| Detective Brocchini: Report excluded pliers Scott Peterson’s attorney this afternoon continued trying to discredit police work done by a detective investigating the Christmas Eve disappearance of Laci Peterson. Modesto police Det. Al Brocchini admitted neglecting to list a pair of yellow-handled pliers among items in Scott Peterson’s boat in the police report he wrote the next day. Authorities are trying to prove that the boat was used to transport the body of Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant when her stepfather reported her missing Dec. 24. An FBI expert on DNA testing has said a hair found in needle-nose pliers in the boat could have come from the woman but not her husband. This morning, Brocchini named several items photographed in the boat after midnight Dec. 25, a few hours after the missing person’s investigation began. The pliers were among them - but didn’t make it into Brocchini’s report, he conceded under questioning by defense attorney Kirk McAllister. Brocchini also admitted having forgotten that he had left investigation notes in Scott Peterson’s warehouse and didn’t remember until he returned after midnight to the police department. Earlier in the afternoon, Brocchini conceded leaving his car keys in the bed of Peterson’s truck while searching it. McAllister noted numerous evidence photographs taken - and apparently botched - by Brocchini Dec. 24 and 25. Brocchini also acknowledged that another officer’s probe revealed that Peterson sealed a deal to buy a small fishing boat in a telephone call Dec. 8. This morning, Brocchini had left the impression that Peterson bought the boat on impulse Dec. 9, McAllister suggested. Alco Dec. 9, Peterson told his lover that he had “lost his wife,” according to Brocchini’s testimony this morning. Peterson faces the death penalty if convicted of killing his wife and their son, Conner. Brocchini said he has worked with concrete and thought that a homemade, concrete anchor in Peterson’s boat appeared to be new. Under questioning by McAllister, the detective acknowledged that the boat had no anchor when Peterson bought it. Brocchini also acknowledged that Peterson used his own name when buying the boat. This morning, Brocchini testified that Peterson used the name of his mother, Jacquelin Peterson, to buy and register the car he was driving when arrested with dyed hair in April. “There wasn’t a boy named Sue on this one?” McAllister said, referring to the boat purchase. “Was he dressed in a trenchcoat with some disguise and dyed hair?” Brocchini acknowledged that Det. Tom Blake noted that Peterson was “nice and polite” to Bruce Peterson, the boat owner; the men are not related. This morning, Brocchini said he was surprised that Scott Peterson had asked if police were using cadaver dogs to search for his wife. Clarifying that exchange this afternoon, Brocchini said: “I said cadaver dogs are used for sniffing out dead people and I didn’t consider her dead yet.” Responding to more questions from McAllister, the detective acknowledged that he didn’t probe Peterson’s knowledge on the difference between cadaver dogs, rescue dogs, patrol K-9s and so forth. As the hearing drew to a close, McAllister said to Judge Al Girolami, “Actually, I’ve got quite a bit” more to ask Brocchini under oath. The hearing is set to resume at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, when Girolami returns from vacation. TESTIMONY OF DETECTIVE BROCCHINI PRELIMINARY HEARING INDEX ALIBI-WITNESS LIST COURT DATES HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT EVIDENCE-NEWS AMBER WIRETAPS |
| LACI & CONNER May their Family find Peace |
| PRELIMINARY HEARING - DAY 6 Thursday - November 6, 2003 |
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