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[somber music]
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- Most murder cases
are circumstantial.
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You don't get a smoking gun.
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- You take one of the things,
it's nothing.
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Two or three, it's nothing.
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But when you add them up,
it's pretty darn strong.
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- I never imagined
that this thing
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would still be percolating
20 years later.
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[invigorating music]
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- I have questions
about the case.
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It's always bugged me.
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- I know people
are really heavily
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invested that Scott's guilty.
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- There is no evidence
of cause of death.
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There is no evidence
of a crime scene.
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- Laci's already set the table
for Christmas brunch.
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You're gonna travel 90 miles
away to test your boat?
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I didn't buy it.
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- There isn't any evidence
that Scott Peterson
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engaged in any violence
involving his wife.
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- If you open your
mind a little bit,
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really consider
the investigation,
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there are a lot of questions.
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There have always been
a lot of questions.
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- When you know that the jury
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ultimately still
convicted him,
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you have to ask yourself,
what's going on here?
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- They gave us, in my opinion,
no realistic alternate theory.
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- The information we were given
in that courtroom
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only leads to the decision
we came up with,
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which is he's guilty.
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- The police can't
get it this wrong.
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The DA can't get it
this wrong.
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A jury can't get it
this wrong.
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The appellate process
can't get it this wrong.
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The media can't get it
this wrong.
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- Is this the way criminal
justice works in America?
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- Here I am two decades later,
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still trying
to solve this crime.
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- I'm still investigating.
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I'm still looking at the
evidence, asking questions.
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- It's gonna be a fight
for them to accept the truth.
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- December 13, 2004.
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People of State of California
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versus Scott Peterson.
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We, the jury,
fix the penalty at death.
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[dramatic music]
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- And in a case
that became something of
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a national TV obsession,
a judge today
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formally sentenced
Scott Peterson.
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- In spite of all
the pain and passion
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expressed in court today,
one person showed no emotion--
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Scott Peterson.
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- During my trial,
I was indignant.
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I was so angry at the media,
because the reports
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just weren't factual.
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I strived not to show
any emotion in the courtroom
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because I didn't wanna,
you know, see them break me.
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* *
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[indistinct chatter]
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- When Scott was moved
to death row,
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we made every effort
to get up there and visit him.
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For the first eight years,
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we had someone there
every week.
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- Our family has really
been the glue for Scott
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and for each other
through these--
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these hard times.
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And just fortunate
that that's the case.
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- He would repeatedly say he--
he was living visit to visit.
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It was his lifeline.
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[cell door clangs]
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[suspenseful music]
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* *
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[birds chirping]
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- Sitting through
Scott's trial
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and then spending years
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combing over police reports,
reading appellate documents,
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talking with lawyers,
our family had
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kind of been tethered
to the legal community
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for 17 years.
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My kids were grown.
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Ultimately, I made the
decision to go to law school.
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I certainly never have
felt like I needed to become
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a lawyer to help Scott.
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But I think now
that I am a lawyer,
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I certainly have
a much better understanding
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of the case and the issues.
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If Scott is granted
a new trial,
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we'll be able to take more
steps in the investigation.
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We'll be able to call people
to court to testify.
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We have an incredible
support system,
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an incredible team of people
who know this case
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and help our family.
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And without them,
we wouldn't be where we're at.
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And without Mike Gudgell,
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I don't know
that our investigation
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would be where it's at.
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[cheering]
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- I thought that
the trial was going to be
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the arbiter of the truth.
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And I don't think
that's accurate.
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Most of the journalists
covered the story
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from beginning to end,
I think expected a hung jury.
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I don't know anyone
who isn't terribly
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conflicted by the verdict.
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It was troubling
for those of us who really
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knew the case intimately.
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Scott was convicted,
but there was no how, where,
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when, even why.
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Everyone involved in the
case contributed in some way
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to a sort of a conspiracy
of circumstances
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that led to the verdict.
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- Anybody who disagrees
with the verdict,
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you have a right to disagree.
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But if you weren't there,
you don't know.
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- A lot of media coverage,
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so I think the jury pool
was partly biased.
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- Why did he leave his wife
alone, eight months pregnant,
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on Christmas Eve
to go fishing by himself?
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- There was a tremendous
pressure on the media
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to report every day.
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And as a consequence,
particularly the tabloid press
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would report rumors.
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- Was Scott Peterson
planning to hire hit men
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to kill his wife, Laci?
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- Every evening, I would sit
and watch one of the shows
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and I'd wanna throw
my shoe at the TV.
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Initially, I spent a year,
year and a half
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covering a case
from beginning to end.
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I went on to do other things,
including covering the wars
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in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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But it always bothered me.
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[unsettling music]
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I don't really even
think the case was solved.
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So when I got back
from covering the two wars,
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I devoted as much time as I
could to digging more into
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what might have happened
to Laci.
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This is 2015.
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The first thing
I had to do was get
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the 50,000 pages of documents
and police reports.
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And then I had to go
through those documents
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and find what questions
or clues
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were buried in those pages.
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There was dozens of
different tips that came in,
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and I spent years
looking into those.
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But it finally came down
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to the burglary
across the street.
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- We have two people
in custody.
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We do not believe that,
at this time,
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that there's any connection
with the missing of Laci.
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[ominous music]
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- The police characterized
the Medina burglary
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as kind of a meth addict, and
it was a crime of opportunity.
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The Airport District
was sort of a high crime area
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not far
from Laci and Scott's house.
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And there was a larger effort
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to burglarize houses
in that neighborhood.
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I would call it
a criminal network.
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I suspect that more
people were involved
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in the burglary than
Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce.
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This is just a working theory.
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I haven't been able
to prove it yet.
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And that comes to the
question of smoking gun.
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But I think it's
much more complicated
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than what the police believe.
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- Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce
admitted their involvement
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with the Medina burglary,
telling the police
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that the burglary happened
on December 27th.
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When the police pointed out
to them that it couldn't have
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happened on the 27th because
the Medinas were already home,
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they changed their story
and said that the burglary
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happened on the 26th.
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It wasn't until much later
that people began to question
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whether this burglary really
occurred on December 26.
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We believe that Laci
encountered the Medina
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burglary on December 24th.
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At 11:40 a.m.,
Diane Jackson saw three men
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that were dark-skinned,
not African American,
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in front of the Medina home.
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- So I think Steven Todd
shared information
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about the Medina home
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with people
in the Airport District.
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It's their practice
to share targets like that.
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It's possible that
three men in the van
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were some of his friends
or accomplices.
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- So what likely happened is,
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other people showed up
to help.
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The police have
never identified that van,
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never identified the men
associated with the van.
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And that van was parked
directly in front of the house
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that was burglarized.
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It's directly across the street
from Scott and Laci's home.
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So this confrontation
with Laci could have involved
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the people in the van,
not necessarily
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Steven Todd and Glenn Pearce.
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- Steven Todd confessed almost
immediately to the burglary.
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And I think
that says something.
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I think he was told, you're
gonna have to take the fall.
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I mean, you know, there's
a confidential informant
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that turned him in, so he was
gonna serve time regardless.
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The burglary could have
occurred about the same time
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Laci went for a walk.
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It's possible that Laci
confronted the burglars
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or saw the burglars,
or the burglars saw her
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and were worried about whether
she would call the police.
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00:10:10,910 --> 00:10:15,980
- So if you didn't kill Laci,
who killed Laci?
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[ominous music]
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- We had a client
who was innocent
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but an entire world
against him.
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He's not capable of doing this.
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And we truly believe that.
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We also believe that--that the
evidence backed us up on it.
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To have a verdict of guilty
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and then the death penalty,
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no words can describe the
disappointment, the sadness.
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It was a huge shock.
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I thought, despite the
hatred towards Scott,
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that they would actually
listen to the evidence
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and they would base their
decision on the evidence
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and only on the evidence.
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Because I thought,
there's no evidence here.
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There's no forensic evidence,
there's nothing
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to tie him to the murder.
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Our client didn't do it.
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Nothing has changed since.
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00:11:40,030 --> 00:11:42,960
In fact, at this point,
years later,
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there's more
exonerating evidence
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that have come to light.
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- In my years
of investigating it,
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I investigated a lot of leads
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and looked
at all possibilities--
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that Scott was involved
in a murder for hire,
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Laci was abducted
for her unborn child.
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00:12:00,020 --> 00:12:01,850
Most of them
have been dead ends,
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00:12:01,950 --> 00:12:03,920
but a process of elimination
at this point.
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00:12:04,020 --> 00:12:06,020
And, you know,
there are a few things
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00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,890
that are left
that are promising.
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And I think the most
important piece of information
239
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is the van.
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[tense music]
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At the very beginning, police
were looking for a brown van.
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And all the media was also
looking for a brown van.
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00:12:28,540 --> 00:12:30,080
- A brown van could back up
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00:12:30,180 --> 00:12:31,980
a defense theory
Laci was abducted.
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00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:33,680
- Numerous witnesses
reported seeing
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00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:37,320
a suspicious brown van in the
neighborhood that morning.
247
00:12:37,420 --> 00:12:41,790
- I noticed three people across
the street on the Medinas' lawn
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and they were right next
to a van.
249
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- I always look around.
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And I have never seen
a van like that before.
251
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- And so you saw the van,
coincidentally,
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at the same time you saw Laci?
Or--
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- Yes. No, no, same time.
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- There's some variation,
but there were three or four
255
00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:57,210
witnesses who saw the same van
across from the Petersons',
256
00:12:57,310 --> 00:13:01,080
next to the Medina home, on
the morning Laci disappeared.
