20:58,591 --> 00:21:01,394
seeing a van and men
the morning of December 24th,
415
00:21:01,494 --> 00:21:02,762
the day that Laci went missing.
416
00:21:02,862 --> 00:21:05,632
So the evidence indicates
that the Medina burglary
417
00:21:05,732 --> 00:21:07,767
started the morning
of December 24th.
418
00:21:09,636 --> 00:21:11,938
The Medinas,
who lived across the street,
419
00:21:12,038 --> 00:21:14,374
didn't leave until 10:30.
420
00:21:14,474 --> 00:21:17,477
So there was a perception
that the Medina burglary
421
00:21:17,577 --> 00:21:20,347
was unrelated
to what happened to Laci
422
00:21:20,447 --> 00:21:22,682
because the Medinas
hadn't left yet.
423
00:21:24,417 --> 00:21:26,986
- So many of the mistakes
have to do
424
00:21:27,087 --> 00:21:29,289
with the Karen Servas timeline.
425
00:21:29,389 --> 00:21:30,924
- You found the dog
in the street.
426
00:21:31,024 --> 00:21:32,325
- Yes, I did.
427
00:21:32,425 --> 00:21:33,860
- And put the dog
in the backyard.
428
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,097
That ended up being very
critical to the prosecution's
429
00:21:37,197 --> 00:21:40,533
case because they needed
to establish a certain time.
430
00:21:40,633 --> 00:21:42,769
- Scott Peterson,
based on triangulation
431
00:21:42,869 --> 00:21:45,271
of cell phone records
and cell phone towers,
432
00:21:45,372 --> 00:21:48,508
in his own neighborhood
at 10:08.
433
00:21:48,608 --> 00:21:52,645
At 10:18, the neighbor
finds the dog
434
00:21:52,746 --> 00:21:54,481
running free
with a muddy leash.
435
00:21:54,581 --> 00:21:56,683
- That's a DA timeline.
436
00:21:56,783 --> 00:21:58,885
That's not
the defense timeline.
437
00:21:58,985 --> 00:22:01,921
She could have gone missing
at any hour that morning.
438
00:22:02,022 --> 00:22:05,825
- The judge bought into
this Karen Servas timeline,
439
00:22:05,925 --> 00:22:09,863
the idea that Laci's
already dead by 10:18.
440
00:22:09,963 --> 00:22:12,565
So the judge said,
the burglars weren't there,
441
00:22:12,665 --> 00:22:14,167
so they couldn't
have been involved.
442
00:22:14,267 --> 00:22:16,870
- It meant the jury didn't hear
evidence about the burglary.
443
00:22:19,806 --> 00:22:23,610
- Years later,
the defense discovers
444
00:22:23,710 --> 00:22:27,280
this bit of potential evidence
from a mailman
445
00:22:27,380 --> 00:22:28,882
by the name of Graybill.
446
00:22:28,982 --> 00:22:32,018
And he claims that
he delivered mail
447
00:22:32,118 --> 00:22:34,521
between 10:35 and 10:55,
448
00:22:34,621 --> 00:22:36,956
and what he did notice
was that McKenzie,
449
00:22:37,057 --> 00:22:40,460
the dog that always barked
every time he delivered mail,
450
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,663
wasn't barking,
and that the gate
451
00:22:43,763 --> 00:22:46,399
at the Peterson home was open.
452
00:22:46,499 --> 00:22:50,370
- And if the dog wasn't there
and Laci wasn't there,
453
00:22:50,470 --> 00:22:52,539
that means she was
walking the dog.
454
00:22:52,639 --> 00:22:54,741
And we know that several people
455
00:22:54,841 --> 00:22:57,711
had seen
a pregnant woman walking.
456
00:22:57,811 --> 00:22:59,612
- That was the missing piece.
457
00:22:59,713 --> 00:23:02,282
Laci was still home
when Karen Servas
458
00:23:02,382 --> 00:23:03,717
put the dog back in the yard.
459
00:23:03,817 --> 00:23:07,220
If Laci is alive after 10:30,
460
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,890
Laci could have encountered
the Medina burglary.
461
00:23:10,990 --> 00:23:15,862
- We know the timeline now
because of Russell Graybill.
462
00:23:15,962 --> 00:23:18,531
We know more
about the burglary.
463
00:23:21,034 --> 00:23:23,837
- We've spent a lot of time
trying to connect
464
00:23:23,937 --> 00:23:27,707
this burglary, the mailman,
and Russell Graybill.
465
00:23:27,807 --> 00:23:30,477
There's just so many tips
and so much information,
466
00:23:30,577 --> 00:23:33,847
and the timeline of the morning
was so misunderstood.
467
00:23:33,947 --> 00:23:36,016
These are the significant tips
that came in
468
00:23:36,116 --> 00:23:38,685
to the Modesto Police
Department, a lot of which
469
00:23:38,785 --> 00:23:40,553
are at issue in the filings.
470
00:23:40,653 --> 00:23:42,455
There are more,
but these are the ones
471
00:23:42,555 --> 00:23:44,724
that are most commonly
talked about.
472
00:23:44,824 --> 00:23:46,760
As a family,
we believe the police
473
00:23:46,860 --> 00:23:49,129
were putting due diligence
into following up
474
00:23:49,229 --> 00:23:50,430
on the sightings of Laci.
475
00:23:50,530 --> 00:23:53,600
[indistinct chatter]
476
00:24:01,908 --> 00:24:05,545
They had some people
came in with tips.
477
00:24:05,645 --> 00:24:09,616
Passed those on
to the police because
478
00:24:09,716 --> 00:24:11,051
I wanted them to follow up,
479
00:24:11,151 --> 00:24:13,720
and I thought they were
following up on them.
480
00:24:13,820 --> 00:24:15,689
I found out later when
I started to read
481
00:24:15,789 --> 00:24:17,557
the police discovery,
their reports,
482
00:24:17,657 --> 00:24:19,459
which were given to us
before trial,
483
00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:22,562
that they weren't
following up on anything.
484
00:24:22,662 --> 00:24:24,564
- Just a couple of things
about the tip lines.
485
00:24:24,664 --> 00:24:27,300
There's been now about
340 calls that's come in.
486
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,071
- There's been tips that
the burglars confronted Laci.
487
00:24:31,171 --> 00:24:35,308
One was a former
Los Angeles reserve officer
488
00:24:35,408 --> 00:24:40,013
who had seen someone being
sort of muscled into a van.
489
00:24:40,113 --> 00:24:43,416
- He was so disturbed by it
that he called police.
490
00:24:43,516 --> 00:24:45,585
[line trills]
491
00:24:45,685 --> 00:24:47,954
His name was Tom Harshman.
492
00:24:48,054 --> 00:24:49,089
- Hello?
493
00:24:49,189 --> 00:24:50,690
- Hi. Mr. Harshman?
494
00:24:50,790 --> 00:24:54,527
I'm doing research
for a documentary,
495
00:24:54,627 --> 00:24:57,897
and I read about
your tip that you...
496
00:24:57,997 --> 00:25:00,667
that you made
to the Modesto Police.
497
00:25:36,236 --> 00:25:38,705
[phone ringing]
498
00:25:40,073 --> 00:25:42,876
- Tom Harshman calls twice
on the 28th.
499
00:25:42,976 --> 00:25:46,713
Then he's so upset
by what he saw,
500
00:25:46,813 --> 00:25:48,114
he actually goes to the police
501
00:25:48,214 --> 00:25:51,618
so that everyone knows
he saw a pregnant woman
502
00:25:51,718 --> 00:25:53,720
being shoved into a van.
