A&E Series about Laci Peterson

[erin1715]

The show also mentioned how one particular juror apparently lied on her questionnaire about never being involved in another judicial case. This juror was pregnant and being harassed by her boyfiend's ex-girlfriend at the time, so it's possible she may have felt a connection to Laci and had a bias right off the bat. They interviewed that juror on the show and she said she never even thought of her own case when she was answering the questionnaire.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Sounds like this was a "Poor Scott Peterson is innocent" sob sister series.

Just like that Making a Murderer series. (Can't remember that scumbag's name.)

 

[Hikergirl]

Yes they mentioned the anchors and cement. But again I ask, how could he have thrown that much weight overboard and not tip over? Also, they mentioned that bodies have been in the water longer than hers and have not been in that condition. IMO, there was much to consider on the other side.

I don't have any experience dumping bodies over the side of a boat, but I don't think it is impossible for he boat to not tip over. I also don't think that because other bodies weren't in that condition it means no body ever could be.
Maybe there is reasonable doubt, but for me there is reasonable NO doubt too. I'd rather err on the side of caution and not let a murderer go free in that case. Thankfully that is what the jury thought too.

 

[HarperLeigh]

Sounds like this was a "Poor Scott Peterson is innocent" sob sister series.

Just like that Making a Murderer series. (Can't remember that scumbag's name.)

Steven Avery. I live close to where that all took place.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Yes they mentioned the anchors and cement. But again I ask, how could he have thrown that much weight overboard and not tip over? Also, they mentioned that bodies have been in the water longer than hers and have not been in that condition. IMO, there was much to consider on the other side.

Were those bodies also weighed down? Were they also heavily pregnant? Have there been bodies found in a similar or worse condition?
Was there a mention of the autopsy starting there was no evidence of tool marks (which would expected if she had been dismembered by someone)? That where the limbs were detached is inconsistent with being dismembered by someone and consistent with the dismemberment happening from being weighed down in the water?
As far as the boat not tipping, I don't know. I don't know anything about boats. I have no idea if that's even a real concern because I don't know anything about boats.

 

[erin1715]

I don't have any experience dumping bodies over the side of a boat, but I don't think it is impossible for he boat to not tip over. I also don't think that because other bodies weren't in that condition it means no body ever could be.
Maybe there is reasonable doubt, but for me there is reasonable NO doubt too. I'd rather err on the side of caution and not let a murderer go free in that case. Thankfully that is what the jury thought too.

I don't have any experience either, but the defense DID recreate the same scenario and I think they said they even let the jury try to do it, and nobody could do it without the boat tipping over. So that was an interesting tidbit, and I would think a significant one since that is what people assume happened.

 

[erin1715]

Were those bodies also weighed down? Were they also heavily pregnant? Have there been bodies found in a similar or worse condition?
Was there a mention of the autopsy starting there was no evidence of tool marks (which would expected if she had been dismembered by someone)? That where the limbs were detached is inconsistent with being dismembered by someone and consistent with the dismemberment happening from being weighed down in the water?
As far as the boat not tipping, I don't know. I don't know anything about boats. I have no idea if that's even a real concern because I don't know anything about boats.

No I don't think the series mentioned the autopsy at all. So yes that is a significant detail that was left out.

 

[pryncess527]

Yes they mentioned the anchors and cement. But again I ask, how could he have thrown that much weight overboard and not tip over? Also, they mentioned that bodies have been in the water longer than hers and have not been in that condition. IMO, there was much to consider on the other side.

I weigh more than Laci did and if I jump off a boat, it doesn't tip over. I'm not sure I see how the physics of me propelling myself off one side of a boat is drastically different. I've been on a boat where all people stand on the same side, and it doesn't flip. It leans, but boats are designed to not flip with basic weight changes/distributions.
Did the defense introduce that idea at trial? (I don't recall hearing it before now) - ETA -- okay, I see now that the defense did. Did the show indicate how the prosecution answered it? Clearly the jury didn't find the defense argument compelling, which makes me wonder what flaws in the argument were mentioned at trial but left out of this show.

