Peterson Defense Continues to Raise Doubts

Scott Peterson's attorney spent his third day cross-examining Modesto Detective Craig Grogan to continue to show that investigators ignored signs pointing to other possible suspects in the murder of Laci Peterson because they were intent on proving Peterson's guilt.

Under questioning by Mark Geragos, Detective Grogan made the following admissions:

• Police received a tip from a female prosecutor who lived near the Petersons who thought she may have been the intended victim. The woman looked similar to Laci, gave birth a few months before, walked her dog in the neighborhood, and had the same breed of dog with even the same name as the Petersons' dog McKenzie. Investigators did not follow up on the tip thoroughly, Grogan said.

• Police at one time suspected Laci Peterson was poisoned, due to a lack of blood evidence. They examined a mortar and pestle from the Peterson's home, but found no trace of drugs or poison.

• A tarp recovered near where Laci Peterson's remains washed up in the San Francisco Bay had animal hair on it. Police found that the hair did not belong to Laci's dog.

• Grogan admitted that the police did not test fabric, elastic strips, a black tarp, or a pair of panties which were found near Laci's remains.

• Scott Peterson asked to see a security video tape from a store in Washington state where a clerk reported seeing Laci, but they did not let him view the tape.

• A witness confirmed seeing Laci at Scott's warehouse a few days before she disappeared, but police took more than a year to interview the witness.

• Grogan also acknowledged that a medical examiner reported some evidence that Laci and Scott's unborn child was born alive before it died.

Before his cross-examination was interrupted by an earthquake that struck in California yesterday, Geragos asked Grogan if Scott Peterson had expressed his frustration that the police were not following other leads in the case.

"He told you you had been wasting time investigating him rather than following up on leads in the case?" Geragos asked.

"That's correct," Grogan said.

See also:
Laci Peterson's Murder Case Of Mistaken Identity?
Geragos: Police Made Scott Look Guilty
http://www.nbc5.com/news/3767355/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=65192 Earthquake Delays Peterson Double-Murder Trial

Background: The Scott Peterson Trial
See Also: More Headline Cases