503
00:25:59,025 --> 00:26:01,194
- I mean, there were
a lot of phantom sightings
504
00:26:01,294 --> 00:26:02,696
from people and things.
505
00:26:02,796 --> 00:26:04,964
But as far as that
being a specific one,
506
00:26:05,065 --> 00:26:07,467
I never heard anything
like that.
507
00:26:07,567 --> 00:26:09,035
- No detective was assigned.
508
00:26:09,135 --> 00:26:13,106
In fact, they put more effort
into discrediting
509
00:26:13,206 --> 00:26:16,810
the Laci sightings, rather than
go talk to the people
510
00:26:16,910 --> 00:26:20,580
who actually said
they saw Laci that day.
511
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,717
- This is one thing
that does bother me.
512
00:26:23,817 --> 00:26:27,020
If I'm living in Modesto
and Tom Harshman reports
513
00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:29,889
that a pregnant lady
was physically abused
514
00:26:29,989 --> 00:26:33,193
on the side of a road,
if it wasn't Laci, who was it?
515
00:26:33,293 --> 00:26:36,730
- So any evidence that Laci
is alive after Scott leaves,
516
00:26:36,830 --> 00:26:38,765
whether it's Laci
walking the dog
517
00:26:38,865 --> 00:26:40,700
or Laci
encountering a burglary,
518
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,969
is evidence that
Scott is innocent.
519
00:26:45,138 --> 00:26:47,774
- There are so many
instances where
520
00:26:47,874 --> 00:26:50,877
there was evidence
that didn't fit
521
00:26:50,977 --> 00:26:52,779
the detective's theory
that they ignored.
522
00:26:57,083 --> 00:27:00,954
- Very late in Scott's trial,
a tip came in
523
00:27:01,054 --> 00:27:05,325
talking about Laci
confronting the burglary.
524
00:27:05,425 --> 00:27:06,826
- My name is Xavier Aponte.
525
00:27:06,926 --> 00:27:10,096
I was a correctional officer
526
00:27:10,196 --> 00:27:13,199
at the California
Rehabilitation Center in Norco.
527
00:27:18,204 --> 00:27:21,908
In January 2003, one of
the correctional officers
528
00:27:22,008 --> 00:27:24,711
responsible for monitoring
inmate calls
529
00:27:24,811 --> 00:27:26,813
overheard a conversation.
530
00:27:26,913 --> 00:27:31,518
There were rumors on
the street that Laci Peterson
531
00:27:31,618 --> 00:27:35,321
had walked up and interrupted
a burglary down the street
532
00:27:35,422 --> 00:27:37,323
from her house.
533
00:27:37,424 --> 00:27:39,993
[phone dialing]
534
00:27:40,093 --> 00:27:44,030
I contacted the Modesto PD's
tip hotline
535
00:27:44,130 --> 00:27:47,233
because somebody might wanna
follow up on it.
536
00:27:48,968 --> 00:27:52,906
I did not receive
any immediate calls back.
537
00:27:53,006 --> 00:27:55,809
And probably about
a week or so later,
538
00:27:55,909 --> 00:27:59,779
I made a second phone call
and reiterated
539
00:27:59,879 --> 00:28:03,149
what I had left the first time.
540
00:28:03,249 --> 00:28:05,785
- Modesto PD
and the prosecution,
541
00:28:05,885 --> 00:28:07,921
they'd been sitting
on that information
542
00:28:08,021 --> 00:28:10,023
and didn't bother
to share it with us.
543
00:28:10,123 --> 00:28:13,660
Later, we asked
for the recording.
544
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:15,962
We never got the recording.
545
00:28:16,062 --> 00:28:20,834
That recording does not exist
right now.
546
00:28:20,934 --> 00:28:24,871
Supposedly, the detectives
looked everywhere.
547
00:28:24,971 --> 00:28:27,040
Was this something
that was deep-sixed?
548
00:28:27,140 --> 00:28:31,011
The bottom line is,
this was material,
549
00:28:31,111 --> 00:28:33,680
exonerating evidence that
should have been turned over
550
00:28:33,780 --> 00:28:35,248
and it wasn't turned over.
551
00:28:37,250 --> 00:28:40,754
- The Lieutenant Aponte tip,
under further scrutiny,
552
00:28:40,854 --> 00:28:43,790
as Detective Grogan
started looking into it,
553
00:28:43,890 --> 00:28:45,792
his story changed slightly.
554
00:28:45,892 --> 00:28:48,161
And then as Grogan
pressed him more,
555
00:28:48,261 --> 00:28:51,131
he ended up recanting
this information
556
00:28:51,231 --> 00:28:53,266
and saying that
it really wasn't true at all.
557
00:28:53,366 --> 00:28:56,202
- Aponte has recanted
everything he said.
558
00:28:56,302 --> 00:28:58,438
Who's the officer that
told you about it first?
559
00:28:58,538 --> 00:28:59,839
He couldn't remember.
560
00:28:59,939 --> 00:29:00,807
Where's your notes
in the log where
561
00:29:00,907 --> 00:29:02,142
you log in all these tapes?
562
00:29:02,242 --> 00:29:04,210
Couldn't find it.
Well, where's the tape?
563
00:29:04,310 --> 00:29:04,844
Don't have it.
564
00:29:04,944 --> 00:29:06,713
And that was the end of that.
565
00:29:06,813 --> 00:29:10,183
It was just a big malarkey.
566
00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:19,192
- At no time have I ever
recanted my statements.
567
00:29:19,292 --> 00:29:23,763
What I did say is that
his conversation
568
00:29:23,863 --> 00:29:29,069
seemed to be hearsay
from the talk on the street.
569
00:29:29,169 --> 00:29:34,240
The statements that I made
were true and factual.
570
00:29:34,341 --> 00:29:37,744
- Lieutenant Aponte
has called in a tip
571
00:29:37,844 --> 00:29:41,481
connecting the burglars
to Laci.
572
00:29:41,581 --> 00:29:42,982
You know you've got a duty
573
00:29:43,083 --> 00:29:45,352
to turn over
exonerating evidence
574
00:29:45,452 --> 00:29:49,022
that tend to show
someone's innocence.
575
00:29:53,793 --> 00:29:55,228
- What else do we have?
576
00:29:55,328 --> 00:29:57,230
- Right on the heels
of the Medina burglary,
577
00:29:57,330 --> 00:30:00,033
this reward was offered,
I believe, on December 31st.
578
00:30:00,133 --> 00:30:03,303
Well, on that same day,
a Croton watch was pawned.
579
00:30:03,403 --> 00:30:06,940
And when Laci went missing,
she was wearing a Croton watch
580
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,275
that she had inherited
from her grandmother.
581
00:30:09,376 --> 00:30:11,344
- Tell me about
the Croton watch.
582
00:30:11,444 --> 00:30:14,748
- She inherited it,
you know, before Christmas,
583
00:30:14,848 --> 00:30:16,082
not long before Christmas.
584
00:30:16,182 --> 00:30:19,953
And it was kind of gaudy.
585
00:30:21,154 --> 00:30:25,291
It had a bezel
with diamonds around it.
586
00:30:25,392 --> 00:30:28,294
We joked about it.
We called it her rapper watch.
587
00:30:28,395 --> 00:30:35,268
* *
588
00:30:37,203 --> 00:30:43,777
- On December 31, 2002,
a lady came in and she sold us
589
00:30:43,877 --> 00:30:47,347
a 14-karat-gold Croton Watch.
590
00:30:47,447 --> 00:30:51,418
Everything we loan or buy
goes to a master computer.
