| Defense makes headway on forensics
By Brian Anderson CONTRA COSTA TIMES Sept 15, 2004 Forensic tests on dozens of items police investigators confiscated during searches of Scott Peterson's home and office yielded little, if not zero, evidence showing who killed Laci Peterson. Defense lawyer Mark Geragos went on the attack Tuesday using prosecution witnesses, who repeatedly told jurors that scientific test results did not point to Peterson. While suffering some blows Tuesday, prosecutors blew apart defense hopes for a piece of plastic Geragos proclaimed last month was "potentially exculpatory" evidence. Pin Kyo, a state criminologist, told jurors that the plastic, imprinted with the word "Target," and duct tape found with it near Laci's body along the Richmond shoreline did not contain the same odor as duct tape stuck to Laci's remains. She said her initial examination in 2003 failed to indicate the smell of the plastic, leading to Geragos' request in August to delay the trial in order to have it tested. The different pieces of duct tape contained various thread counts, indicating they did not come from the same roll, she added. Geragos also battled with Kyo about a piece of plastic found wrapped around the neck of the Peterson's unborn son, Conner. She indicated that a knot on the plastic was loose and that the plastic was used in the fishing industry, supporting the prosecution's contention that it became entangled while floating ashore. Kyo acknowledged, however, that a tighter knot was discovered below the looser knot. A defense theory has been that it is possible it was tied around Conner's neck, supporting the theory that the baby was born and killed after Dec. 24, 2002 -- the day the pregnant Laci disappeared from her Modesto home. At times, Tuesday, state Justice Department scientists countered police or the prosecution's theories of how Laci was killed in December 2002 and brought to the San Francisco Bay. Kyo also conducted dozens of tests for blood. Stains on clothing, a knife, boat cover, shoes, boots and all but one mark inside the couple's pickup and SUV were negative for blood, she said. Kyo said a large toolbox and its contents in the back of Peterson's truck also showed no signs of blood, striking at prosecutors' contention that Laci's body could have been transported in the case. "All negative for blood, right?" Geragos asked. "That is correct," Kyo said. The only blood discovered was found in four small stains on Peterson's comforter cover and another inside the door of his pickup, Kyo said. William Hudlow, another state criminalist, testified Tuesday that the blood belonged to Peterson, not his wife. What's more, two partial fingerprints belonging to neither Laci nor Scott Peterson were discovered on a container of wet wipes police confiscated, said Galen Nickey, an expert in latent fingerprints with the state crime laboratory in Ripon. Nickey said he compared the prints to those in a database, but found no match. Geragos has been working to show that someone other than his client killed the pregnant Laci and dumped her body in San Francisco Bay near where Peterson said he fished the day she vanished. Walkers on the Richmond shore discovered the remains of Laci and Conner in April 2003. Scott Peterson was arrested April 18, 2003. He faces two murder counts for which he has been on trial since June 1. Tuesday began with Geragos focusing on cement Kyo had characterized as "chunks" found in a boat cover belonging to Peterson. Her testimony about the cement on Monday had seemed to support the prosecution, which has theorized Peterson used cement anchors to weigh down Laci's body. But Geragos showed jurors the "chunks" more resembled cement dust equal to about a tablespoon of material. "I don't want to sneeze," he said as he sidestepped along the front rail of the jury box with his outstretched hands holding the evidence. Kyo said the debris appeared to be larger chunks while looking through a microscope. HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL ALIBI-WITNESS LIST AUTOPSY WIRETAPS ROCHA FAMILY MAGAZINES CEMENT |
| LACI & CONNER PRAY FOR JUSTICE |
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| PIN KYO |