257
00:13:04,250 --> 00:13:07,150
And then I heard
about an orange van
258
00:13:07,250 --> 00:13:10,850
that had burned
in the Airport District
259
00:13:10,950 --> 00:13:12,790
the morning after
Laci disappeared.
260
00:13:12,890 --> 00:13:14,220
Maybe that's our brown van?
261
00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,190
- Police recently took
the van to this crime lab,
262
00:13:17,290 --> 00:13:20,200
examined it, and concluded
that the van was not
263
00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:22,660
in any way involved
in the disappearance
264
00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:24,900
of Laci Peterson.
265
00:13:26,700 --> 00:13:30,010
- I remember sort of, you know,
those internal instinctual
266
00:13:30,110 --> 00:13:33,340
alarm bells going off
that there was something wrong
267
00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:36,680
and that--this sort of feeling
stuck with me.
268
00:13:36,780 --> 00:13:38,210
So that's 2004.
269
00:13:38,310 --> 00:13:40,350
And then fast forward
over ten years.
270
00:13:43,550 --> 00:13:45,990
[suspenseful music]
271
00:13:46,090 --> 00:13:48,290
Not believing
everything I heard
272
00:13:48,390 --> 00:13:50,490
either in the media
or the police,
273
00:13:50,590 --> 00:13:54,300
I started following the leads.
274
00:13:54,400 --> 00:14:00,040
I decided to look through all
the documents, 40,000 pages.
275
00:14:00,140 --> 00:14:04,310
I started, on my own,
interviewing witnesses.
276
00:14:04,410 --> 00:14:06,680
I went to interview
the owner of the van
277
00:14:06,780 --> 00:14:10,210
where it was stolen,
a moving and rigging company.
278
00:14:10,310 --> 00:14:13,150
And he told me that
the employees could take
279
00:14:13,250 --> 00:14:15,150
some of the vehicles home
and he believed
280
00:14:15,250 --> 00:14:17,290
it was kind of an inside job.
281
00:14:17,390 --> 00:14:20,990
If it was an inside job,
and if employees were allowed
282
00:14:21,090 --> 00:14:23,090
to take the van home
for the weekend or whatever,
283
00:14:23,190 --> 00:14:25,230
they could have just
taken the van back
284
00:14:25,330 --> 00:14:27,330
and no one would have
even known.
285
00:14:27,430 --> 00:14:29,360
So I think very logical
that it was burned
286
00:14:29,460 --> 00:14:32,500
to cover up a crime.
287
00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,370
After that, I'm looking into
288
00:14:34,470 --> 00:14:37,070
the criminal community
in Modesto,
289
00:14:37,170 --> 00:14:38,240
and some of the names
I'm seeing
290
00:14:38,340 --> 00:14:40,580
are associated with
that burnt van.
291
00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:42,310
The last person to drive it
292
00:14:42,410 --> 00:14:45,250
definitely had a criminal
record, including burglary.
293
00:14:45,350 --> 00:14:48,850
And a family member
of the owner of the van
294
00:14:48,950 --> 00:14:53,290
was associated,
a friend of Steven Todd.
295
00:14:53,390 --> 00:14:56,490
Steven Todd's wife's sister
lived in a house
296
00:14:56,590 --> 00:14:59,460
right next to where
the burnt van was found.
297
00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,560
- The thing about
the Airport District,
298
00:15:01,660 --> 00:15:03,230
it isn't that big of an area.
299
00:15:03,330 --> 00:15:06,170
And to have a burned-out van
found near the relative
300
00:15:06,270 --> 00:15:09,140
of one of the burglars
isn't anything, to me,
301
00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,540
that would be
suspicious whatsoever.
302
00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,040
Why now is this just coming up?
303
00:15:14,140 --> 00:15:16,510
It seems interesting to me.
304
00:15:16,610 --> 00:15:22,520
* *
305
00:15:22,620 --> 00:15:24,220
- I wanna show you the van.
306
00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,220
So these are the six color
pictures I was able to get.
307
00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,230
And to my knowledge,
are the only pictures
308
00:15:30,330 --> 00:15:34,230
that remain out of possibly
over a hundred that were shot.
309
00:15:36,430 --> 00:15:39,070
I found the three-
or four-page report
310
00:15:39,170 --> 00:15:41,270
from Bryan Spitulski,
the arson investigator.
311
00:15:41,370 --> 00:15:44,140
So I decided
to give him a visit.
312
00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:46,040
And he looked at me
and he said,
313
00:15:46,140 --> 00:15:47,910
I've been waiting ten years
for someone
314
00:15:48,010 --> 00:15:49,440
to come and ask questions
about this.
315
00:15:52,710 --> 00:15:54,250
- My name is Bryan Spitulski.
316
00:15:54,350 --> 00:15:56,690
I've been a fire investigator
for almost 30 years.
317
00:15:56,790 --> 00:15:59,150
In 2002, I was
a fire investigator
318
00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:01,260
for Modesto City
Fire Department.
319
00:16:03,260 --> 00:16:07,500
December 25th, the fire
came in for a vehicle fire
320
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:09,960
in an alleyway.
321
00:16:10,070 --> 00:16:12,070
As I did my walk around,
I noticed
322
00:16:12,170 --> 00:16:14,000
there was a mattress
in the back of the van
323
00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:17,140
that was mostly consumed
by the fire.
324
00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,610
- And they put this round
gas can over the mattress,
325
00:16:19,710 --> 00:16:23,580
I'm sure thinking that the gas
can would destroy the mattress.
326
00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,220
But the metal gas can
actually protected this
327
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,350
foot-and-a-half circle
of mattress.
328
00:16:30,450 --> 00:16:31,920
- It was a little bit
discolored,
329
00:16:32,020 --> 00:16:33,360
but it wasn't burned at all.
330
00:16:33,460 --> 00:16:35,960
It's kind of a grayish
off-white fabric
331
00:16:36,060 --> 00:16:38,930
with rust-colored stains
in it.
332
00:16:39,030 --> 00:16:40,400
It looked like blood to me.
333
00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,530
And I cut away a piece of that
fabric so we could understand,
334
00:16:46,630 --> 00:16:50,310
was this just a rust color
or was this truly blood?
335
00:16:51,470 --> 00:16:53,380
When we cut it away
and we stuck it
336
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,510
into the container that
had the luminol in it,
337
00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:57,280
it went blue.
338
00:16:57,380 --> 00:16:59,680
There's human blood
on that item.
339
00:16:59,780 --> 00:17:05,020
* *
340
00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:07,660
[birds chirping]
341
00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,460
[car horn honking]
342
00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,630
- Between Christmas
and New Year's,
343
00:17:14,730 --> 00:17:18,430
the news started to come out
about Laci missing.
344
00:17:18,530 --> 00:17:20,440
When I heard that,
that's when I got on the phone
345
00:17:20,540 --> 00:17:24,170
and called up my detective
and said, look,
346
00:17:24,270 --> 00:17:26,270
now, you know,
we've got this van.
347
00:17:26,370 --> 00:17:28,310
We've got a mattress
in the back of it.
348
00:17:28,410 --> 00:17:31,010
It's similar in description
of what everybody's saying.
349
00:17:31,110 --> 00:17:32,080
I think you need
to take a look at that.
350
00:17:32,180 --> 00:17:34,920
[inquisitive music]
351
00:17:35,020 --> 00:17:37,450
- The detectives came out.
The police chief came out.
352
00:17:37,550 --> 00:17:41,290
It was a really high-profile
development in the case.
353
00:17:41,390 --> 00:17:44,230
The first test at the scene,
354
00:17:44,330 --> 00:17:45,990
right after
they found the van,
355
00:17:46,090 --> 00:17:47,160
was a presumptive test.
356
00:17:47,260 --> 00:17:49,200
It's a field test.
357
00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:51,330
- And then the next day,
a sample would be
358
00:17:51,430 --> 00:17:53,800
hand-delivered to the
Department of Justice
359
00:17:53,900 --> 00:17:57,140
for a more in-depth analysis.
360
00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:58,470
- And it was tested there,
361
00:17:58,570 --> 00:18:00,480
and they couldn't
detect blood.
362
00:18:04,510 --> 00:18:07,750
- So at that point,
it seemed like
363
00:18:07,850 --> 00:18:12,020
the--the air left the van.
364
00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:16,620
It was no longer something
that needed to be looked at.
365
00:18:16,730 --> 00:18:21,230
Even though we had
the positive luminol test,
366
00:18:21,330 --> 00:18:23,500
that was it.
It was done.
367
00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:28,640
* *
368
00:18:28,740 --> 00:18:32,040
It has been in my mind
and has kept me awake
369
00:18:32,140 --> 00:18:35,110
and has bothered me at night.
370
00:18:35,210 --> 00:18:37,380
Why didn't this get brought up?
371
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,450
There's blood
on a mattress in a van
372
00:18:40,550 --> 00:18:46,290
that was burned about a mile
from where Laci disappeared.
373
00:18:46,390 --> 00:18:49,390
That screams
"needs further investigation."
374
00:18:49,490 --> 00:18:51,360
- They couldn't determine
whether it was human blood
375
00:18:51,460 --> 00:18:53,560
or not, but there was
human DNA.
376
00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,630
I contacted the defense
and said,
377
00:18:57,730 --> 00:19:00,470
are you aware
of these photographs?
378
00:19:00,570 --> 00:19:02,340
They weren't aware of it.
379
00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,610
But they asked
for the photos themselves
380
00:19:04,710 --> 00:19:08,180
and then they asked
for further testing.
381
00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,710
It's possible that
they could get a sequencing
382
00:19:10,810 --> 00:19:14,450
and find out whose DNA
is on that mattress.
