| Some of Laci Peterson's belongings go to mom
By GARTH STAPLEY - BEE STAFF WRITER September 17, 2005 Some of Laci Peterson's personal items seized by Modesto police after she disappeared at Christmas 2002 have been returned to her mother, authorities confirmed. Among sentimental items given to Sharon Rocha were her daughter's jewelry and photographs, Stanislaus County Assistant District Attorney Carol Shipley said. "It's a difficult time all over again," Rocha's attorney, Adam Stewart, said Friday. Rocha's son-in-law, Scott Peterson, 32, last year was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and unborn son. Peterson arrived on death row at San Quentin prison in March. The fertilizer salesman initially surmised to police that someone had kidnapped Laci for her jewelry as she walked the family dog in a park near their Covena Avenue home. The 27-year-old substitute teacher had inherited some valuable pieces from her grandmother shortly before she vanished. Armed with search warrants, authorities removed dozens of bags of items from the house and from Scott Peterson's work storage in December 2002 and February 2003. He was arrested in April 2003 soon after the remains of Laci Peterson and their son were recovered from the shore of San Francisco Bay. During last year's blockbuster trial, prosecutors introduced photos taken of the Petersons' wedding that were seized from a trash basket in a storage unit that Peterson had rented. A detective said it didn't appear as if they had been dis-carded. Judge Alfred Delucchi, who presided over the trial, recently granted Rocha's request for some items, Shipley said. Through a court clerk, Delucchi refused to comment Friday. Shipley said evidence used in murder trials usually cannot be released while appeals are pending; death sentences are appealed automatically and usually take several years to resolve. The items returned to Rocha were not among the hundreds of exhibits introduced at the trial, Shipley said. But they were photographed and documented for legal reference in case Peterson requires them in his appeal, she said. HOME INDEX LACI LACI'S FAMILY CONNER HOUSE TRIAL |
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| LACI & CONNER "Life is a beautiful thing and you live on in the hearts of everyone who have heard about you and Conner" AMANDA ~ INDIANA, PA ~ GUESTBOOK |
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| LACI & MOM SHARON |
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