| LACI & SCOTT "My prayers are with Laci & Conners family. The Lord will reunite you all someday. My sympathies . ." Tasha Reynolds - Nebraska - Guestbook Entry |
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The first day of testimony in the double murder trial of Scott Peterson finished Wednesday afternoon with one witness, housekeeper Margarita Nava, taking the stand. Margarita Nava said she used Clorox and PineSol to clean Scott and Laci Peterson's Covena Avenue home Dec. 23, 2002, which included mopping floors. Authorities believe Scott Peterson murdered his pregnant wife in the home sometime that night or early the next morning. He told police his wife was getting ready to mop when he last saw her the morning of Christmas Eve 2002, officials say. Nava largely repeated testimony she offered through a Spanish interpreter in October, including her observation that Laci Peterson was tired because "she said she was heavy." She also put her feet up while eating and watching television, Nava said, also through an interpreter. "She will always be beautiful," Nava said. Laci Peterson appeared happy to be pregnant, Nava said when questioned by defense attorney Mark Geragos. Judge Alfred Delucchi wouldn't let her answer whether Scott Peterson shared those feelings. Defense attorneys in October zeroed in on Nava's testimony that Laci Peterson wore black pants and a white blouse the last time she saw her. Authorities believe she might have been killed that evening. Nava testified that Laci Peterson was "walking slowly" and felt "heavy" on Dec. 23, 2002, the day before she was reported missing. Under cross examination from Defense Attorney Mark Geragos she admitted that during the trial's preliminary examination held in Modesto in late 2003 that she testified that she almost always saw Laci Peterson wearing black pants and a light colored top. Wednesday she said she did not remember the pant color but said that the top was light colored. Amy Rocha testified in October that her sister wore cream-colored pants and a dark blouse the evening of Dec. 23 -- pants of a similar color were recovered on Laci Peterson's remains in April 2003. But Nava backed off Wednesday, saying she didn't remember what Peterson wore Dec. 23, 2002. And Nava said she didn't remember whether window blinds at the front of the house were open or shut. In October, she said several times that they were shut. Nava also said she filled an animal's water bowl in the house and saw a dog's bed. And she did not put dirty rags in a washing machine, but did see Scott Peterson come home for a minute or two to pick up a Federal Express package, she said. Prosecutor Rick Distaso said Tuesday that Scott Peterson removed dirty rags from the washing machine to wash wet fishing clothes when he returned to an empty house Christmas Eve. But jurors were not provided context for testimony about pets or a package. Near the beginning of Nava's testimony, which lasted less than an hour, Distaso asked her to identify Scott Peterson by describing his shirt. Geragos drew chuckles when he dryly noted that he, Peterson and co-defense counsel Pat Harris -- seated side by side -- all were wearing blue shirts. MARGARITA NAVA INDEX HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL NEWS JURORS ALIBI-WITNESS LIST |
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| DAY 2 - June 2, 2004 TRIAL OF SCOTT PETERSON MARGARITA NAVA TAKES THE STAND |
| Margarita Nava Rick Distaso |