383
00:19:40,410 --> 00:19:42,580
- When you think about it,
it basically comes down
384
00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,510
that there was a crime,
there's DNA.
385
00:19:45,610 --> 00:19:49,680
We should probably find out
whose DNA it is.
386
00:19:49,780 --> 00:19:51,420
Pretty simple.
387
00:19:56,190 --> 00:19:57,690
[birds chirping]
388
00:19:57,790 --> 00:20:00,560
[dog barking]
389
00:20:01,930 --> 00:20:03,130
- Hello.
- Hi.
390
00:20:03,230 --> 00:20:04,230
- Hi.
Good to see you again.
391
00:20:04,330 --> 00:20:06,570
- Good to see you.
392
00:20:06,670 --> 00:20:07,500
Good.
393
00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,240
Ready to work.
- All right.
394
00:20:09,340 --> 00:20:12,640
[suspenseful music]
395
00:20:12,740 --> 00:20:14,610
- Well, I was thinking it
could just be a good idea
396
00:20:14,710 --> 00:20:17,110
to kinda lay out big picture
of what we know
397
00:20:17,210 --> 00:20:19,280
the evidence to be right now.
398
00:20:19,380 --> 00:20:21,620
This is the evidence, starting
with some of the things
399
00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,420
we've known for 20 years,
all the way up to new evidence
400
00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:26,820
we've just obtained
in the last year
401
00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,360
and how we worked our way
through this evidence
402
00:20:30,460 --> 00:20:33,130
as kind of a family
and a team of people
403
00:20:33,230 --> 00:20:34,760
trying to solve a crime.
404
00:20:34,860 --> 00:20:38,470
We all know that Laci
went missing on December 24th.
405
00:20:38,570 --> 00:20:41,600
The dog was found in the
neighborhood with a leash on.
406
00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:45,170
Karen Servas had put
McKenzie back in the yard
407
00:20:45,270 --> 00:20:46,910
no later than 10:18.
408
00:20:47,010 --> 00:20:49,240
And she had closed the gate.
409
00:20:49,340 --> 00:20:50,580
The neighbors
across the street,
410
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,580
they had left the morning
of December 24th.
411
00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,480
They returned home
December 26th
412
00:20:54,580 --> 00:20:56,450
to find their home
has been burglarized.
413
00:20:56,550 --> 00:20:58,490
You have the neighbor,
Diane Jackson,
414
00:20:58,590 --> 00:21:01,390
seeing a van and men
the morning of December 24th,
415
00:21:01,490 --> 00:21:02,760
the day that Laci went missing.
416
00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:05,630
So the evidence indicates
that the Medina burglary
417
00:21:05,730 --> 00:21:07,760
started the morning
of December 24th.
418
00:21:09,630 --> 00:21:11,930
The Medinas,
who lived across the street,
419
00:21:12,030 --> 00:21:14,370
didn't leave until 10:30.
420
00:21:14,470 --> 00:21:17,470
So there was a perception
that the Medina burglary
421
00:21:17,570 --> 00:21:20,340
was unrelated
to what happened to Laci
422
00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,680
because the Medinas
hadn't left yet.
423
00:21:24,410 --> 00:21:26,980
- So many of the mistakes
have to do
424
00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,280
with the Karen Servas timeline.
425
00:21:29,380 --> 00:21:30,920
- You found the dog
in the street.
426
00:21:31,020 --> 00:21:32,320
- Yes, I did.
427
00:21:32,420 --> 00:21:33,860
- And put the dog
in the backyard.
428
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,090
That ended up being very
critical to the prosecution's
429
00:21:37,190 --> 00:21:40,530
case because they needed
to establish a certain time.
430
00:21:40,630 --> 00:21:42,760
- Scott Peterson,
based on triangulation
431
00:21:42,860 --> 00:21:45,270
of cell phone records
and cell phone towers,
432
00:21:45,370 --> 00:21:48,500
in his own neighborhood
at 10:08.
433
00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:52,640
At 10:18, the neighbor
finds the dog
434
00:21:52,740 --> 00:21:54,480
running free
with a muddy leash.
435
00:21:54,580 --> 00:21:56,680
- That's a DA timeline.
436
00:21:56,780 --> 00:21:58,880
That's not
the defense timeline.
437
00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:01,920
She could have gone missing
at any hour that morning.
438
00:22:02,020 --> 00:22:05,820
- The judge bought into
this Karen Servas timeline,
439
00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,860
the idea that Laci's
already dead by 10:18.
440
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,560
So the judge said,
the burglars weren't there,
441
00:22:12,660 --> 00:22:14,160
so they couldn't
have been involved.
442
00:22:14,260 --> 00:22:16,870
- It meant the jury didn't hear
evidence about the burglary.
443
00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,610
- Years later,
the defense discovers
444
00:22:23,710 --> 00:22:27,280
this bit of potential evidence
from a mailman
445
00:22:27,380 --> 00:22:28,880
by the name of Graybill.
446
00:22:28,980 --> 00:22:32,010
And he claims that
he delivered mail
447
00:22:32,110 --> 00:22:34,520
between 10:35 and 10:55,
448
00:22:34,620 --> 00:22:36,950
and what he did notice
was that McKenzie,
449
00:22:37,050 --> 00:22:40,460
the dog that always barked
every time he delivered mail,
450
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,660
wasn't barking,
and that the gate
451
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,390
at the Peterson home was open.
452
00:22:46,490 --> 00:22:50,370
- And if the dog wasn't there
and Laci wasn't there,
453
00:22:50,470 --> 00:22:52,530
that means she was
walking the dog.
454
00:22:52,630 --> 00:22:54,740
And we know that several people
455
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,710
had seen
a pregnant woman walking.
456
00:22:57,810 --> 00:22:59,610
- That was the missing piece.
457
00:22:59,710 --> 00:23:02,280
Laci was still home
when Karen Servas
458
00:23:02,380 --> 00:23:03,710
put the dog back in the yard.
459
00:23:03,810 --> 00:23:07,220
If Laci is alive after 10:30,
460
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,890
Laci could have encountered
the Medina burglary.
461
00:23:10,990 --> 00:23:15,860
- We know the timeline now
because of Russell Graybill.
462
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,530
We know more
about the burglary.
463
00:23:21,030 --> 00:23:23,830
- We've spent a lot of time
trying to connect
464
00:23:23,930 --> 00:23:27,700
this burglary, the mailman,
and Russell Graybill.
465
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,470
There's just so many tips
and so much information,
466
00:23:30,570 --> 00:23:33,840
and the timeline of the morning
was so misunderstood.
467
00:23:33,940 --> 00:23:36,010
These are the significant tips
that came in
468
00:23:36,110 --> 00:23:38,680
to the Modesto Police
Department, a lot of which
469
00:23:38,780 --> 00:23:40,550
are at issue in the filings.
470
00:23:40,650 --> 00:23:42,450
There are more,
but these are the ones
471
00:23:42,550 --> 00:23:44,720
that are most commonly
talked about.
472
00:23:44,820 --> 00:23:46,760
As a family,
we believe the police
473
00:23:46,860 --> 00:23:49,120
were putting due diligence
into following up
474
00:23:49,220 --> 00:23:50,430
on the sightings of Laci.
475
00:23:50,530 --> 00:23:53,600
[indistinct chatter]
476
00:24:01,900 --> 00:24:05,540
They had some people
came in with tips.
477
00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,610
Passed those on
to the police because
478
00:24:09,710 --> 00:24:11,050
I wanted them to follow up,
479
00:24:11,150 --> 00:24:13,720
and I thought they were
following up on them.
480
00:24:13,820 --> 00:24:15,680
I found out later when
I started to read
481
00:24:15,780 --> 00:24:17,550
the police discovery,
their reports,
482
00:24:17,650 --> 00:24:19,450
which were given to us
before trial,
483
00:24:19,550 --> 00:24:22,560
that they weren't
following up on anything.
484
00:24:22,660 --> 00:24:24,560
- Just a couple of things
about the tip lines.
485
00:24:24,660 --> 00:24:27,300
There's been now about
340 calls that's come in.
486
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,070
- There's been tips that
the burglars confronted Laci.
487
00:24:31,170 --> 00:24:35,300
One was a former
Los Angeles reserve officer
488
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:40,010
who had seen someone being
sort of muscled into a van.
489
00:24:40,110 --> 00:24:43,410
- He was so disturbed by it
that he called police.
490
00:24:43,510 --> 00:24:45,580
[line trills]
491
00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,950
His name was Tom Harshman.
492
00:24:48,050 --> 00:24:49,080
- Hello?
493
00:24:49,180 --> 00:24:50,690
- Hi. Mr. Harshman?
494
00:24:50,790 --> 00:24:54,520
I'm doing research
for a documentary,
495
00:24:54,620 --> 00:24:57,890
and I read about
your tip that you--
496
00:24:57,990 --> 00:25:00,660
that you made
to the Modesto Police.
497
00:25:36,230 --> 00:25:38,700
[phone ringing]
498
00:25:40,070 --> 00:25:42,870
- Tom Harshman calls twice
on the 28th.
499
00:25:42,970 --> 00:25:46,710
Then he's so upset
by what he saw,
500
00:25:46,810 --> 00:25:48,110
he actually goes to the police
501
00:25:48,210 --> 00:25:51,610
so that everyone knows
he saw a pregnant woman
502
00:25:51,710 --> 00:25:53,720
being shoved into a van.
503
00:25:59,020 --> 00:26:01,190
- I mean, there were
a lot of phantom sightings
504
00:26:01,290 --> 00:26:02,690
from people and things.
