| Prosecution offers explanation for plastic bag By Julia Prodis Sulek - Mercury News Wed. Sept. 15, 2004 A large plastic bag found near Laci Peterson's body likely blew off a barge in the San Francisco Bay that was shuttling construction materials to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, prosecutors in the Scott Peterson murder trial suggested today. Prosecutors called Richard Atkinson in an attempt to cast doubt on defense claims that a large bag found on the bay shore near Laci Peterson's remains is somehow linked to her death. The theory contradicts the defense suggestion that the bag was used to wrap Laci's body. But defense lawyer Mark Geragos also pointed out that similar bags of construction materials were shipped to Tracy, which is closer to Modesto. On the witness stand today, the executive with Target Products Ltd. said the bag with the blue and yellow Target logo is used by his company to cover pallets of bags carrying concrete materials and that more than 4,000 bags were used in shipments to a construction project on a bridge at the bay. A distributor of Target Products frequently transported the bags and covers on a barge to a seismic retrofit project on the bridge, he said. Atkinson said the bags become garbage after the construction materials are used. He agreed with prosecutor Harris that they can blow away from job sites. "Can wind make this bag blow away?'' prosecutor Dave Harris asked. "Yes, definitely,'' said Richard Atkinson The bag had duct tape around part of it -- and the remains of Laci also had a piece of duct tape on it. Atkinson said it was not unusual for his distributors to tie down the pallet covers with duct tape. Peterson, 31, is accused of killing his pregnant wife and throwing her in the bay. Her body, and that of their unborn son, washed up along the Richmond Shoreline in April 2003, more than four months after she disappeared. Peterson said he was fishing in the bay the day she disappeared. HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL ALIBI-WITNESS LIST WIRETAPS AUTOPSY AMBER MAGAZINES PLIERS-DNA |
| LACI & CONNER "Laci and Conner will always be in our hearts and prayers. Rest assured, they are together with our Lord and Savior." CHERYL ~ MA ~ GUESTBOOK |
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| Rick Distaso - Dave Harris |
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