591
00:30:51,518 --> 00:30:55,055
I was contacted by
the Modesto Police Department.
592
00:30:55,155 --> 00:30:58,124
They thought maybe it was
Laci Peterson's watch.
593
00:30:58,224 --> 00:30:59,959
They just came in and said
594
00:31:00,060 --> 00:31:00,927
they're here
to pick up the watch,
595
00:31:01,027 --> 00:31:03,363
and they took the watch.
596
00:31:03,463 --> 00:31:04,531
- Where is the watch?
597
00:31:04,631 --> 00:31:07,567
And was that Laci's watch?
598
00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:09,936
They never found it.
599
00:31:10,036 --> 00:31:11,338
- I knew it was missing.
600
00:31:11,438 --> 00:31:13,406
But the first time
I heard that the police
601
00:31:13,506 --> 00:31:18,144
knew about it being pawned
was well after I was arrested.
602
00:31:18,244 --> 00:31:20,246
The police have to
provide the defense
603
00:31:20,347 --> 00:31:22,515
with discovery when
they ask for it,
604
00:31:22,615 --> 00:31:25,318
any exculpatory information.
605
00:31:25,418 --> 00:31:28,321
The police hadn't shared
this with us at all.
606
00:31:28,421 --> 00:31:31,257
And now I know why,
because they covered it up.
607
00:31:33,126 --> 00:31:35,095
- I think it was
a wild goose chase.
608
00:31:35,195 --> 00:31:36,896
If it would have been
something of importance,
609
00:31:36,996 --> 00:31:37,997
if it would have been major,
610
00:31:38,098 --> 00:31:39,132
it would have been
in the trial.
611
00:31:39,232 --> 00:31:41,167
- We can never prove
it was hers.
612
00:31:41,267 --> 00:31:45,972
It never amounted to anything
other than speculation.
613
00:31:46,072 --> 00:31:48,875
- It may have been Laci's
614
00:31:48,975 --> 00:31:51,411
and it may not
have been Laci's.
615
00:31:51,511 --> 00:31:54,214
But the bottom line,
they interviewed
616
00:31:54,314 --> 00:31:56,483
the owner of the pawn shop.
617
00:31:56,583 --> 00:32:00,253
It should have been
turned over to the defense.
618
00:32:00,353 --> 00:32:02,222
Never turned over
to the defense.
619
00:32:02,322 --> 00:32:05,959
- This really highlight
the failings
620
00:32:06,059 --> 00:32:08,128
of the Modesto Police
investigation.
621
00:32:08,228 --> 00:32:11,064
The sightings of Laci
were not followed up on.
622
00:32:11,164 --> 00:32:14,200
The sightings of McKenzie
were not followed up on.
623
00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:17,404
This burnt van certainly
was not followed up on.
624
00:32:17,504 --> 00:32:20,340
This watch was not
followed up on.
625
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,144
- Now, do you think some things
were followed up on
626
00:32:24,244 --> 00:32:27,414
by the Modesto Police,
but documents
627
00:32:27,514 --> 00:32:31,217
or related evidence
628
00:32:31,317 --> 00:32:34,254
wasn't turned over
to the defense?
629
00:32:34,354 --> 00:32:38,358
- I strongly believe, based on
the sum total of the reports
630
00:32:38,458 --> 00:32:40,326
and how things
are cross-referenced,
631
00:32:40,427 --> 00:32:42,529
that there's a strong
possibility that
632
00:32:42,629 --> 00:32:45,131
we're missing reports
on the Croton Watch.
633
00:32:45,231 --> 00:32:47,534
It was confirmed
we were missing reports
634
00:32:47,634 --> 00:32:51,371
on this burned van when Scott's
appellate attorney, in 2006,
635
00:32:51,471 --> 00:32:54,407
requested from
the district attorney, hey,
636
00:32:54,507 --> 00:32:58,211
can you send me
your whole file on this van?
637
00:32:58,311 --> 00:33:00,046
Scott's defense attorney,
Mark Geragos,
638
00:33:00,146 --> 00:33:02,882
initially had
a few files on this van,
639
00:33:02,982 --> 00:33:07,320
but he did not have photos
of that bloodstained mattress.
640
00:33:07,420 --> 00:33:11,057
- People want the answer
they believed in
641
00:33:11,157 --> 00:33:14,461
to continue to be the answer.
642
00:33:14,561 --> 00:33:17,197
You know,
people are who we all are.
643
00:33:17,297 --> 00:33:21,568
We're...we're slow
to admit we're wrong.
644
00:33:26,339 --> 00:33:29,509
[suspenseful music]
645
00:33:29,609 --> 00:33:33,613
* *
646
00:33:33,713 --> 00:33:37,617
- In California, death penalty
cases just take a long time.
647
00:33:37,717 --> 00:33:43,123
You know, we had 12, 15 years
where nothing happened.
648
00:33:43,223 --> 00:33:46,159
The bigger hope that
Scott would be exonerated
649
00:33:46,259 --> 00:33:48,361
really drove what we did,
650
00:33:48,461 --> 00:33:52,032
specifically
his death sentence.
651
00:33:52,132 --> 00:33:53,967
We didn't really know
how long it would take.
652
00:33:54,067 --> 00:33:56,169
We just kept investigating.
653
00:33:56,269 --> 00:33:57,604
His attorneys kept working.
654
00:33:57,704 --> 00:34:01,274
We just hung on
to every shred of hope,
655
00:34:01,374 --> 00:34:03,943
every, what else can we do?
656
00:34:04,044 --> 00:34:05,478
And...and let's do it.
657
00:34:09,616 --> 00:34:12,385
- News today, convicted
killer Scott Peterson
658
00:34:12,485 --> 00:34:15,121
is officially off death row.
659
00:34:15,221 --> 00:34:17,323
He was resentenced
to life in prison
660
00:34:17,424 --> 00:34:19,626
without the possibility
of parole.
661
00:34:22,362 --> 00:34:26,366
- Judge Delucchi made an error
during jury selection.
662
00:34:28,435 --> 00:34:30,136
He said, if you're
against the death penalty,
663
00:34:30,236 --> 00:34:31,438
well, then you're excused.
664
00:34:31,538 --> 00:34:35,141
When law in California says,
if you say,
665
00:34:35,241 --> 00:34:38,378
I am against the death penalty,
the judge is supposed
666
00:34:38,478 --> 00:34:40,113
to ask you questions about it.
667
00:34:40,213 --> 00:34:41,581
Judge Delucchi didn't do that.
668
00:34:41,681 --> 00:34:44,317
And the California Supreme
Court, for that reason,
669
00:34:44,417 --> 00:34:47,320
overturned the sentence
for Scott Peterson.
670
00:34:49,489 --> 00:34:51,825
- I felt a sense
of relief when Scott's
671
00:34:51,925 --> 00:34:52,926
death sentence was overturned.
672
00:34:53,026 --> 00:34:57,063
I know the first time that I
went to go visit him in person
673
00:34:57,163 --> 00:34:58,631
at Mule Creek,
I'm sitting in this big room
674
00:34:58,732 --> 00:35:01,034
with all these people
and waiting for Scott
675
00:35:01,134 --> 00:35:02,068
to come through the door.
676
00:35:02,168 --> 00:35:03,336
And he came through the door,
677
00:35:03,436 --> 00:35:06,206
unescorted and unhandcuffed.
678
00:35:06,306 --> 00:35:10,143
I was just looking at him
and I actually was wondering
679
00:35:10,243 --> 00:35:12,278
what was wrong with his walk.