505
00:26:02,790 --> 00:26:04,960
But as far as that
being a specific one,
506
00:26:05,060 --> 00:26:07,460
I never heard anything
like that.
507
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,030
- No detective was assigned.
508
00:26:09,130 --> 00:26:13,100
In fact, they put more effort
into discrediting
509
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,810
the Laci sightings, rather than
go talk to the people
510
00:26:16,910 --> 00:26:20,580
who actually said
they saw Laci that day.
511
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,710
- This is one thing
that does bother me.
512
00:26:23,810 --> 00:26:27,020
If I'm living in Modesto
and Tom Harshman reports
513
00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:29,880
that a pregnant lady
was physically abused
514
00:26:29,980 --> 00:26:33,190
on the side of a road,
if it wasn't Laci, who was it?
515
00:26:33,290 --> 00:26:36,730
- So any evidence that Laci
is alive after Scott leaves,
516
00:26:36,830 --> 00:26:38,760
whether it's Laci
walking the dog
517
00:26:38,860 --> 00:26:40,700
or Laci
encountering a burglary,
518
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,960
is evidence that
Scott is innocent.
519
00:26:45,130 --> 00:26:47,770
- There are so many
instances where
520
00:26:47,870 --> 00:26:50,870
there was evidence
that didn't fit
521
00:26:50,970 --> 00:26:52,770
the detective's theory
that they ignored.
522
00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,950
- Very late in Scott's trial,
a tip came in
523
00:27:01,050 --> 00:27:05,320
talking about Laci
confronting the burglary.
524
00:27:05,420 --> 00:27:06,820
- My name is Xavier Aponte.
525
00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:10,090
I was a correctional officer
526
00:27:10,190 --> 00:27:13,190
at the California
Rehabilitation Center in Norco.
527
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,900
In January 2003, one of
the correctional officers
528
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,710
responsible for monitoring
inmate calls
529
00:27:24,810 --> 00:27:26,810
overheard a conversation.
530
00:27:26,910 --> 00:27:31,510
There were rumors on
the street that Laci Peterson
531
00:27:31,610 --> 00:27:35,320
had walked up and interrupted
a burglary down the street
532
00:27:35,420 --> 00:27:37,320
from her house.
533
00:27:37,420 --> 00:27:39,990
[phone dialing]
534
00:27:40,090 --> 00:27:44,030
I contacted the Modesto PD's
tip hotline
535
00:27:44,130 --> 00:27:47,230
because somebody might wanna
follow up on it.
536
00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,900
I did not receive
any immediate calls back.
537
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,800
And probably about
a week or so later,
538
00:27:55,900 --> 00:27:59,770
I made a second phone call
and reiterated
539
00:27:59,870 --> 00:28:03,140
what I had left the first time.
540
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,780
- Modesto PD
and the prosecution,
541
00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:07,920
they'd been sitting
on that information
542
00:28:08,020 --> 00:28:10,020
and didn't bother
to share it with us.
543
00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:13,660
Later, we asked
for the recording.
544
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:15,960
We never got the recording.
545
00:28:16,060 --> 00:28:20,830
That recording does not exist
right now.
546
00:28:20,930 --> 00:28:24,870
Supposedly, the detectives
looked everywhere.
547
00:28:24,970 --> 00:28:27,040
Was this something
that was deep-sixed?
548
00:28:27,140 --> 00:28:31,010
The bottom line is,
this was material,
549
00:28:31,110 --> 00:28:33,680
exonerating evidence that
should have been turned over
550
00:28:33,780 --> 00:28:35,240
and it wasn't turned over.
551
00:28:37,250 --> 00:28:40,750
- The Lieutenant Aponte tip,
under further scrutiny,
552
00:28:40,850 --> 00:28:43,790
as Detective Grogan
started looking into it,
553
00:28:43,890 --> 00:28:45,790
his story changed slightly.
554
00:28:45,890 --> 00:28:48,160
And then as Grogan
pressed him more,
555
00:28:48,260 --> 00:28:51,130
he ended up recanting
this information
556
00:28:51,230 --> 00:28:53,260
and saying that
it really wasn't true at all.
557
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,200
- Aponte has recanted
everything he said.
558
00:28:56,300 --> 00:28:58,430
Who's the officer that
told you about it first?
559
00:28:58,530 --> 00:28:59,830
He couldn't remember.
560
00:28:59,930 --> 00:29:00,800
Where's your notes
in the log where
561
00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:02,140
you log in all these tapes?
562
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,210
Couldn't find it.
Well, where's the tape?
563
00:29:04,310 --> 00:29:04,840
Don't have it.
564
00:29:04,940 --> 00:29:06,710
And that was the end of that.
565
00:29:06,810 --> 00:29:10,180
It was just a big malarkey.
566
00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:19,190
- At no time have I ever
recanted my statements.
567
00:29:19,290 --> 00:29:23,760
What I did say is that
his conversation
568
00:29:23,860 --> 00:29:29,060
seemed to be hearsay
from the talk on the street.
569
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:34,240
The statements that I made
were true and factual.
570
00:29:34,340 --> 00:29:37,740
- Lieutenant Aponte
has called in a tip
571
00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,480
connecting the burglars
to Laci.
572
00:29:41,580 --> 00:29:42,980
You know you've got a duty
573
00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,350
to turn over
exonerating evidence
574
00:29:45,450 --> 00:29:49,020
that tend to show
someone's innocence.
575
00:29:53,790 --> 00:29:55,220
- What else do we have?
576
00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:57,230
- Right on the heels
of the Medina burglary,
577
00:29:57,330 --> 00:30:00,030
this reward was offered,
I believe, on December 31st.
578
00:30:00,130 --> 00:30:03,300
Well, on that same day,
a Croton watch was pawned.
579
00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,940
And when Laci went missing,
she was wearing a Croton watch
580
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,270
that she had inherited
from her grandmother.
581
00:30:09,370 --> 00:30:11,340
- Tell me about
the Croton watch.
582
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,740
- She inherited it,
you know, before Christmas,
583
00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:16,080
not long before Christmas.
584
00:30:16,180 --> 00:30:19,950
And it was kind of gaudy.
585
00:30:21,150 --> 00:30:25,290
It had a bezel
with diamonds around it.
586
00:30:25,390 --> 00:30:28,290
We joked about it.
We called it her rapper watch.
587
00:30:28,390 --> 00:30:35,260
* *
588
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:43,770
- On December 31, 2002,
a lady came in and she sold us
589
00:30:43,870 --> 00:30:47,340
a 14-karat-gold Croton Watch.
590
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:51,410
Everything we loan or buy
goes to a master computer.
591
00:30:51,510 --> 00:30:55,050
I was contacted by
the Modesto Police Department.
592
00:30:55,150 --> 00:30:58,120
They thought maybe it was
Laci Peterson's watch.
593
00:30:58,220 --> 00:30:59,950
They just came in and said
594
00:31:00,060 --> 00:31:00,920
they're here
to pick up the watch,
595
00:31:01,020 --> 00:31:03,360
and they took the watch.
596
00:31:03,460 --> 00:31:04,530
- Where is the watch?
597
00:31:04,630 --> 00:31:07,560
And was that Laci's watch?
598
00:31:07,660 --> 00:31:09,930
They never found it.
599
00:31:10,030 --> 00:31:11,330
- I knew it was missing.
600
00:31:11,430 --> 00:31:13,400
But the first time
I heard that the police
601
00:31:13,500 --> 00:31:18,140
knew about it being pawned
was well after I was arrested.
602
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,240
The police have to
provide the defense
603
00:31:20,340 --> 00:31:22,510
with discovery when
they ask for it,
604
00:31:22,610 --> 00:31:25,310
any exculpatory information.
605
00:31:25,410 --> 00:31:28,320
The police hadn't shared
this with us at all.
606
00:31:28,420 --> 00:31:31,250
And now I know why,
because they covered it up.
607
00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:35,090
- I think it was
a wild goose chase.
608
00:31:35,190 --> 00:31:36,890
If it would have been
something of importance,
609
00:31:36,990 --> 00:31:37,990
if it would have been major,
610
00:31:38,090 --> 00:31:39,130
it would have been
in the trial.
611
00:31:39,230 --> 00:31:41,160
- We can never prove
it was hers.
612
00:31:41,260 --> 00:31:45,970
It never amounted to anything
other than speculation.
613
00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:48,870
- It may have been Laci's
614
00:31:48,970 --> 00:31:51,410
and it may not
have been Laci's.
615
00:31:51,510 --> 00:31:54,210
But the bottom line,
they interviewed
616
00:31:54,310 --> 00:31:56,480
the owner of the pawn shop.
617
00:31:56,580 --> 00:32:00,250
It should have been
turned over to the defense.
618
00:32:00,350 --> 00:32:02,220
Never turned over
to the defense.
619
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,950
- This really highlight
the failings
620
00:32:06,050 --> 00:32:08,120
of the Modesto Police
investigation.
621
00:32:08,220 --> 00:32:11,060
The sightings of Laci
were not followed up on.
622
00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:14,200
The sightings of McKenzie
were not followed up on.
623
00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:17,400
This burnt van certainly
was not followed up on.
624
00:32:17,500 --> 00:32:20,340
This watch was not
followed up on.
625
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,140
- Now, do you think some things
were followed up on
626
00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:27,410
by the Modesto Police,
but documents
627
00:32:27,510 --> 00:32:31,210
or related evidence
628
00:32:31,310 --> 00:32:34,250
wasn't turned over
to the defense?
