| GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: Laci Peterson's family is speaking after the missing woman's husband went on a media blitz revealing the details of his affair. Tonight, they join us from the site of the old volunteer center at the Red Lion Inn in Modesto. Her sister Amy Rocha, her stepfather Ron Grantski, mom Sharon Rocha, and brother Brent Rocha. Thank you all for joining me very much. Sharon, I guess first you. And I should ask how are you doing under the circumstances? These are tough days. SHARON ROCHA, LACI PETERSON'S MOTHER: Very tough. We take it just moment by moment. VAN SUSTEREN: How -- how do you get -- I mean, like... SHARON: It gets harder every day. VAN SUSTEREN: I mean, like especially yesterday. Yesterday was the due day. Was that particularly hard, or are they all just so lousy? SHARON: Every day is hard. Every single day is hard. But, yes, yesterday was particularly difficult. RON GRANTSKI, LACI PETERSON'S STEPFATHER: We needed time to ourselves, and we took it yesterday. That was what we needed. VAN SUSTEREN: Ron, you know, a lot of focus is on Scott Peterson. What in your mind points in the direction away from Scott knowing anything about the disappearance? GRANTSKI: At this time, there -- there are so many things that could have gone -- could have happened. We're looking at everything, not just Scott, but everything. I guess that -- I'm sure you've heard of the robbery that was proved not true, the dog with the mud on the leash. We just keep hoping. We keep hoping that somebody took her and that they're waiting for the baby to be born, and the time is drawing close. VAN SUSTEREN: Ron, what points in the direction that Scott does know something about her disappearance? GRANTSKI: Well, we know that he's not talking to the police like he should, and that's one of our main concerns. I -- I talked to Scott two days after Laci was missing, and I -- I asked him then. I said, you know, if you -- if you had an affair, was seeing somebody, I think this is time to say something because I know the police are going to bug you about your fishing story, and he said, no, no problem. And so I let it drop. And I -- we all know what happened after that. So I just feel if he's -- if you can't talk about that, what else can he not talk about? VAN SUSTEREN: Brent, you spoke to your brother-in-law on, I think, the 16th of January and confronted him. Up until the 16th of January, did you have any reason to be suspicious about him or think he had a bad marriage with your sister? BRENT ROCHA, LACI PETERSON'S BROTHER: No, definitely not a bad marriage with my sister. It was quite the other way around. Everything seemed perfect. And I guess that's what's so disturbing about this case, is that, you know, how can you have no signs that something's going to be wrong or, you know, no drug problems, no alcohol problems, or previous spousal abuse? There were no signs whatsoever. VAN SUSTEREN: In your mind, Brent, what points, you know, in the direction that he does know something about her disappearance and what points away from it? BRENT: Well, in the direction that he may be responsible would be his actions. He's not acting like a husband who is missing his wife. He's been partaking in activities that just don't seem to make sense, as you're aware of, the sale of the vehicle, inquiring about selling the house, just odd behaviors like that make you question what's going on. Also, his truthfulness is another serious concern that we have. As far as direction, where he may not be responsible, I mean, Scott says he's not, and you want to believe him. But, you know, with the way our relationship is, it's very difficult to do so. VAN SUSTEREN: Amy, what do you think about Scott tonight? AMY ROCHA, LACI PETERSON'S SISTER: Well, I feel that he needs to be more forthcoming, and he just needs to do everything he can. If he has nothing to do with Laci's disappearance, then he needs to prove it to us. VAN SUSTEREN: Have you asked him, Amy? AMY: I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. VAN SUSTEREN: Have you asked Scott, Amy, if he has anything to do with the disappearance? AMY: No, I haven't talked to Scott. VAN SUSTEREN: Do you want to? AMY: Well, what I would say to him is that, if he has any -- if he knows everything, he should just come forward and tell us. VAN SUSTEREN: Brent, what do you want to ask your brother-in-law? BRENT: I've already asked him. I've already asked him what I wanted to know, and he denies any responsibility and continues to say he has nothing to do with Laci's disappearance. VAN SUSTEREN: Sharon, as you sort of look back -- I imagine you've picked your brain ever since Christmas Eve -- anything unusual in Laci's life or anything about her relationship with Scott that now stands out? SHARON: No, nothing unusual at all. As far as their life prior to her missing, everything seemed to be perfectly fine. There was no indication there was any problem whatsoever. If -- if Scott had actually told Laci