680
00:35:12,379 --> 00:35:14,114
I was like,
why is he walking funny?
681
00:35:14,214 --> 00:35:17,317
And I realized later that
I had not seen him walk
682
00:35:17,417 --> 00:35:20,987
with his arms swinging
for 20 years.
683
00:35:21,087 --> 00:35:22,489
- All rise.
684
00:35:26,559 --> 00:35:29,662
- Once the death penalty
was off the table,
685
00:35:29,763 --> 00:35:33,433
Scott Peterson, at that point,
lost a lot of resources
686
00:35:33,533 --> 00:35:35,268
that were available to him.
687
00:35:35,368 --> 00:35:38,238
- The problem for
Scott Peterson is that
688
00:35:38,338 --> 00:35:39,673
now that he's off of death row,
689
00:35:39,773 --> 00:35:43,376
he's lost state-sponsored
representation.
690
00:35:43,476 --> 00:35:47,447
- There is a practical reality
for all but the...
691
00:35:47,547 --> 00:35:51,017
the wealthiest people
in America that,
692
00:35:51,117 --> 00:35:52,585
at some point...
693
00:35:52,686 --> 00:35:55,121
and we're certainly there,
20 years post conviction...
694
00:35:55,221 --> 00:35:59,259
families lose their ability
to afford the cost
695
00:35:59,359 --> 00:36:01,361
of high-end attorneys.
696
00:36:01,461 --> 00:36:06,199
- There was clearly a need
for an organization or a team
697
00:36:06,299 --> 00:36:09,336
that was financially secure,
698
00:36:09,436 --> 00:36:12,672
had access
to a lot more resources.
699
00:36:14,407 --> 00:36:16,109
- I wasn't even
remotely qualified
700
00:36:16,209 --> 00:36:18,545
to take over his case.
701
00:36:18,645 --> 00:36:20,714
There's a number of problems
with Scott's conviction,
702
00:36:20,814 --> 00:36:22,716
but one of the things
going on in his case
703
00:36:22,816 --> 00:36:24,751
was that there needed
to be some DNA testing.
704
00:36:24,851 --> 00:36:27,420
And Scott's attorney
had noticed that
705
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:30,156
the newly formed Los Angeles
Innocence Project
706
00:36:30,256 --> 00:36:32,492
had a DNA grant.
707
00:36:32,592 --> 00:36:36,329
- 2023, Scott Peterson's
appellate attorneys
708
00:36:36,429 --> 00:36:38,765
reached out to the Los Angeles
Innocence Project
709
00:36:38,865 --> 00:36:42,369
in the hopes that
they would take on the case.
710
00:36:42,469 --> 00:36:45,805
- When the Innocence Project
takes a case,
711
00:36:45,905 --> 00:36:46,673
it sends a message.
712
00:36:46,773 --> 00:36:49,042
- When the Innocence Project
gets involved,
713
00:36:49,142 --> 00:36:52,479
they only get involved if they
believe they can win a case.
714
00:36:52,579 --> 00:36:54,681
This appears to be
the beginning stages.
715
00:36:54,781 --> 00:36:56,616
- The Los Angeles
Innocence Project
716
00:36:56,716 --> 00:36:59,252
has filed a motion
asking for, I believe,
717
00:36:59,352 --> 00:37:01,388
17 items to be DNA tested.
718
00:37:01,488 --> 00:37:03,223
A couple of those items
are associated
719
00:37:03,323 --> 00:37:05,625
with the Medina burglary,
a burned van that
720
00:37:05,725 --> 00:37:08,194
was found about a mile
from Laci's home
721
00:37:08,294 --> 00:37:09,629
the day after she went missing.
722
00:37:09,729 --> 00:37:12,699
And 11 of those items
were recovered either with
723
00:37:12,799 --> 00:37:14,601
or near
Laci and Conner's bodies.
724
00:37:14,701 --> 00:37:17,303
- We've got this other
narrative going on
725
00:37:17,404 --> 00:37:19,673
that has been going on
since that week,
726
00:37:19,773 --> 00:37:21,675
a burglary across the street
that happened
727
00:37:21,775 --> 00:37:23,243
around the same time
that she was supposed
728
00:37:23,343 --> 00:37:24,611
to go out for that walk.
729
00:37:24,711 --> 00:37:26,513
- They wanna find out
if a van that was found
730
00:37:26,613 --> 00:37:28,314
torched near the
Modesto Airport
731
00:37:28,415 --> 00:37:30,250
is connected to the burglary.
732
00:37:30,350 --> 00:37:32,485
Inside, investigators
discovered a mattress
733
00:37:32,585 --> 00:37:34,554
with stains confirmed
to be blood.
734
00:37:34,654 --> 00:37:36,556
The Innocence Project
wants to conduct
735
00:37:36,656 --> 00:37:38,758
new DNA tests
on those samples.
736
00:37:38,858 --> 00:37:40,493
Could it be
Laci Peterson's blood?
737
00:37:40,593 --> 00:37:43,663
[inquisitive music]
738
00:37:43,763 --> 00:37:46,299
- I think with the filing
of these motions,
739
00:37:46,399 --> 00:37:49,369
the public has a much
better view of what happened
740
00:37:49,469 --> 00:37:50,537
when Laci went missing.
741
00:37:50,637 --> 00:37:52,872
A lot of this information
wasn't public
742
00:37:52,972 --> 00:37:54,641
until these filings.
743
00:37:54,741 --> 00:37:56,976
- I think there's
enough evidence
744
00:37:57,077 --> 00:37:59,245
that it's probable that...
745
00:37:59,346 --> 00:38:01,815
that someone else may have
committed the crime.
746
00:38:01,915 --> 00:38:04,551
- The Peterson family
credits Mike Gudgell,
747
00:38:04,651 --> 00:38:07,354
a journalist who used to work
for ABC News,
748
00:38:07,454 --> 00:38:09,723
with tracking down
new evidence.
749
00:38:09,823 --> 00:38:14,861
- I'd been doubted by my
friends and family for years.
750
00:38:14,961 --> 00:38:17,097
Having it validated
was an important moment
751
00:38:17,197 --> 00:38:20,600
and sort of the arc
of my commitment to this.
752
00:38:20,700 --> 00:38:22,369
Ultimately is about injustice,
753
00:38:22,469 --> 00:38:24,137
and not just for Scott...
for Laci too.
754
00:38:24,237 --> 00:38:27,907
And the Los Angeles Innocence
Project efforts are important.
755
00:38:28,008 --> 00:38:30,810
They have substance and they
need to be taken seriously.
756
00:38:32,746 --> 00:38:34,948
- It is clear
that they believe
757
00:38:35,048 --> 00:38:36,883
that the Medina burglary
758
00:38:36,983 --> 00:38:40,487
had a connection to
Laci Peterson's disappearance.
759
00:38:40,587 --> 00:38:43,390
They're not necessarily
stating that the individuals
760
00:38:43,490 --> 00:38:44,791
who were convicted
of the burglary
761
00:38:44,891 --> 00:38:47,560
are the ones who committed
the crime,
762
00:38:47,660 --> 00:38:50,196
but that there's a larger web
of individuals
763
00:38:50,296 --> 00:38:55,602
who may have been the ones
involved in her disappearance.
764
00:38:55,702 --> 00:38:58,805
- It's a little overwhelming
to look at the evidence
765
00:38:58,905 --> 00:39:02,542
in this case and realize
how solvable this crime is.
766
00:39:02,642 --> 00:39:06,212
- To have an innocence
organization take his case,
767
00:39:06,312 --> 00:39:10,850
I think, really speaks to the
fact that Scott is innocent.