629
00:32:34,350 --> 00:32:38,350
- I strongly believe, based on
the sum total of the reports
630
00:32:38,450 --> 00:32:40,320
and how things
are cross-referenced,
631
00:32:40,420 --> 00:32:42,520
that there's a strong
possibility that
632
00:32:42,620 --> 00:32:45,130
we're missing reports
on the Croton Watch.
633
00:32:45,230 --> 00:32:47,530
It was confirmed
we were missing reports
634
00:32:47,630 --> 00:32:51,370
on this burned van when Scott's
appellate attorney, in 2006,
635
00:32:51,470 --> 00:32:54,400
requested from
the district attorney, hey,
636
00:32:54,500 --> 00:32:58,210
can you send me
your whole file on this van?
637
00:32:58,310 --> 00:33:00,040
Scott's defense attorney,
Mark Geragos,
638
00:33:00,140 --> 00:33:02,880
initially had
a few files on this van,
639
00:33:02,980 --> 00:33:07,320
but he did not have photos
of that bloodstained mattress.
640
00:33:07,420 --> 00:33:11,050
- People want the answer
they believed in
641
00:33:11,150 --> 00:33:14,460
to continue to be the answer.
642
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,190
You know,
people are who we all are.
643
00:33:17,290 --> 00:33:21,560
We're--we're slow
to admit we're wrong.
644
00:33:26,330 --> 00:33:29,500
[suspenseful music]
645
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:33,610
* *
646
00:33:33,710 --> 00:33:37,610
- In California, death penalty
cases just take a long time.
647
00:33:37,710 --> 00:33:43,120
You know, we had 12, 15 years
where nothing happened.
648
00:33:43,220 --> 00:33:46,150
The bigger hope that
Scott would be exonerated
649
00:33:46,250 --> 00:33:48,360
really drove what we did,
650
00:33:48,460 --> 00:33:52,030
specifically
his death sentence.
651
00:33:52,130 --> 00:33:53,960
We didn't really know
how long it would take.
652
00:33:54,060 --> 00:33:56,160
We just kept investigating.
653
00:33:56,260 --> 00:33:57,600
His attorneys kept working.
654
00:33:57,700 --> 00:34:01,270
We just hung on
to every shred of hope,
655
00:34:01,370 --> 00:34:03,940
every, what else can we do?
656
00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:05,470
And--and let's do it.
657
00:34:09,610 --> 00:34:12,380
- News today, convicted
killer Scott Peterson
658
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,120
is officially off death row.
659
00:34:15,220 --> 00:34:17,320
He was resentenced
to life in prison
660
00:34:17,420 --> 00:34:19,620
without the possibility
of parole.
661
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,360
- Judge Delucchi made an error
during jury selection.
662
00:34:28,430 --> 00:34:30,130
He said, if you're
against the death penalty,
663
00:34:30,230 --> 00:34:31,430
well, then you're excused.
664
00:34:31,530 --> 00:34:35,140
When law in California says,
if you say,
665
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:38,370
I am against the death penalty,
the judge is supposed
666
00:34:38,470 --> 00:34:40,110
to ask you questions about it.
667
00:34:40,210 --> 00:34:41,580
Judge Delucchi didn't do that.
668
00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,310
And the California Supreme
Court, for that reason,
669
00:34:44,410 --> 00:34:47,320
overturned the sentence
for Scott Peterson.
670
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:51,820
- I felt a sense
of relief when Scott's
671
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:52,920
death sentence was overturned.
672
00:34:53,020 --> 00:34:57,060
I know the first time that I
went to go visit him in person
673
00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:58,630
at Mule Creek,
I'm sitting in this big room
674
00:34:58,730 --> 00:35:01,030
with all these people
and waiting for Scott
675
00:35:01,130 --> 00:35:02,060
to come through the door.
676
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:03,330
And he came through the door,
677
00:35:03,430 --> 00:35:06,200
unescorted and unhandcuffed.
678
00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:10,140
I was just looking at him
and I actually was wondering
679
00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:12,270
what was wrong with his walk.
680
00:35:12,370 --> 00:35:14,110
I was like,
why is he walking funny?
681
00:35:14,210 --> 00:35:17,310
And I realized later that
I had not seen him walk
682
00:35:17,410 --> 00:35:20,980
with his arms swinging
for 20 years.
683
00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:22,480
- All rise.
684
00:35:26,550 --> 00:35:29,660
- Once the death penalty
was off the table,
685
00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:33,430
Scott Peterson, at that point,
lost a lot of resources
686
00:35:33,530 --> 00:35:35,260
that were available to him.
687
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,230
- The problem for
Scott Peterson is that
688
00:35:38,330 --> 00:35:39,670
now that he's off of death row,
689
00:35:39,770 --> 00:35:43,370
he's lost state-sponsored
representation.
690
00:35:43,470 --> 00:35:47,440
- There is a practical reality
for all but the--
691
00:35:47,540 --> 00:35:51,010
the wealthiest people
in America that,
692
00:35:51,110 --> 00:35:52,580
at some point--
693
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,120
and we're certainly there,
20 years post conviction--
694
00:35:55,220 --> 00:35:59,250
families lose their ability
to afford the cost
695
00:35:59,350 --> 00:36:01,360
of high-end attorneys.
696
00:36:01,460 --> 00:36:06,190
- There was clearly a need
for an organization or a team
697
00:36:06,290 --> 00:36:09,330
that was financially secure,
698
00:36:09,430 --> 00:36:12,670
had access
to a lot more resources.
699
00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,100
- I wasn't even
remotely qualified
700
00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,540
to take over his case.
701
00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,710
There's a number of problems
with Scott's conviction,
702
00:36:20,810 --> 00:36:22,710
but one of the things
going on in his case
703
00:36:22,810 --> 00:36:24,750
was that there needed
to be some DNA testing.
704
00:36:24,850 --> 00:36:27,420
And Scott's attorney
had noticed that
705
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:30,150
the newly formed Los Angeles
Innocence Project
706
00:36:30,250 --> 00:36:32,490
had a DNA grant.
707
00:36:32,590 --> 00:36:36,320
- 2023, Scott Peterson's
appellate attorneys
708
00:36:36,420 --> 00:36:38,760
reached out to the Los Angeles
Innocence Project
709
00:36:38,860 --> 00:36:42,360
in the hopes that
they would take on the case.
710
00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:45,800
- When the Innocence Project
takes a case,
711
00:36:45,900 --> 00:36:46,670
it sends a message.
712
00:36:46,770 --> 00:36:49,040
- When the Innocence Project
gets involved,
713
00:36:49,140 --> 00:36:52,470
they only get involved if they
believe they can win a case.
714
00:36:52,570 --> 00:36:54,680
This appears to be
the beginning stages.
715
00:36:54,780 --> 00:36:56,610
- The Los Angeles
Innocence Project
716
00:36:56,710 --> 00:36:59,250
has filed a motion
asking for, I believe,
717
00:36:59,350 --> 00:37:01,380
17 items to be DNA tested.
718
00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,220
A couple of those items
are associated
719
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:05,620
with the Medina burglary,
a burned van that
720
00:37:05,720 --> 00:37:08,190
was found about a mile
from Laci's home
721
00:37:08,290 --> 00:37:09,620
the day after she went missing.
722
00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:12,690
And 11 of those items
were recovered either with
723
00:37:12,790 --> 00:37:14,600
or near
Laci and Conner's bodies.
724
00:37:14,700 --> 00:37:17,300
- We've got this other
narrative going on
725
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,670
that has been going on
since that week,
726
00:37:19,770 --> 00:37:21,670
a burglary across the street
that happened
727
00:37:21,770 --> 00:37:23,240
around the same time
that she was supposed
728
00:37:23,340 --> 00:37:24,610
to go out for that walk.
729
00:37:24,710 --> 00:37:26,510
- They wanna find out
if a van that was found
730
00:37:26,610 --> 00:37:28,310
torched near the
Modesto Airport
731
00:37:28,410 --> 00:37:30,250
is connected to the burglary.
732
00:37:30,350 --> 00:37:32,480
Inside, investigators
discovered a mattress
733
00:37:32,580 --> 00:37:34,550
with stains confirmed
to be blood.
734
00:37:34,650 --> 00:37:36,550
The Innocence Project
wants to conduct
735
00:37:36,650 --> 00:37:38,750
new DNA tests
on those samples.
736
00:37:38,850 --> 00:37:40,490
Could it be
Laci Peterson's blood?
737
00:37:40,590 --> 00:37:43,660
[inquisitive music]
738
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,290
- I think with the filing
of these motions,
739
00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:49,360
the public has a much
better view of what happened
740
00:37:49,460 --> 00:37:50,530
when Laci went missing.
741
00:37:50,630 --> 00:37:52,870
A lot of this information
wasn't public
742
00:37:52,970 --> 00:37:54,640
until these filings.
743
00:37:54,740 --> 00:37:56,970
- I think there's
enough evidence
744
00:37:57,070 --> 00:37:59,240
that it's probable that--
745
00:37:59,340 --> 00:38:01,810
that someone else may have
committed the crime.
746
00:38:01,910 --> 00:38:04,550
- The Peterson family
credits Mike Gudgell,
747
00:38:04,650 --> 00:38:07,350
a journalist who used to work
for ABC News,
748
00:38:07,450 --> 00:38:09,720
with tracking down
new evidence.
749
00:38:09,820 --> 00:38:14,860
- I'd been doubted by my
friends and family for years.
750
00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:17,090
Having it validated
was an important moment
751
00:38:17,190 --> 00:38:20,600
and sort of the arc
of my commitment to this.
752
00:38:20,700 --> 00:38:22,360
Ultimately is about injustice,
753
00:38:22,460 --> 00:38:24,130
and not just for Scott--
for Laci too.