he'd had an affair, as he had indicated earlier, she would have let somebody know. Either she would have said something, her attitude, she would have told a friend, she would have said something to me. Somebody would have known it, and there was nothing at all that was different about Laci. VAN SUSTEREN: Are you able at all to talk to Scott, or does he avoid you? SHARON: He hasn't called any of us that I'm aware of lately. VAN SUSTEREN: Any reason why... I mean, aren't you curious what's going on with him and whether, you know, there is involvement? SHARON: Well, of course, we're all curious, but he doesn't seem to be around Modesto much. We would expect that he would stay here more to look for Laci, but he does say that he is looking for Laci. But we don't see or talk to him much at all. GRANTSKI: He has questions he has to answer. VAN SUSTEREN: Like? Ron, you said he had questions to answer? GRANTSKI: Well, he has questions he has to answer to -- for us and the police, and our feeling -- or my feeling is that he needs to do that. The focus is supposed to be on finding Laci, and constantly the focus is on him, and the only way to change this -- and he knows what it is -- answer the questions. VAN SUSTEREN: Ron, if you're going to sit him down and talk to him... GRANTSKI: Put the focus back on Laci. VAN SUSTEREN: If you were going to sit him down and talk to him, Ron, what are the questions you want to ask him? GRANTSKI: Well, I'd like to ask Scott those questions. I wouldn't want to do it for the press. VAN SUSTEREN: And ask him what questions, though? GRANTSKI: Well, like I said before, I'd like to ask Scott personally and not for the press. I'd like to see his reaction. VAN SUSTEREN: Do you have a sense that the police are still enthusiastic about this investigation? GRANTSKI: I've -- they've -- the police have been doing great job for us, and I know they're working their rears off. They work day and night. Some guys--it's become personal. So, yes, they're working hard on this case still. VAN SUSTEREN: Brent, as you look back in the days and week before your sister disappeared, anything unusual stand out in your mind? BRENT: No, nothing unusual. Everything seemed fine. I spoke to her a few days before Christmas, and she was her happy, joyful self. VAN SUSTEREN: Is the fishing -- is Scott going fishing -- does that sort of ring true, or is that unusual, in your mind? BRENT: Somewhat unusual for a variety of reasons, but, you know, his story doesn't match up, in my opinion. SHARON: I talked to her the night before about 8:30, and she said that they would be over the next evening at 6:00 for dinner, and she hadn't mentioned anything about him going fishing at that time. VAN SUSTEREN: Would you have expected that, Sharon? I mean, would that sort of have just been part of the normal conversation, she would have said I have to wait until Scott gets home from fishing? Is that how you would expect it? SHARON: If he was going that far away, I would think -- I would have expected that she would have at least mentioned it because of the timeframe. VAN SUSTEREN: You know -- You know, I've heard this thing about the umbrellas, about cement. Any -- do you know anything about -- you know, there's so many rumors flying around. Have you heard anything about either one of those terms in connection with this investigation? BRENT: I've probably heard rumors that you've heard, but I really don't know anything about any of it as far as fact. VAN SUSTEREN: Amy, you were one of the last members, I think, in the family to see your sister. When was that in relationship to her disappearance? AMY: Well, I saw her on Monday, the day before she disappeared, and everything seemed to be fine. We -- she was just happy, and there were no indications that she had any other -- nothing -- no problems were going on. VAN SUSTEREN: You know, Sharon, it -- I can't even imagine, you know, what you do, just -- you just sit and wait, and this is just -- it must be torture. SHARON: It's absolute torture. It's terrible. This is not something I'd wish on my very worst enemy. It's just minute by minute every single day. We're hoping to hear something, hoping to get Laci home. VAN SUSTEREN: Ron, jump for the phone every time the phone rings? GRANTSKI: Pretty much. Always hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. Sharon and our nights are -- they're pretty long. VAN SUSTEREN: Well, I know that every -- a lot of viewers have written to me about this investigation, and I know that everyone is pulling for your family and wishing that somehow you get very good news. Sharon, Amy, Brent, Ron, thank you all for joining me. SHARON ROCHA: Thank you, Greta. GRANTSKI: Thank you. AMY ROCHA: Thank you. HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL NEWS ALIBI-WITNESS LIST EVIDENCE-NEWS AUTOPSY INDEX INTERVIEWS TRANSCRIPTS |
| On the Record with Greta Van Susteren February 11, 2003. |
| LACI & CONNER Never to be Forgotten |
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