It's just like the Jon Benet show awhile back -- these guys use poor logic and manipulation with careful selection of facts to create the idea of doubt where there is none. But by leaving out facts, they create the impression that things are more suspect than they really are.

 

[Hikergirl]

I don't have any experience either, but the defense DID recreate the same scenario and I think they said they even let the jury try to do it, and nobody could do it without the boat tipping over. So that was an interesting tidbit, and I would think a significant one since that is what people assume happened.

I just watched the video the defense created and it said that the judge did not let the jury see it. I really don't know much about what the jury saw or tried but in the video I watched they showed a man sitting in a seat (not a bench on the boat) trying to pull a body that was laying on the floor of the boat over the side. The man remained seated while doing it.
Maybe there is more of the video showing the man trying every possible position, standing and sitting, and every possible position on the boat and every possible position that Laci's body could have been in on that boat.
Unless they did that then no one can say with 100% certainty that the boat would tip over when trying to dump a body. If they didn't recreate every single possibility then it is possible that there is one or more that would have resulted in the boat staying afloat.

On a personal level, looking at the boat I don't see it being impossible to have her body laying on the bench and rolling it off into the water.
I'm sure somehwhere, someone has fallen off one of those boats without the boat tipping over. So, why would it be impossible for a body to be "pushed" into the water without the same thing happening?

The website is a pro Scott Peterson appeal website, and the video is on youtube

 

[pryncess527]

Just found this:

Delucci was wise to bar the video, the response contends, because conditions were different from those suspected in the Peterson case. For example, the boat in the experiment had a higher center of gravity and the man hefting a weighted dummy overboard seemed to try to tip it by leaning on the gunwale, or rim of the boat, the document says.

Also, the judge offered to let Geragos try another experiment with Peterson’s actual boat, with prosecutors watching this time, but Peterson’s camp declined.


As I suspected. The boat tipping thing was a defense trick, using different conditions. They likely did not accept the offer to use the actual boat because it wouldn't have made their point.

Kind of like having OJ try the glove on Of course it didn't fit in the moment, but that doesn't make him innocent. Just a clever courtroom game.

 

[erin1715]

Just found this:

Delucci was wise to bar the video, the response contends, because conditions were different from those suspected in the Peterson case. For example, the boat in the experiment had a higher center of gravity and the man hefting a weighted dummy overboard seemed to try to tip it by leaning on the gunwale, or rim of the boat, the document says.

Also, the judge offered to let Geragos try another experiment with Peterson’s actual boat, with prosecutors watching this time, but Peterson’s camp declined.


As I suspected. The boat tipping thing was a defense trick, using different conditions. They likely did not accept the offer to use the actual boat because it wouldn't have made their point.

Kind of like having OJ try the glove on Of course it didn't fit in the moment, but that doesn't make him innocent. Just a clever courtroom game.

Well that answers that then. I still thought the show was interesting and there's no harm in open discussion. None of us will be the people who will be deciding whether he's freed or not!

 

[msjprincess]

Just found this:

Delucci was wise to bar the video, the response contends, because conditions were different from those suspected in the Peterson case. For example, the boat in the experiment had a higher center of gravity and the man hefting a weighted dummy overboard seemed to try to tip it by leaning on the gunwale, or rim of the boat, the document says.

Also, the judge offered to let Geragos try another experiment with Peterson’s actual boat, with prosecutors watching this time, but Peterson’s camp declined.


As I suspected. The boat tipping thing was a defense trick, using different conditions. They likely did not accept the offer to use the actual boat because it wouldn't have made their point.

Kind of like having OJ try the glove on Of course it didn't fit in the moment, but that doesn't make him innocent. Just a clever courtroom game.

I was just about to post the same thing.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Well that answers that then. I still thought the show was interesting and there's no harm in open discussion. None of us will be the people who will be deciding whether he's freed or not!

