| CNN CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT January 17, 2003 CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening. Was there a mistress and an insurance policy? Another twist in the disappearance of the missing woman who is pregnant. ANNOUNCER: The husband under suspicion in the disappearance of his pregnant wife: new questions about his allege affair, insurance money, and a lie detector test. Tonight: What happened to Laci Peterson? CHUNG: The focus is back on Modesto, California, and the story of a pregnant woman missing since last Christmas Eve. And the focus is on the husband of Laci Peterson. For the first time, he has spoken to the local media. Rusty Dornin reports, raising more questions than answers. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT : It wasn't long after Laci Peterson disappeared that there were questions about husband Scott. He said he went fishing the day his wife vanished, but police refused to eliminate him as a suspect. Now sources close to the family say Modesto police showed them pictures of Scott Peterson with another woman with whom he was allegedly having an affair. They also told the family he took out a $250,000 life insurance policy on his wife. "The Modesto Bee" reported that police told the family the discovery was why they felt Scott Peterson might be involved in his wife's disappearance. Meantime, Scott Peterson had planned to open another volunteer center for his wife in Los Angeles over the weekend. Those plans have been canceled. And in a phone interview with affiliate KTVU, Peterson said he's angry over the "Bee"'s reporting and plans to take matters into his own hands. SCOTT PETERSON: Well, it's a bunch of lies in the article. So, what are you going to do? QUESTION: So, what is your plan now? PETERSON: I'm going to come back to Modesto and open up my own volunteer center and find my wife and my kid. DORNIN: When the headlines hit, the volunteer center in Modesto shut down. Modesto Police Chaplain Don Crooker was there every day and says many like him felt betrayed. DON CROOKER: Devastated. Unbelievable. And, believe me, chaplains cry. DORNIN: Modesto police have no official comment on the state of the investigation. From the beginning, Laci Peterson's family stood behind her husband, always choosing to talk about the good times. SHARON ROCHA, MOTHER OF LACI PETERSON: They were always happy together. I've never heard either of them say anything against the other. I've never heard them argue or even heard about an argument. They were a happy, happy couple. DORNIN: Trust based on a belief that is now eroding. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Modesto, California. (END VIDEOTAPE) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIM PETERSEN, FAMILY SPOKESPERSON: Approximately two weeks ago, Ron Grantski, Laci's stepfather, asked Scott if he had a girlfriend. Scott told him no and Ron believed him. Now, however, they believe that he has lied to them about this and possibly other things as well. The family is asking Scott to tell everything he knows and to fully cooperate with the Modesto Police Department. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHUNG: Joining me now is reporter Gloria Gomez of KOVR in Sacramento, who broke the new details of this story last night. Gloria, thanks so much for being with us. GLORIA GOMEZ, KOVR REPORTER: Thanks, Connie. Glad to be here. CHUNG: I understand you were able to talk to Scott Peterson yesterday. What did he tell you? GOMEZ: Well, I asked him, first of all, if the reports were true that he had a girlfriend. His reaction right away to that was -- he kind of gave me a smirk about it, almost like he expected to be asked that question. And then he said, all I want to do is find Laci. And I said, well, do you want to confirm that you have a girlfriend? And he said, no. I said, do you want to deny that you have a girlfriend? And he said, no. CHUNG: What was his demeanor? Was he nervous? GOMEZ: No. As a matter of fact, he was very, very calm, almost like it was well rehearsed what he was going to say, very matter of fact with me. He didn't have a problem at all rehearsing the same story over and over, which was: My point is to find Laci. And if people want to turn to this and think this is relevant, that's fine, as long as it keeps her picture out there -- but very calm throughout it all. CHUNG: We were told that he refused to take a lie detector test. Do you know anything about that and were you able to ask him about a lie detector test? GOMEZ: Well, he made his comments very brief with me. In fact, he was telling me he had to go. So, I tried to get the most important information out there as soon as possible. But, as far as the lie detector test is concerned, I know officials have asked him to take one. And I understand,from one point to another, he wavered back and forth on that. CHUNG: Now, I know you have sources who have told you several bits of information. Were you able to talk to any members of the family to get their reaction to all of these developments? GOMEZ: I can tell you that sources of mine have talked to the family. And they were able to confirm the life insurance information. But, as far as getting reaction from them, we have not been able to do that yet. CHUNG: All right, the life insurance information, which is that Scott Peterson reportedly had taken out a life insurance policy on Laci for $250,000. Is that your understanding? GOMEZ: That is correct. And that's what the family confirmed. Absolutely. CHUNG: Were you able to talk to any of Laci's friends or Scott's friends? GOMEZ: I was able to talk to someone who knows Scott pretty well last night. They were shocked when I told them the news that I was reporting. They said they had no idea this was going on. And they refused to comment any further other than saying they were stunned by it all. CHUNG: What can you tell us about this woman who supposedly is a girlfriend, may very well have seen Scott as recently as mid-December? GOMEZ: You know what? We have very limited information on that, other than to say that the family was notified about her yesterday. And they showed pictures of the family -- showing Scott and her together. We know she lives in a surrounding city near Modesto. It's unclear, though, how long the relationship has been ongoing. CHUNG: Is it your belief that the family did not know this woman at all? GOMEZ: That's my understanding, they had no idea about her until police brought her up yesterday. CHUNG: Do you know where Scott is and whether or not he's talking any further? GOMEZ: My understanding is, he remains at home. Every time we seem to go by there, he's there or at the volunteer center. I know he shows up at the volunteer center early in the morning. But since that shut down yesterday, after the news, he's spending a lot of time at home. CHUNG: All right, Gloria Gomez, we thank you so much for being with us. GOMEZ: Thank you, Connie. FULL TRANSCRIPT HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT INCONSISTENT STATEMENTS EVIDENCE & NEWS AUTOPSY INDEX WIRETAP INDEX TRANSCRIPTS MAGAZINES |
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