768
00:39:17,490 --> 00:39:20,760
- It would be impossible
for me to acknowledge
769
00:39:20,860 --> 00:39:23,797
and thank everyone that is
responsible for bringing
770
00:39:23,897 --> 00:39:27,500
this case to the successful
conclusion that it did.
771
00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:28,868
But there are...
772
00:39:37,677 --> 00:39:40,513
- Well, if there was any doubt,
I would be shouting it.
773
00:39:40,613 --> 00:39:41,648
I would be making noise
about it.
774
00:39:41,748 --> 00:39:44,751
But nothing has changed
in these 20 years since
775
00:39:44,851 --> 00:39:47,954
that makes me have any doubt
that we got the right guy.
776
00:39:48,054 --> 00:39:50,623
If you can imagine a family
that's pretty tore up
777
00:39:50,724 --> 00:39:52,792
and they probably have
this nagging belief
778
00:39:52,892 --> 00:39:55,362
that their daughter,
stepdaughter or what have you,
779
00:39:55,462 --> 00:39:57,030
is dead...
780
00:39:57,130 --> 00:40:00,700
Anybody that has a thought that
there's a claim of innocence
781
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,936
on Scott's part doesn't know
the case as well
782
00:40:03,036 --> 00:40:04,971
as those of us
that worked it did.
783
00:40:07,907 --> 00:40:11,411
- Peterson's new legal team
believes he may be innocent.
784
00:40:11,511 --> 00:40:14,447
- This is how our
criminal justice system works,
785
00:40:14,547 --> 00:40:18,785
to be sure that we have
the right person in custody.
786
00:40:18,885 --> 00:40:20,854
- The LA Innocence Project
taking up this fight
787
00:40:20,954 --> 00:40:22,989
at this time,
not totally unexpected.
788
00:40:24,791 --> 00:40:26,860
- This isn't nothing new.
789
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:28,695
I mean, this has
been talked about.
790
00:40:28,795 --> 00:40:31,398
This is...I don't
have a reaction.
791
00:40:31,498 --> 00:40:32,832
I believe this is bullshit.
792
00:40:32,932 --> 00:40:35,769
There is absolutely
no reasonable doubt.
793
00:40:35,869 --> 00:40:38,905
None. He did it.
Jury got it right.
794
00:40:39,005 --> 00:40:40,940
- If there was any doubt,
I would be shouting it.
795
00:40:41,041 --> 00:40:42,709
I would be
making noise about it.
796
00:40:42,809 --> 00:40:44,577
I have no doubt about
Scott's involvement
797
00:40:44,678 --> 00:40:46,413
and the fact that
he was the killer in it,
798
00:40:46,513 --> 00:40:47,547
because there's just too much
799
00:40:47,647 --> 00:40:49,516
circumstantial evidence
to ignore.
800
00:40:49,616 --> 00:40:51,017
From the beginning
of this investigation,
801
00:40:51,117 --> 00:40:53,920
Scott was the focus
for Al Brocchini and I.
802
00:40:54,020 --> 00:40:56,456
- There was blood
on the duvet.
803
00:40:56,556 --> 00:40:58,124
It turned out to be his blood.
804
00:40:58,224 --> 00:40:59,659
In the end of the bed,
805
00:40:59,759 --> 00:41:01,895
it looked like
something laid there.
806
00:41:01,995 --> 00:41:03,663
- So this could have
been a situation where
807
00:41:03,763 --> 00:41:06,433
maybe he strangled
or smothered Laci
808
00:41:06,533 --> 00:41:07,667
on the end of the bed there.
809
00:41:07,767 --> 00:41:09,703
She scratched him
during the struggle
810
00:41:09,803 --> 00:41:11,404
and then that blood
got on the comforter.
811
00:41:11,504 --> 00:41:13,006
- Scott did run
to the neighbors,
812
00:41:13,106 --> 00:41:16,042
but the first neighbor
he ran to, he told them,
813
00:41:16,142 --> 00:41:18,144
I've been golfing all day.
814
00:41:18,244 --> 00:41:19,446
Have you seen Laci?
815
00:41:19,546 --> 00:41:21,414
Then he changed it to fishing.
816
00:41:21,514 --> 00:41:22,615
- We knew he'd been fishing.
817
00:41:22,716 --> 00:41:24,084
There was saltwater
in the boat.
818
00:41:24,184 --> 00:41:27,487
But his fishing rod was more
of a freshwater fishing rod.
819
00:41:27,587 --> 00:41:30,056
And the lure packages
hadn't even been opened.
820
00:41:30,156 --> 00:41:32,659
- And so that made us
a little bit more suspicious
821
00:41:32,759 --> 00:41:34,494
of what he was up to.
822
00:41:34,594 --> 00:41:36,629
- The timeline suggests
that there were witnesses
823
00:41:36,730 --> 00:41:38,998
that saw Laci on the morning
of the 24th
824
00:41:39,099 --> 00:41:42,836
after Scott left
for his fishing trip.
825
00:41:42,936 --> 00:41:45,505
- Anybody that said
they saw Laci
826
00:41:45,605 --> 00:41:48,608
walking the dog
got interviewed.
827
00:41:48,708 --> 00:41:51,845
- Eyewitness testimony
is very subjective.
828
00:41:51,945 --> 00:41:54,014
It would be very easy
for a witness
829
00:41:54,114 --> 00:41:57,083
to wanna be helpful,
to claim later
830
00:41:57,183 --> 00:41:59,753
that they saw Laci,
when actually they didn't,
831
00:41:59,853 --> 00:42:01,021
it was a mistaken
identity thing.
832
00:42:01,121 --> 00:42:03,089
Or, more sinister,
people who wanted to get
833
00:42:03,189 --> 00:42:05,492
involved in this because
it was high profile,
834
00:42:05,592 --> 00:42:06,993
it was in the news,
and everything like that.
835
00:42:07,093 --> 00:42:09,062
And we had a few things
like that that popped up.
836
00:42:09,162 --> 00:42:11,865
But in addition to that,
as the case unfolded,
837
00:42:11,965 --> 00:42:14,367
there was information
from her doctor
838
00:42:14,467 --> 00:42:18,071
that she wasn't really in
any condition to make a walk.
839
00:42:18,171 --> 00:42:21,041
- One of the working theories
is that Laci Peterson came out
840
00:42:21,141 --> 00:42:24,110
of this house right here,
523 Covina,
841
00:42:24,210 --> 00:42:26,713
and there was
a burglary in progress
842
00:42:26,813 --> 00:42:28,682
right across the street.
843
00:42:28,782 --> 00:42:30,083
- When it comes to the theory
844
00:42:30,183 --> 00:42:32,919
of Laci being abducted
by the burglars,
845
00:42:33,019 --> 00:42:34,988
people saw vans
in the neighborhood.
846
00:42:35,088 --> 00:42:37,057
They saw women walking dogs
in the neighborhood.
847
00:42:37,157 --> 00:42:40,694
But nobody saw Laci being
abducted, making noise,
848
00:42:40,794 --> 00:42:42,829
screaming,
confronting somebody,
849
00:42:42,929 --> 00:42:44,764
having an argument
in the street.
850
00:42:44,864 --> 00:42:47,033
- Todd and Pearce,
they alibied out.
851
00:42:47,133 --> 00:42:49,002
We went to, where were you
on Christmas?
852
00:42:49,102 --> 00:42:50,970
Well, they were eating dinner
with Mom and Grandma.
853
00:42:51,071 --> 00:42:53,106
It was investigated thoroughly.