754
00:38:24,230 --> 00:38:27,900
And the Los Angeles Innocence
Project efforts are important.
755
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,810
They have substance and they
need to be taken seriously.
756
00:38:32,740 --> 00:38:34,940
- It is clear
that they believe
757
00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:36,880
that the Medina burglary
758
00:38:36,980 --> 00:38:40,480
had a connection to
Laci Peterson's disappearance.
759
00:38:40,580 --> 00:38:43,390
They're not necessarily
stating that the individuals
760
00:38:43,490 --> 00:38:44,790
who were convicted
of the burglary
761
00:38:44,890 --> 00:38:47,560
are the ones who committed
the crime,
762
00:38:47,660 --> 00:38:50,190
but that there's a larger web
of individuals
763
00:38:50,290 --> 00:38:55,600
who may have been the ones
involved in her disappearance.
764
00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:58,800
- It's a little overwhelming
to look at the evidence
765
00:38:58,900 --> 00:39:02,540
in this case and realize
how solvable this crime is.
766
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,210
- To have an innocence
organization take his case,
767
00:39:06,310 --> 00:39:10,850
I think, really speaks to the
fact that Scott is innocent.
768
00:39:17,490 --> 00:39:20,760
- It would be impossible
for me to acknowledge
769
00:39:20,860 --> 00:39:23,790
and thank everyone that is
responsible for bringing
770
00:39:23,890 --> 00:39:27,500
this case to the successful
conclusion that it did.
771
00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:28,860
But there are...
772
00:39:37,670 --> 00:39:40,510
- Well, if there was any doubt,
I would be shouting it.
773
00:39:40,610 --> 00:39:41,640
I would be making noise
about it.
774
00:39:41,740 --> 00:39:44,750
But nothing has changed
in these 20 years since
775
00:39:44,850 --> 00:39:47,950
that makes me have any doubt
that we got the right guy.
776
00:39:48,050 --> 00:39:50,620
If you can imagine a family
that's pretty tore up
777
00:39:50,720 --> 00:39:52,790
and they probably have
this nagging belief
778
00:39:52,890 --> 00:39:55,360
that their daughter,
stepdaughter or what have you,
779
00:39:55,460 --> 00:39:57,030
is dead...
780
00:39:57,130 --> 00:40:00,700
Anybody that has a thought that
there's a claim of innocence
781
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,930
on Scott's part doesn't know
the case as well
782
00:40:03,030 --> 00:40:04,970
as those of us
that worked it did.
783
00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:11,410
- Peterson's new legal team
believes he may be innocent.
784
00:40:11,510 --> 00:40:14,440
- This is how our
criminal justice system works,
785
00:40:14,540 --> 00:40:18,780
to be sure that we have
the right person in custody.
786
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:20,850
- The LA Innocence Project
taking up this fight
787
00:40:20,950 --> 00:40:22,980
at this time,
not totally unexpected.
788
00:40:24,790 --> 00:40:26,860
- This isn't nothing new.
789
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:28,690
I mean, this has
been talked about.
790
00:40:28,790 --> 00:40:31,390
This is--I don't
have a reaction.
791
00:40:31,490 --> 00:40:32,830
I believe this is bullshit.
792
00:40:32,930 --> 00:40:35,760
There is absolutely
no reasonable doubt.
793
00:40:35,860 --> 00:40:38,900
None. He did it.
Jury got it right.
794
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:40,940
- If there was any doubt,
I would be shouting it.
795
00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:42,700
I would be
making noise about it.
796
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,570
I have no doubt about
Scott's involvement
797
00:40:44,670 --> 00:40:46,410
and the fact that
he was the killer in it,
798
00:40:46,510 --> 00:40:47,540
because there's just too much
799
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,510
circumstantial evidence
to ignore.
800
00:40:49,610 --> 00:40:51,010
From the beginning
of this investigation,
801
00:40:51,110 --> 00:40:53,920
Scott was the focus
for Al Brocchini and I.
802
00:40:54,020 --> 00:40:56,450
- There was blood
on the duvet.
803
00:40:56,550 --> 00:40:58,120
It turned out to be his blood.
804
00:40:58,220 --> 00:40:59,650
In the end of the bed,
805
00:40:59,750 --> 00:41:01,890
it looked like
something laid there.
806
00:41:01,990 --> 00:41:03,660
- So this could have
been a situation where
807
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,430
maybe he strangled
or smothered Laci
808
00:41:06,530 --> 00:41:07,660
on the end of the bed there.
809
00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:09,700
She scratched him
during the struggle
810
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:11,400
and then that blood
got on the comforter.
811
00:41:11,500 --> 00:41:13,000
- Scott did run
to the neighbors,
812
00:41:13,100 --> 00:41:16,040
but the first neighbor
he ran to, he told them,
813
00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:18,140
I've been golfing all day.
814
00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:19,440
Have you seen Laci?
815
00:41:19,540 --> 00:41:21,410
Then he changed it to fishing.
816
00:41:21,510 --> 00:41:22,610
- We knew he'd been fishing.
817
00:41:22,710 --> 00:41:24,080
There was saltwater
in the boat.
818
00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:27,480
But his fishing rod was more
of a freshwater fishing rod.
819
00:41:27,580 --> 00:41:30,050
And the lure packages
hadn't even been opened.
820
00:41:30,150 --> 00:41:32,650
- And so that made us
a little bit more suspicious
821
00:41:32,750 --> 00:41:34,490
of what he was up to.
822
00:41:34,590 --> 00:41:36,620
- The timeline suggests
that there were witnesses
823
00:41:36,730 --> 00:41:38,990
that saw Laci on the morning
of the 24th
824
00:41:39,090 --> 00:41:42,830
after Scott left
for his fishing trip.
825
00:41:42,930 --> 00:41:45,500
- Anybody that said
they saw Laci
826
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,600
walking the dog
got interviewed.
827
00:41:48,700 --> 00:41:51,840
- Eyewitness testimony
is very subjective.
828
00:41:51,940 --> 00:41:54,010
It would be very easy
for a witness
829
00:41:54,110 --> 00:41:57,080
to wanna be helpful,
to claim later
830
00:41:57,180 --> 00:41:59,750
that they saw Laci,
when actually they didn't,
831
00:41:59,850 --> 00:42:01,020
it was a mistaken
identity thing.
832
00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,080
Or, more sinister,
people who wanted to get
833
00:42:03,180 --> 00:42:05,490
involved in this because
it was high profile,
834
00:42:05,590 --> 00:42:06,990
it was in the news,
and everything like that.
835
00:42:07,090 --> 00:42:09,060
And we had a few things
like that that popped up.
836
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,860
But in addition to that,
as the case unfolded,
837
00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:14,360
there was information
from her doctor
838
00:42:14,460 --> 00:42:18,070
that she wasn't really in
any condition to make a walk.
839
00:42:18,170 --> 00:42:21,040
- One of the working theories
is that Laci Peterson came out
840
00:42:21,140 --> 00:42:24,110
of this house right here,
523 Covina,
841
00:42:24,210 --> 00:42:26,710
and there was
a burglary in progress
842
00:42:26,810 --> 00:42:28,680
right across the street.
843
00:42:28,780 --> 00:42:30,080
- When it comes to the theory
844
00:42:30,180 --> 00:42:32,910
of Laci being abducted
by the burglars,
845
00:42:33,010 --> 00:42:34,980
people saw vans
in the neighborhood.
846
00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:37,050
They saw women walking dogs
in the neighborhood.
847
00:42:37,150 --> 00:42:40,690
But nobody saw Laci being
abducted, making noise,
848
00:42:40,790 --> 00:42:42,820
screaming,
confronting somebody,
849
00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:44,760
having an argument
in the street.
850
00:42:44,860 --> 00:42:47,030
- Todd and Pearce,
they alibied out.
851
00:42:47,130 --> 00:42:49,000
We went to, where were you
on Christmas?
852
00:42:49,100 --> 00:42:50,970
Well, they were eating dinner
with Mom and Grandma.
853
00:42:51,070 --> 00:42:53,100
It was investigated thoroughly.
854
00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:55,640
- It's rare that a guy
who's doing burglaries
855
00:42:55,740 --> 00:42:57,040
to source a narcotics habit
is gonna
856
00:42:57,140 --> 00:42:59,610
turn into a violent offender
and abduct a girl
857
00:42:59,710 --> 00:43:01,110
and keep her hostage.
858
00:43:01,210 --> 00:43:03,010
And you have to remember
that a lot of property
859
00:43:03,110 --> 00:43:04,950
was recovered
from the burglary,
860
00:43:05,050 --> 00:43:07,120
and of all this property that
was inventoried and photoed
861
00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:10,120
and examined, there was not
one piece of property there
862
00:43:10,220 --> 00:43:11,820
that belonged to Laci.
863
00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:14,120
That's why, to me,
the thought of the burglars
864
00:43:14,220 --> 00:43:16,620
being responsible
for her disappearance
865
00:43:16,730 --> 00:43:18,890
is pretty much fantasy.
866
00:43:18,990 --> 00:43:22,560
- We had the--
the Berkeley receipt.
867
00:43:22,660 --> 00:43:24,970
On that day,
we have the timestamp.
868
00:43:25,070 --> 00:43:26,900
We know that
it's from that marina.
869
00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:38,850
They just gave everyone, you
know, a way to implicate you.
870
00:43:38,950 --> 00:43:43,080
- Half of America knew where
this man was on Christmas Eve.
871
00:43:43,180 --> 00:43:45,090
If someone else
committed this crime,
872
00:43:45,190 --> 00:43:47,660
where they would
deposit the bodies
873
00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:50,030
is in the San Francisco Bay.