While there's no harm in discussion that doesn't mean a discussion worth having. It seems most of the things that show had you questioning were easily answered by random people who, I assume, aren't really big Scott Peterson trial experts out anything.
I do believe there is harm in programs like this one. First, it definitely hurts the loved ones of the victims. Imagine being Laci's mother or her best friend. A show like this not only just opens up wounds but it also causes people to question the conviction and sympathize with Scott. Imagine what that must feel like for them.
These show are also harmful because of their dishonesty and how many people just fall for it all. Too many people just believe what they see, hear, read on tv and the internet. They lose the ability to think things through on their own and just take what is spoonfed to them.
In this thread, it appears you watched the show and came away from it questioning the conviction but various posts had you change your mind a bit and see where maybe the show was full of it. Why though? I hope you at least looked up a few things people said before considering it. Random people on the internet are no more credible than random tv shows.

 

[HarperLeigh]

Just found this:

Delucci was wise to bar the video, the response contends, because conditions were different from those suspected in the Peterson case. For example, the boat in the experiment had a higher center of gravity and the man hefting a weighted dummy overboard seemed to try to tip it by leaning on the gunwale, or rim of the boat, the document says.

Also, the judge offered to let Geragos try another experiment with Peterson’s actual boat, with prosecutors watching this time, but Peterson’s camp declined.


As I suspected. The boat tipping thing was a defense trick, using different conditions. They likely did not accept the offer to use the actual boat because it wouldn't have made their point.

Kind of like having OJ try the glove on Of course it didn't fit in the moment, but that doesn't make him innocent. Just a clever courtroom game.

Anyone who has ever had to throw something over the side of a boat (mainly an anchor, not a body ) knows you don't lean over the side. You lean your weight back to balance the boat and avoid tipping.

 

[mom2rtk]

I actually had a visceral reaction to the series. I was disgusted that they were trying so hard to defend the scumbag.

 

[pryncess527]

I actually had a visceral reaction to the series. I was disgusted that they were trying so hard to defend the scumbag.

I felt the same way. I'm disappointed A&E thought it was worthy enough to air. I hope SP did not make money off this.

 

[smiths02]

There was robbers in the neighborhood around the same time Laci was killed.

Why woukd Scott put himself where the body would be found

People claimed they saw Laci walking the dog in the park well after Scott left.

Is Scott a lying cheating dirt bag Yes!!!!! A murderer Im not sure.

While I know our justice system has flaws...he was convicted by a jury of his peers and sentenced to death. He was a good looking, young, clean cut, middle class, white man with a competent defense team that he chose.

I doubt they got it wrong.

 

[smiths02]

I'm not sure who killed Laci and Conner but I think the police had tunnel vision for Scott.

While I know that it is easy to discount the police...police (especially detectives and investigators) have years of experience gathering evidence, analyzing it, and talking with people. Sometimes they have tunnel vision because they are right. There is an idea in many professions of professional judgment. Their job is to narrow down the field.

The wikipedia page for about Scott lists defense theory of a satanic cult. That is seriously grasping at straws. Who else were the police supposed to be looking at?

"The CDC analyzed the murders of women in 18 states from 2003 to 2014, finding a total of 10,018 deaths. Of those, 55 percent were intimate partner violence-related, meaning they occurred at the hands of a former or current partner or the partner’s family or friends. In 93 percent of those cases, the culprit was a current or former romantic partner." Of course police are going to look at the husband who is the one reporting her missing (last saw her alive) and has no good alibi

 

[msjprincess]

I thought some of the defense theories were silly. Like making a big deal about someone using the home computer that morning saying it had t be Laci therefore she was still alive when Scott left. Or maybe it was Scott making it look like she was alive.

 

[RedAngie]

Towards the end of last night's show, Scott's sister and sister-in-law hosted what they called a "SPA weekend" with SPA standing for Scott Peterson Appeal. A bunch of women who apparently met each other through message boards about the case all got together to go over the evidence, transcripts, etc to try and help the appeal. I didn't follow the case closely at the time it occurred but those message boards must have been intense!!

Indeed they were. Lots of people were downright nasty, plenty of name calling, insults, etc. The bulk of posters were convinced of his guilt, but others floated every possible (and impossible) alternative theory.