854
00:42:53,206 --> 00:42:55,642
- It's rare that a guy
who's doing burglaries
855
00:42:55,742 --> 00:42:57,043
to source a narcotics habit
is gonna
856
00:42:57,143 --> 00:42:59,612
turn into a violent offender
and abduct a girl
857
00:42:59,713 --> 00:43:01,114
and keep her hostage.
858
00:43:01,214 --> 00:43:03,016
And you have to remember
that a lot of property
859
00:43:03,116 --> 00:43:04,951
was recovered
from the burglary,
860
00:43:05,051 --> 00:43:07,120
and of all this property that
was inventoried and photoed
861
00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:10,123
and examined, there was not
one piece of property there
862
00:43:10,223 --> 00:43:11,825
that belonged to Laci.
863
00:43:11,925 --> 00:43:14,127
That's why, to me,
the thought of the burglars
864
00:43:14,227 --> 00:43:16,629
being responsible
for her disappearance
865
00:43:16,730 --> 00:43:18,898
is pretty much fantasy.
866
00:43:18,998 --> 00:43:22,569
- We had the...
the Berkeley receipt.
867
00:43:22,669 --> 00:43:24,971
On that day,
we have the timestamp.
868
00:43:25,071 --> 00:43:26,906
We know that
it's from that marina.
869
00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:38,852
They just gave everyone, you
know, a way to implicate you.
870
00:43:38,952 --> 00:43:43,089
- Half of America knew where
this man was on Christmas Eve.
871
00:43:43,189 --> 00:43:45,091
If someone else
committed this crime,
872
00:43:45,191 --> 00:43:47,660
where they would
deposit the bodies
873
00:43:47,761 --> 00:43:50,030
is in the San Francisco Bay.
874
00:43:50,130 --> 00:43:52,665
If you want to assure that
you aren't gonna be convicted
875
00:43:52,766 --> 00:43:54,901
and Scott Peterson will be.
876
00:43:55,001 --> 00:43:57,637
- If the burglars
were gonna frame Scott,
877
00:43:57,737 --> 00:43:59,873
they're not gonna weight
the body down and hide it.
878
00:43:59,973 --> 00:44:01,508
You're gonna want it
to come up.
879
00:44:01,608 --> 00:44:04,944
Wouldn't they just put
her body right on the beach?
880
00:44:05,045 --> 00:44:06,646
- They don't have a boat.
881
00:44:06,746 --> 00:44:08,882
They don't have a truck
that can pull a boat.
882
00:44:08,982 --> 00:44:11,151
They have no way
to get to the bay.
883
00:44:11,251 --> 00:44:13,753
- I guess it's possible,
just like anything else is.
884
00:44:13,853 --> 00:44:16,122
But it's also possible
that Jennifer Lopez
885
00:44:16,222 --> 00:44:18,591
is gonna call me
after she leaves Ben Affleck
886
00:44:18,692 --> 00:44:20,026
and wanna have a date.
887
00:44:20,126 --> 00:44:21,961
- The Modesto Police
Department did
888
00:44:22,062 --> 00:44:24,964
a phenomenal job in this case.
889
00:44:25,065 --> 00:44:26,599
- I feel pretty confident
about the case
890
00:44:26,700 --> 00:44:30,270
that was put together by our
team and especially the way
891
00:44:30,370 --> 00:44:33,173
it was presented to the jury
by the prosecution.
892
00:44:33,273 --> 00:44:36,076
And can they do it again
if they have to?
893
00:44:36,176 --> 00:44:37,677
I believe so.
894
00:44:37,777 --> 00:44:40,080
Now we've got this blood
that needs to be tested,
895
00:44:40,180 --> 00:44:43,216
and my attitude on that is,
test that evidence.
896
00:44:43,316 --> 00:44:45,151
And then you're
gonna be able to show
897
00:44:45,251 --> 00:44:46,753
that it doesn't come back
to anything
898
00:44:46,853 --> 00:44:49,155
to do with Laci or Scott.
899
00:44:49,255 --> 00:44:50,890
If we had
the wrong guy in prison,
900
00:44:50,990 --> 00:44:52,726
we would wanna know about it.
901
00:45:11,745 --> 00:45:17,984
- Even 20 years
after the conviction,
902
00:45:18,084 --> 00:45:22,422
you still have the detectives
trying to justify
903
00:45:22,522 --> 00:45:24,858
or prove their case.
904
00:45:24,958 --> 00:45:26,760
The Los Angeles
Innocence Project
905
00:45:26,860 --> 00:45:29,963
only takes cases for defendants
906
00:45:30,063 --> 00:45:33,767
who have a credible claim
of innocence.
907
00:45:33,867 --> 00:45:36,636
The orange van may
be the smoking gun,
908
00:45:36,736 --> 00:45:38,071
but no one can tell.
909
00:45:38,171 --> 00:45:40,040
We all have to wait
for the DNA testing.
910
00:45:42,075 --> 00:45:44,044
- Convicted murderer
Scott Peterson
911
00:45:44,144 --> 00:45:46,146
is in front of a judge today.
912
00:45:46,246 --> 00:45:50,250
- The next big hearing
is on May 29th.
913
00:45:50,350 --> 00:45:54,554
And this is a crucial hearing
because the court's
914
00:45:54,654 --> 00:45:59,025
gonna be deciding on
a number of DNA testings.
915
00:45:59,125 --> 00:46:02,696
And we're hoping that the
court approves, if not all,
916
00:46:02,796 --> 00:46:04,264
at least most of them.
917
00:46:04,364 --> 00:46:06,032
- Today's hearing could
be the most crucial
918
00:46:06,132 --> 00:46:09,069
in the attempt to try
and earn a new trial.
919
00:46:09,169 --> 00:46:13,840
- If Laci Peterson's DNA
is on that mattress,
920
00:46:13,940 --> 00:46:17,010
that's gonna exonerate
Scott Peterson.
921
00:46:22,048 --> 00:46:25,118
[suspenseful music]
922
00:46:25,218 --> 00:46:26,252
* *
923
00:46:26,353 --> 00:46:28,355
- A judge ruling
is expected today.
924
00:46:28,455 --> 00:46:31,124
- A huge decision
here for this judge
925
00:46:31,224 --> 00:46:33,326
to try to determine
whether there can be
926
00:46:33,426 --> 00:46:36,196
new DNA testing done
on these pieces of evidence.
927
00:46:36,296 --> 00:46:39,065
- A no to DNA testing
could be a dagger
928
00:46:39,165 --> 00:46:40,834
to the LAIP's argument,
929
00:46:40,934 --> 00:46:44,137
but a yes to the testing
could be a huge step forward
930
00:46:44,237 --> 00:46:46,306
in asking for a new trial.
931
00:47:19,005 --> 00:47:21,107
- Convicted murderer
Scott Peterson
932
00:47:21,207 --> 00:47:23,443
appeared virtually in a
Northern California courtroom
933
00:47:23,543 --> 00:47:27,013
as a judge denied nearly
all DNA testing requests.
934
00:47:27,113 --> 00:47:30,016
- The judge mostly rejected
Scott Peterson's request
935
00:47:30,116 --> 00:47:33,386
to test about 15 pieces
of evidence, except for one.
936
00:47:33,486 --> 00:47:36,389
Peterson will be allowed
to test a piece of duct tape
937
00:47:36,489 --> 00:47:39,059
that was found on his wife's
body after it washed ashore.
938
00:47:39,159 --> 00:47:42,195
- Most people, including me,
939
00:47:42,295 --> 00:47:48,702
expected that the DNA testing
requests would be granted.