874
00:43:50,130 --> 00:43:52,660
If you want to assure that
you aren't gonna be convicted
875
00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:54,900
and Scott Peterson will be.
876
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:57,630
- If the burglars
were gonna frame Scott,
877
00:43:57,730 --> 00:43:59,870
they're not gonna weight
the body down and hide it.
878
00:43:59,970 --> 00:44:01,500
You're gonna want it
to come up.
879
00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:04,940
Wouldn't they just put
her body right on the beach?
880
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:06,640
- They don't have a boat.
881
00:44:06,740 --> 00:44:08,880
They don't have a truck
that can pull a boat.
882
00:44:08,980 --> 00:44:11,150
They have no way
to get to the bay.
883
00:44:11,250 --> 00:44:13,750
- I guess it's possible,
just like anything else is.
884
00:44:13,850 --> 00:44:16,120
But it's also possible
that Jennifer Lopez
885
00:44:16,220 --> 00:44:18,590
is gonna call me
after she leaves Ben Affleck
886
00:44:18,690 --> 00:44:20,020
and wanna have a date.
887
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:21,960
- The Modesto Police
Department did
888
00:44:22,060 --> 00:44:24,960
a phenomenal job in this case.
889
00:44:25,060 --> 00:44:26,590
- I feel pretty confident
about the case
890
00:44:26,700 --> 00:44:30,270
that was put together by our
team and especially the way
891
00:44:30,370 --> 00:44:33,170
it was presented to the jury
by the prosecution.
892
00:44:33,270 --> 00:44:36,070
And can they do it again
if they have to?
893
00:44:36,170 --> 00:44:37,670
I believe so.
894
00:44:37,770 --> 00:44:40,080
Now we've got this blood
that needs to be tested,
895
00:44:40,180 --> 00:44:43,210
and my attitude on that is,
test that evidence.
896
00:44:43,310 --> 00:44:45,150
And then you're
gonna be able to show
897
00:44:45,250 --> 00:44:46,750
that it doesn't come back
to anything
898
00:44:46,850 --> 00:44:49,150
to do with Laci or Scott.
899
00:44:49,250 --> 00:44:50,890
If we had
the wrong guy in prison,
900
00:44:50,990 --> 00:44:52,720
we would wanna know about it.
901
00:45:11,740 --> 00:45:17,980
- Even 20 years
after the conviction,
902
00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:22,420
you still have the detectives
trying to justify
903
00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:24,850
or prove their case.
904
00:45:24,950 --> 00:45:26,760
The Los Angeles
Innocence Project
905
00:45:26,860 --> 00:45:29,960
only takes cases for defendants
906
00:45:30,060 --> 00:45:33,760
who have a credible claim
of innocence.
907
00:45:33,860 --> 00:45:36,630
The orange van may
be the smoking gun,
908
00:45:36,730 --> 00:45:38,070
but no one can tell.
909
00:45:38,170 --> 00:45:40,040
We all have to wait
for the DNA testing.
910
00:45:42,070 --> 00:45:44,040
- Convicted murderer
Scott Peterson
911
00:45:44,140 --> 00:45:46,140
is in front of a judge today.
912
00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:50,250
- The next big hearing
is on May 29th.
913
00:45:50,350 --> 00:45:54,550
And this is a crucial hearing
because the court's
914
00:45:54,650 --> 00:45:59,020
gonna be deciding on
a number of DNA testings.
915
00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:02,690
And we're hoping that the
court approves, if not all,
916
00:46:02,790 --> 00:46:04,260
at least most of them.
917
00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:06,030
- Today's hearing could
be the most crucial
918
00:46:06,130 --> 00:46:09,060
in the attempt to try
and earn a new trial.
919
00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:13,840
- If Laci Peterson's DNA
is on that mattress,
920
00:46:13,940 --> 00:46:17,010
that's gonna exonerate
Scott Peterson.
921
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:25,110
[suspenseful music]
922
00:46:25,210 --> 00:46:26,250
* *
923
00:46:26,350 --> 00:46:28,350
- A judge ruling
is expected today.
924
00:46:28,450 --> 00:46:31,120
- A huge decision
here for this judge
925
00:46:31,220 --> 00:46:33,320
to try to determine
whether there can be
926
00:46:33,420 --> 00:46:36,190
new DNA testing done
on these pieces of evidence.
927
00:46:36,290 --> 00:46:39,060
- A no to DNA testing
could be a dagger
928
00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:40,830
to the LAIP's argument,
929
00:46:40,930 --> 00:46:44,130
but a yes to the testing
could be a huge step forward
930
00:46:44,230 --> 00:46:46,300
in asking for a new trial.
931
00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,100
- Convicted murderer
Scott Peterson
932
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:23,440
appeared virtually in a
Northern California courtroom
933
00:47:23,540 --> 00:47:27,010
as a judge denied nearly
all DNA testing requests.
934
00:47:27,110 --> 00:47:30,010
- The judge mostly rejected
Scott Peterson's request
935
00:47:30,110 --> 00:47:33,380
to test about 15 pieces
of evidence, except for one.
936
00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:36,380
Peterson will be allowed
to test a piece of duct tape
937
00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:39,050
that was found on his wife's
body after it washed ashore.
938
00:47:39,150 --> 00:47:42,190
- Most people, including me,
939
00:47:42,290 --> 00:47:48,700
expected that the DNA testing
requests would be granted.
940
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:52,070
- Paula Mitchell, in her
argument before the court,
941
00:47:52,170 --> 00:47:54,870
said, in all the years
942
00:47:54,970 --> 00:47:57,840
that I've been asking
for DNA testing,
943
00:47:57,940 --> 00:48:00,380
I've never had this kind
of resistance.
944
00:48:00,610 --> 00:48:03,450
- That, in itself,
speaks volumes, if you ask me.
945
00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:18,090
- The DNA on the duct tape on
the pants are gonna be tested.
946
00:48:18,190 --> 00:48:21,900
- If someone else's DNA
is on duct tape
947
00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:23,500
that's adhered to Laci's body,
948
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,230
that indicates someone else
is culpable.
949
00:48:26,330 --> 00:48:28,400
That doesn't get
Scott a new trial.
950
00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:29,940
That releases Scott.
951
00:48:32,670 --> 00:48:34,340
- It's the initial stages.
952
00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:36,310
This is not the end of it.
It's just the beginning.
953
00:48:36,410 --> 00:48:38,980
And at least we've got
one win.
954
00:48:39,080 --> 00:48:40,850
They still have
their discovery motion
955
00:48:40,950 --> 00:48:42,850
that they can argue
that can bring
956
00:48:42,950 --> 00:48:45,050
additional information
to light.
957
00:48:45,150 --> 00:48:47,420
Even if you think
the person is a monster,
958
00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:49,390
under our constitution,
959
00:48:49,490 --> 00:48:52,030
he or she is entitled
to a fair trial,
960
00:48:52,130 --> 00:48:54,960
something Scott Peterson
never got.
961
00:48:56,230 --> 00:49:00,470
- Criminal defense
is inherently unfair,
962
00:49:00,570 --> 00:49:04,010
simply because the state
has all the resources.
963
00:49:04,110 --> 00:49:06,610
- I think most people
think that the courts
964
00:49:06,710 --> 00:49:08,240
will get it right.
965
00:49:08,340 --> 00:49:11,150
But the problem is, when the
courts don't get it right,
966
00:49:11,250 --> 00:49:13,880
it is incredibly hard to fix.
967
00:49:13,980 --> 00:49:16,550
- I don't think
you can honestly say,
968
00:49:16,650 --> 00:49:18,990
in looking at this case, even
if you have questions about it,
969
00:49:19,090 --> 00:49:21,090
that this jury got it wrong.
970
00:49:21,190 --> 00:49:23,220
The jury basically mirrors
971
00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:26,330
what most people
in this country believe
972
00:49:26,430 --> 00:49:27,500
who have
looked into this case,
973
00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:30,070
and that is that
Scott Peterson did it.
974
00:49:30,170 --> 00:49:32,300
- There is no evidence
of manner of death.
975
00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:34,070
There is no evidence
of cause of death.
976
00:49:34,170 --> 00:49:37,410
There is no evidence
of a crime scene anywhere.
977
00:49:37,510 --> 00:49:40,580
There isn't any evidence
that Scott Peterson
978
00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:44,350
engaged in any violence
involving his wife.
979
00:49:44,450 --> 00:49:47,820
When you know that the jury
ultimately learned all of that
980
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:51,020
and still convicted him,
you have to ask yourself,
981
00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:52,220
what's going on here?
982
00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,220
And that's where, I believe,
983
00:49:54,320 --> 00:49:56,990
the media plays
a significant role.
984
00:49:57,090 --> 00:49:58,560
- We've been following
what appears to be movement
985
00:49:58,660 --> 00:50:00,230
in the Laci Peterson case.
986
00:50:00,330 --> 00:50:03,530
- All of us were so saturated
with media attention
987
00:50:03,630 --> 00:50:08,300
surrounding this case,
all virtually one-sided,
988
00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:10,540
all against Scott Peterson,
989
00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:13,010
that I believe it became
almost impossible
990
00:50:13,110 --> 00:50:15,210
to make a rational decision.
991
00:50:15,310 --> 00:50:18,250
- When ratings speak,
992
00:50:18,350 --> 00:50:21,020
when people realize that
993
00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:24,350
there's a voracious appetite
for a story,
994
00:50:24,450 --> 00:50:27,990
they're going to just
rev it up.
