| DETECTIVE JON EVERS TESTIFIES Testimony offers alibi contrasts By JOHN COTÉ and GARTH STAPLEY Wednesday, JUNE 16, 2004 After testifying Tuesday, June 15, that Scott Peterson volunteered to produce a parking receipt for the Berkeley Marina, a Modesto police detective acknowledged he had testified differently at Peterson's preliminary hearing. Detective Jon Evers' admission undercut the suggestion that Peterson was eager to establish an alibi for Dec. 24, 2002, the day his pregnant wife, Laci, was reported missing. Evers also testified that Scott Peterson was cooperative when police asked to search his home, truck and warehouse, and seemed distraught when Evers first encountered him. That account, portions of which were corroborated by two other officers who testified earlier in Peterson's double-murder trial, stands in contrast to testimony by Laci Peterson's family members last week. They described Peterson as evasive and lacking emotion the night his wife disappeared. Evers -- a patrolman at the time Laci Peterson disappeared and the first officer to respond to the missing person's report -- also revealed potentially damaging details from his talks with Peterson that night. Peterson told Evers he had gone fishing in San Francisco Bay for about two hours, until it started to get rainy and cold, the detective testified. Prosecutor Rick Distaso, in his opening statement, said the Berkeley Marina harbor master is prepared to testify that it did not rain that day. Duffle bags 'disturbed' Evers also said he noticed two duffle bags in the spare bedroom that "looked like they had been disturbed." When asked about the bags, Peterson said "something like, he's just a slob, they're just there because he's a slob," Evers testified. But Peterson told Evers he washed the clothes he was wearing that day as soon as he got home because they were wet. "This is a case that's a bunch of little points for each side," said Court TV's Beth Karas, a former New York City prosecutor who was in the courtroom Tuesday. "It's a bunch of little points, and in the end the jury will look and see how it totals up." Prosecutors contend Peterson murdered his pregnant wife and unborn son, Conner, either late Dec. 23 or early Dec. 24, 2002, and dumped her body in the bay from his 14-foot fishing boat. Their remains were found separately in April 2003, less than two miles from where Peterson said he fished that day. Parking receipt produced As a detective searched Peterson's truck Christmas Eve, Evers testified, Peterson offered to produce a parking receipt showing he was at the Berkeley Marina that day. Peterson then pulled the receipt from the truck's ashtray, Evers testified. Prosecutors projected an enlarged picture of the $5 receipt; the picture on the courtroom wall showed that the receipt had been stamped at 12:54 p.m. Dec. 24. Peterson told police he decided that morning to go on a solo fishing trip, left home about 9:30 a.m., picked up his boat at his warehouse and arrived at the marina around noon, Evers testified. But when cross-examined by Peterson's lead attorney, Mark Geragos, Evers acknowledged that he answered differently at Peterson's preliminary hearing in October. At that time, Evers said Scott produced the receipt after the officer asked if Peterson could prove he had been fishing. Evers did not say which account was accurate. Fishing alibi questioned The officer offered other testimony that raised questions about Peterson's fishing alibi. When police searched the Peterson home Christmas Eve, officer Matthew Spurlock asked Peterson what he was fishing for and what he used for bait. Peterson could not answer, Evers testified, turning to almost squarely face the jury. Laci 's stepfather, Ron Grantski, approached Scott that night as he stood in front of his home and asked him whether he had been able to get in a round of golf that day, Evers testified. Scott hesitated and then said he went fishing instead because it was too cold to golf, Evers testified. Grantski responded "something like, 'Wow, 9:30 or 10, that's kind of late to go fishing,'" Evers said. "From what I can remember, Scott didn't say anything to him, he just turned and walked away," Evers testified. But Grantski in earlier testimony acknowledged that he also started fishing that day, alone, between noon and 1 p.m. Geragos peppered Evers on that point, asking the detective when he found out that Grantski had fished the same day. "Prior to this trial you were completely unaware that Ron Grantski was fishing at the exact same time that Scott Peterson went fishing?" Geragos asked in a flurry of questions before Distaso objected. Throw rug testimony Geragos also pursued the issue of a throw rug crumpled against a doorway in the living room of the Peterson home; the door leads to the driveway. When questioned about the rug, Peterson said the dog and cats must have been playing, then straightened it with his foot, Evers said. Geragos questioned Evers about whether Peterson was trying to be surreptitious when he straightened the rug. "He didn't say, 'Hey, look over there,' and then do that with the rug?" Geragos asked, pointing in an exaggerated manner to the back corner of the courtroom and extending his leg as if fixing a rug. "No," Evers replied. Scott's attorney also quizzed the detective about photos taken inside the home Christmas Eve 2002. One shown for the jury depicted what appeared to be a curling iron sitting on a bathroom counter. Laci Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, testified that her son-in-law told her that his wife was styling her hair with the curling iron when he last saw her, Rocha testified earlier. HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL ALIBI-WITNESS LIST JURORS LACI'S FRIENDS MEMORIAL MAGAZINES |
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| LACI & CONNER "A CHILD LOANED" |
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