940
00:47:48,802 --> 00:47:52,072
- Paula Mitchell, in her
argument before the court,
941
00:47:52,172 --> 00:47:54,874
said, in all the years
942
00:47:54,974 --> 00:47:57,844
that I've been asking
for DNA testing,
943
00:47:57,944 --> 00:48:00,380
I've never had this kind
of resistance.
944
00:48:00,613 --> 00:48:03,450
- That, in itself,
speaks volumes, if you ask me.
945
00:48:14,361 --> 00:48:18,098
- The DNA on the duct tape on
the pants are gonna be tested.
946
00:48:18,198 --> 00:48:21,901
- If someone else's DNA
is on duct tape
947
00:48:22,002 --> 00:48:23,503
that's adhered to Laci's body,
948
00:48:23,603 --> 00:48:26,239
that indicates someone else
is culpable.
949
00:48:26,339 --> 00:48:28,408
That doesn't get
Scott a new trial.
950
00:48:28,508 --> 00:48:29,943
That releases Scott.
951
00:48:32,679 --> 00:48:34,347
- It's the initial stages.
952
00:48:34,447 --> 00:48:36,316
This is not the end of it.
It's just the beginning.
953
00:48:36,416 --> 00:48:38,985
And at least we've got
one win.
954
00:48:39,085 --> 00:48:40,854
They still have
their discovery motion
955
00:48:40,954 --> 00:48:42,856
that they can argue
that can bring
956
00:48:42,956 --> 00:48:45,058
additional information
to light.
957
00:48:45,158 --> 00:48:47,427
Even if you think
the person is a monster,
958
00:48:47,527 --> 00:48:49,396
under our constitution,
959
00:48:49,496 --> 00:48:52,032
he or she is entitled
to a fair trial,
960
00:48:52,132 --> 00:48:54,968
something Scott Peterson
never got.
961
00:48:56,236 --> 00:49:00,473
- Criminal defense
is inherently unfair,
962
00:49:00,573 --> 00:49:04,010
simply because the state
has all the resources.
963
00:49:04,110 --> 00:49:06,613
- I think most people
think that the courts
964
00:49:06,713 --> 00:49:08,248
will get it right.
965
00:49:08,348 --> 00:49:11,151
But the problem is, when the
courts don't get it right,
966
00:49:11,251 --> 00:49:13,887
it is incredibly hard to fix.
967
00:49:13,987 --> 00:49:16,556
- I don't think
you can honestly say,
968
00:49:16,656 --> 00:49:18,992
in looking at this case, even
if you have questions about it,
969
00:49:19,092 --> 00:49:21,094
that this jury got it wrong.
970
00:49:21,194 --> 00:49:23,229
The jury basically mirrors
971
00:49:23,329 --> 00:49:26,332
what most people
in this country believe
972
00:49:26,433 --> 00:49:27,500
who have
looked into this case,
973
00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:30,070
and that is that
Scott Peterson did it.
974
00:49:30,170 --> 00:49:32,305
- There is no evidence
of manner of death.
975
00:49:32,405 --> 00:49:34,074
There is no evidence
of cause of death.
976
00:49:34,174 --> 00:49:37,410
There is no evidence
of a crime scene anywhere.
977
00:49:37,510 --> 00:49:40,580
There isn't any evidence
that Scott Peterson
978
00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:44,351
engaged in any violence
involving his wife.
979
00:49:44,451 --> 00:49:47,821
When you know that the jury
ultimately learned all of that
980
00:49:47,921 --> 00:49:51,024
and still convicted him,
you have to ask yourself,
981
00:49:51,124 --> 00:49:52,225
what's going on here?
982
00:49:52,325 --> 00:49:54,227
And that's where, I believe,
983
00:49:54,327 --> 00:49:56,996
the media plays
a significant role.
984
00:49:57,097 --> 00:49:58,565
- We've been following
what appears to be movement
985
00:49:58,665 --> 00:50:00,233
in the Laci Peterson case.
986
00:50:00,333 --> 00:50:03,536
- All of us were so saturated
with media attention
987
00:50:03,636 --> 00:50:08,308
surrounding this case,
all virtually one-sided,
988
00:50:08,408 --> 00:50:10,543
all against Scott Peterson,
989
00:50:10,643 --> 00:50:13,013
that I believe it became
almost impossible
990
00:50:13,113 --> 00:50:15,215
to make a rational decision.
991
00:50:15,315 --> 00:50:18,251
- When ratings speak,
992
00:50:18,351 --> 00:50:21,021
when people realize that
993
00:50:21,121 --> 00:50:24,357
there's a voracious appetite
for a story,
994
00:50:24,457 --> 00:50:27,994
they're going to just
rev it up.
995
00:50:28,094 --> 00:50:30,063
And the more
the media revved it up,
996
00:50:30,163 --> 00:50:31,698
the more obsession there was.
997
00:50:31,798 --> 00:50:32,732
- A Fox News alert.
998
00:50:32,832 --> 00:50:34,601
A major development
in the case of Scott Peterson.
999
00:50:34,701 --> 00:50:36,603
- He was dubbed the Most
Hated Man in America,
1000
00:50:36,703 --> 00:50:38,304
convicted of murdering
his wife, Laci.
1001
00:50:38,405 --> 00:50:40,006
- For the first time
in many years,
1002
00:50:40,106 --> 00:50:44,044
we're hearing from
the family of Laci Peterson.
1003
00:50:44,144 --> 00:50:47,147
- This story was
a huge cottage industry.
1004
00:50:47,247 --> 00:50:49,416
"The National Enquirer"
never had it so good.
1005
00:50:49,516 --> 00:50:51,685
- The families of both
Laci and Scott Peterson
1006
00:50:51,785 --> 00:50:53,486
watching in court this week.
1007
00:50:53,586 --> 00:50:58,024
- People think that there's
some conspiracy as to
1008
00:50:58,124 --> 00:51:01,194
what we see
in the mainstream media.
1009
00:51:01,294 --> 00:51:02,228
Well, here's what we see.
1010
00:51:02,328 --> 00:51:04,431
We see what people want to see
1011
00:51:04,531 --> 00:51:06,566
because that's how
they make money.
1012
00:51:06,666 --> 00:51:09,269
- Friends and family of this
young woman, Laci Peterson.
1013
00:51:09,369 --> 00:51:11,237
- Careers were made on it.
1014
00:51:11,338 --> 00:51:13,573
Within months,
I was working at CNN
1015
00:51:13,673 --> 00:51:15,575
and had been
a national reporter since.
1016
00:51:15,675 --> 00:51:18,545
In Modesto, Ted Rowlands,
KTVU Channel 2 News.
1017
00:51:18,645 --> 00:51:21,348
- Nancy Grace
was a reoccurring guest.
1018
00:51:21,448 --> 00:51:24,050
Her career absolutely exploded.
1019
00:51:24,150 --> 00:51:26,553
A lot of lives were changed
1020
00:51:26,653 --> 00:51:31,191
because of the death
of Laci and Conner Peterson.
1021
00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:36,496
- A baby boy, umbilical cord
still attached.
1022
00:51:36,596 --> 00:51:38,264
- There was a lot of hatred.
1023
00:51:38,365 --> 00:51:42,102
There was a lot
of pretrial coverage
1024
00:51:42,202 --> 00:51:44,604
and a conviction in the media.
1025
00:51:44,704 --> 00:51:47,574
But otherwise,
as far as evidence,
1026
00:51:47,674 --> 00:51:49,676
at least I didn't see
any evidence.