995
00:50:28,090 --> 00:50:30,060
And the more
the media revved it up,
996
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:31,690
the more obsession there was.
997
00:50:31,790 --> 00:50:32,730
- A Fox News alert.
998
00:50:32,830 --> 00:50:34,600
A major development
in the case of Scott Peterson.
999
00:50:34,700 --> 00:50:36,600
- He was dubbed the Most
Hated Man in America,
1000
00:50:36,700 --> 00:50:38,300
convicted of murdering
his wife, Laci.
1001
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,000
- For the first time
in many years,
1002
00:50:40,100 --> 00:50:44,040
we're hearing from
the family of Laci Peterson.
1003
00:50:44,140 --> 00:50:47,140
- This story was
a huge cottage industry.
1004
00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:49,410
"The National Enquirer"
never had it so good.
1005
00:50:49,510 --> 00:50:51,680
- The families of both
Laci and Scott Peterson
1006
00:50:51,780 --> 00:50:53,480
watching in court this week.
1007
00:50:53,580 --> 00:50:58,020
- People think that there's
some conspiracy as to
1008
00:50:58,120 --> 00:51:01,190
what we see
in the mainstream media.
1009
00:51:01,290 --> 00:51:02,220
Well, here's what we see.
1010
00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:04,430
We see what people want to see
1011
00:51:04,530 --> 00:51:06,560
because that's how
they make money.
1012
00:51:06,660 --> 00:51:09,260
- Friends and family of this
young woman, Laci Peterson.
1013
00:51:09,360 --> 00:51:11,230
- Careers were made on it.
1014
00:51:11,330 --> 00:51:13,570
Within months,
I was working at CNN
1015
00:51:13,670 --> 00:51:15,570
and had been
a national reporter since.
1016
00:51:15,670 --> 00:51:18,540
In Modesto, Ted Rowlands,
KTVU Channel 2 News.
1017
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:21,340
- Nancy Grace
was a reoccurring guest.
1018
00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:24,050
Her career absolutely exploded.
1019
00:51:24,150 --> 00:51:26,550
A lot of lives were changed
1020
00:51:26,650 --> 00:51:31,190
because of the death
of Laci and Conner Peterson.
1021
00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:36,490
- A baby boy, umbilical cord
still attached.
1022
00:51:36,590 --> 00:51:38,260
- There was a lot of hatred.
1023
00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:42,100
There was a lot
of pretrial coverage
1024
00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:44,600
and a conviction in the media.
1025
00:51:44,700 --> 00:51:47,570
But otherwise,
as far as evidence,
1026
00:51:47,670 --> 00:51:49,670
at least I didn't see
any evidence.
1027
00:51:49,770 --> 00:51:55,240
- Twenty years later, you have
two very compelling stories,
1028
00:51:55,340 --> 00:51:56,610
circumstantial as they may be.
1029
00:51:56,710 --> 00:51:59,410
If you think
Scott Peterson is guilty,
1030
00:51:59,510 --> 00:52:04,490
yeah, there's a ton
of evidence on your side.
1031
00:52:04,590 --> 00:52:07,520
If you think Scott Peterson
is not guilty,
1032
00:52:07,620 --> 00:52:10,130
there's some compelling
evidence on your side.
1033
00:52:10,230 --> 00:52:12,630
The problem is,
there's no black and white,
1034
00:52:12,730 --> 00:52:15,830
here's why we think
he did it or didn't do it.
1035
00:52:15,930 --> 00:52:17,400
There's nothing concrete.
1036
00:52:17,500 --> 00:52:20,100
And that's what
the LA Innocence Project,
1037
00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:21,540
I guess, is after.
1038
00:52:21,640 --> 00:52:23,670
- Journalism is all about
finding the truth
1039
00:52:23,770 --> 00:52:28,340
and holding our public
servants accountable.
1040
00:52:28,440 --> 00:52:31,410
At some point, law enforcement
has to engage in this.
1041
00:52:31,510 --> 00:52:33,310
It has to open their minds
a little further.
1042
00:52:33,420 --> 00:52:35,280
- If they go to another trial,
I'm not gonna like it
1043
00:52:35,380 --> 00:52:37,650
because it's gonna disrupt
a lot of people's lives.
1044
00:52:37,750 --> 00:52:40,090
And the big thing
for me is what it does
1045
00:52:40,190 --> 00:52:42,290
to Sharon, Amy, Brent.
1046
00:52:42,390 --> 00:52:44,160
When they got the verdict,
they were probably
1047
00:52:44,260 --> 00:52:45,390
on the attitude that,
oh, this is all done
1048
00:52:45,490 --> 00:52:46,560
and we can resume our lives.
1049
00:52:46,660 --> 00:52:48,660
But no, it doesn't
work that way.
1050
00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:51,800
- People never come to terms
with something
1051
00:52:51,900 --> 00:52:53,570
like a murder in their family.
1052
00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:58,710
There's no such thing
as closure.
1053
00:52:58,810 --> 00:53:01,510
It's something that haunts you
and you live with
1054
00:53:01,610 --> 00:53:03,610
for the rest of your life.
1055
00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:09,380
- It's been 22 years
since Laci went missing.
1056
00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:15,360
So really, this tragedy is--
1057
00:53:15,460 --> 00:53:18,830
it's been part of our lives
for a very long time.
1058
00:53:18,930 --> 00:53:21,160
My kids grew up with it.
1059
00:53:21,260 --> 00:53:24,200
My nieces and nephews
grew up with it.
1060
00:53:24,300 --> 00:53:28,440
We've lived
with this injustice droning
1061
00:53:28,540 --> 00:53:30,540
in the background of life.
1062
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:34,640
Our biggest hope
is that we not only
1063
00:53:34,740 --> 00:53:39,480
are able to free Scott,
but ultimately find out
1064
00:53:39,580 --> 00:53:43,350
what did happen
to Laci and Conner.
1065
00:53:43,450 --> 00:53:45,120
We need both.
1066
00:53:45,220 --> 00:53:48,260
And Laci deserves both.
1067
00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:52,530
- Her name is Laci Peterson,
1068
00:53:52,630 --> 00:53:55,830
and she has disappeared
without a trace.
1069
00:53:55,930 --> 00:53:58,300
- Are you in any way connected
to Laci's disappearance?
1070
00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:01,270
- I had nothing to do
with Laci's disappearance.
1071
00:54:01,370 --> 00:54:03,340
- Somebody has Laci.
- Authorities are baffled.
1072
00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:05,440
- A brown van could back up
1073
00:54:05,540 --> 00:54:07,340
a defense theory
Laci was abducted.
1074
00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:10,550
- $1,000 for someone that
leads us to the persons
1075
00:54:10,650 --> 00:54:12,280
responsible for the burglary.
1076
00:54:17,850 --> 00:54:19,220
- We were shocked to
find out that
1077
00:54:19,320 --> 00:54:20,520
he'd been having an affair.
1078
00:54:20,620 --> 00:54:22,560
- I'm only left to question
what else he may be hiding.
1079
00:54:22,660 --> 00:54:25,590
- A female adult body was
discovered late this morning
1080
00:54:25,690 --> 00:54:27,630
by a woman
walking the shoreline.
1081
00:54:27,730 --> 00:54:29,260
- Murder suspect
Scott Peterson
1082
00:54:29,360 --> 00:54:32,200
had $10,000 in cash
when he was arrested
1083
00:54:32,300 --> 00:54:33,470
near the Mexican border.
1084
00:54:33,570 --> 00:54:36,540
- A crowd of 250
taunted and heckled him,
1085
00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:38,310
calling him a murderer.
1086
00:54:38,410 --> 00:54:40,340
- Peterson has been
found guilty of first-
1087
00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:41,640
and second-degree murder.
1088
00:54:41,740 --> 00:54:42,680
[cheering]
1089
00:54:42,780 --> 00:54:44,610
- Whoo-hoo!
That's it! I'm happy!
1090
00:54:44,710 --> 00:54:46,310
- The judge in Scott
Peterson's murder trial
1091
00:54:46,410 --> 00:54:48,220
sentenced him,
calling him cruel,
1092
00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:49,520
uncaring, and heartless.
1093
00:54:49,620 --> 00:54:50,820
- Scott got what he deserved.
1094
00:54:50,920 --> 00:54:52,920
- Key questions
remain unanswered
1095
00:54:53,020 --> 00:54:57,690
and have left some wondering,
will we ever get to the truth?
1096
00:55:00,460 --> 00:55:03,330
[somber music]
1097
00:55:03,430 --> 00:55:04,700
* *
1098
00:55:10,970 --> 00:55:16,310
- Every moment is so real,
is so tactile and still there.
1099
00:55:16,410 --> 00:55:18,650
And the smells and the
lighting and the sound
1100
00:55:18,750 --> 00:55:24,790
of when I say goodbye to Laci,
I mean, my family was gone.
1101
00:55:24,890 --> 00:55:28,860
I drove away, expecting to
come back that afternoon
1102
00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:30,730
and have our wonderful
Christmas together
1103
00:55:30,830 --> 00:55:32,630
after we both had,
you know, fun mornings.
1104
00:55:32,730 --> 00:55:35,600
And no, they were gone.
1105
00:55:35,700 --> 00:55:40,500
And it's still
very, very present.
1106
00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:42,770
But there are certainly times
that I become a wreck.
1107
00:55:46,410 --> 00:55:48,410
Excuse me.
1108
00:55:48,510 --> 00:55:52,550
You know, I try not to be
too emotional
1109
00:55:52,650 --> 00:55:55,220
when I'm out here in
the day room of the prison.
1110
00:55:55,320 --> 00:56:02,390
* *
86986
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