1027
00:51:49,776 --> 00:51:55,248
- Twenty years later, you have
two very compelling stories,
1028
00:51:55,348 --> 00:51:56,616
circumstantial as they may be.
1029
00:51:56,716 --> 00:51:59,419
If you think
Scott Peterson is guilty,
1030
00:51:59,519 --> 00:52:04,491
yeah, there's a ton
of evidence on your side.
1031
00:52:04,591 --> 00:52:07,527
If you think Scott Peterson
is not guilty,
1032
00:52:07,627 --> 00:52:10,130
there's some compelling
evidence on your side.
1033
00:52:10,230 --> 00:52:12,632
The problem is,
there's no black and white,
1034
00:52:12,732 --> 00:52:15,835
here's why we think
he did it or didn't do it.
1035
00:52:15,935 --> 00:52:17,404
There's nothing concrete.
1036
00:52:17,504 --> 00:52:20,106
And that's what
the LA Innocence Project,
1037
00:52:20,206 --> 00:52:21,541
I guess, is after.
1038
00:52:21,641 --> 00:52:23,677
- Journalism is all about
finding the truth
1039
00:52:23,777 --> 00:52:28,348
and holding our public
servants accountable.
1040
00:52:28,448 --> 00:52:31,418
At some point, law enforcement
has to engage in this.
1041
00:52:31,518 --> 00:52:33,319
It has to open their minds
a little further.
1042
00:52:33,420 --> 00:52:35,288
- If they go to another trial,
I'm not gonna like it
1043
00:52:35,388 --> 00:52:37,657
because it's gonna disrupt
a lot of people's lives.
1044
00:52:37,757 --> 00:52:40,093
And the big thing
for me is what it does
1045
00:52:40,193 --> 00:52:42,295
to Sharon, Amy, Brent.
1046
00:52:42,395 --> 00:52:44,164
When they got the verdict,
they were probably
1047
00:52:44,264 --> 00:52:45,398
on the attitude that,
oh, this is all done
1048
00:52:45,498 --> 00:52:46,566
and we can resume our lives.
1049
00:52:46,666 --> 00:52:48,668
But no, it doesn't
work that way.
1050
00:52:48,768 --> 00:52:51,805
- People never come to terms
with something
1051
00:52:51,905 --> 00:52:53,573
like a murder in their family.
1052
00:52:55,608 --> 00:52:58,712
There's no such thing
as closure.
1053
00:52:58,812 --> 00:53:01,514
It's something that haunts you
and you live with
1054
00:53:01,614 --> 00:53:03,616
for the rest of your life.
1055
00:53:05,685 --> 00:53:09,389
- It's been 22 years
since Laci went missing.
1056
00:53:09,489 --> 00:53:15,362
So really, this tragedy is...
1057
00:53:15,462 --> 00:53:18,832
it's been part of our lives
for a very long time.
1058
00:53:18,932 --> 00:53:21,167
My kids grew up with it.
1059
00:53:21,267 --> 00:53:24,204
My nieces and nephews
grew up with it.
1060
00:53:24,304 --> 00:53:28,441
We've lived
with this injustice droning
1061
00:53:28,541 --> 00:53:30,543
in the background of life.
1062
00:53:30,643 --> 00:53:34,647
Our biggest hope
is that we not only
1063
00:53:34,748 --> 00:53:39,486
are able to free Scott,
but ultimately find out
1064
00:53:39,586 --> 00:53:43,356
what did happen
to Laci and Conner.
1065
00:53:43,456 --> 00:53:45,125
We need both.
1066
00:53:45,225 --> 00:53:48,261
And Laci deserves both.
1067
00:53:50,363 --> 00:53:52,532
- Her name is Laci Peterson,
1068
00:53:52,632 --> 00:53:55,835
and she has disappeared
without a trace.
1069
00:53:55,935 --> 00:53:58,304
- Are you in any way connected
to Laci's disappearance?
1070
00:53:58,405 --> 00:54:01,274
- I had nothing to do
with Laci's disappearance.
1071
00:54:01,374 --> 00:54:03,343
- Somebody has Laci.
- Authorities are baffled.
1072
00:54:03,443 --> 00:54:05,445
- A brown van could back up
1073
00:54:05,545 --> 00:54:07,347
a defense theory
Laci was abducted.
1074
00:54:07,447 --> 00:54:10,550
- $1,000 for someone that
leads us to the persons
1075
00:54:10,650 --> 00:54:12,285
responsible for the burglary.
1076
00:54:17,857 --> 00:54:19,225
- We were shocked to
find out that
1077
00:54:19,325 --> 00:54:20,527
he'd been having an affair.
1078
00:54:20,627 --> 00:54:22,562
- I'm only left to question
what else he may be hiding.
1079
00:54:22,662 --> 00:54:25,598
- A female adult body was
discovered late this morning
1080
00:54:25,699 --> 00:54:27,634
by a woman
walking the shoreline.
1081
00:54:27,734 --> 00:54:29,269
- Murder suspect
Scott Peterson
1082
00:54:29,369 --> 00:54:32,205
had $10,000 in cash
when he was arrested
1083
00:54:32,305 --> 00:54:33,473
near the Mexican border.
1084
00:54:33,573 --> 00:54:36,543
- A crowd of 250
taunted and heckled him,
1085
00:54:36,643 --> 00:54:38,311
calling him a murderer.
1086
00:54:38,411 --> 00:54:40,347
- Peterson has been
found guilty of first-
1087
00:54:40,447 --> 00:54:41,648
and second-degree murder.
1088
00:54:41,748 --> 00:54:42,682
[cheering]
1089
00:54:42,782 --> 00:54:44,617
- Whoo-hoo!
That's it! I'm happy!
1090
00:54:44,718 --> 00:54:46,319
- The judge in Scott
Peterson's murder trial
1091
00:54:46,419 --> 00:54:48,221
sentenced him,
calling him cruel,
1092
00:54:48,321 --> 00:54:49,522
uncaring, and heartless.
1093
00:54:49,622 --> 00:54:50,824
- Scott got what he deserved.
1094
00:54:50,924 --> 00:54:52,926
- Key questions
remain unanswered
1095
00:54:53,026 --> 00:54:57,697
and have left some wondering,
will we ever get to the truth?
1096
00:55:00,467 --> 00:55:03,336
[somber music]
1097
00:55:03,436 --> 00:55:04,704
* *
1098
00:55:10,977 --> 00:55:16,316
- Every moment is so real,
is so tactile and still there.
1099
00:55:16,416 --> 00:55:18,651
And the smells and the
lighting and the sound
1100
00:55:18,752 --> 00:55:24,791
of when I say goodbye to Laci,
I mean, my family was gone.
1101
00:55:24,891 --> 00:55:28,862
I drove away, expecting to
come back that afternoon
1102
00:55:28,962 --> 00:55:30,730
and have our wonderful
Christmas together
1103
00:55:30,830 --> 00:55:32,632
after we both had,
you know, fun mornings.
1104
00:55:32,732 --> 00:55:35,602
And no, they were gone.
1105
00:55:35,702 --> 00:55:40,507
And it's still
very, very present.
1106
00:55:40,607 --> 00:55:42,776
But there are certainly times
that I become a wreck.
1107
00:55:46,413 --> 00:55:48,415
Excuse me.
1108
00:55:48,515 --> 00:55:52,552
You know, I try not to be
too emotional
1109
00:55:52,652 --> 00:55:55,221
when I'm out here in
the day room of the prison.
1110
00:55:55,321 --> 00:56:02,395
* *
87005
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