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TV: Tape Wrapped on Peterson Baby's Neck

.c The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - An autopsy revealed that the body of Laci Peterson's unborn son had a significant cut and a short length of plastic tape wrapped around the neck, MSNBC reported Thursday.

A source close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that the TV report was correct. The cable news channel said it had received a portion of an autopsy report done by Contra Costa County coroner's office.

Stanislaus County prosecutors did not return telephone calls for comment by The Associated Press. The Contra Costa County coroner's office said it would have no comment on the report.

Part of the autopsy report indicated the unborn baby boy had 1 1/2 loops of plastic tape around his neck, the MSNBC report said.

Scott Peterson, 30, of Modesto, is accused of killing his wife and unborn son, whom the couple had planned to name Conner, last Dec. 23 or 24 in their home. His wife was eight months pregnant at the time. The bodies washed up on the shore of San Francisco Bay last month.

Contra Costa County authorities concluded their autopsy report earlier this month, but said they were unable to determine a cause of death. The autopsy results have been sealed by a Stanislaus County court order.

It's possible the baby's body was cut shoulder to shoulder or became wrapped in the tape because of its long submersion in San Francisco Bay, the MSNBC report said, adding that the part of the coroner's report the network received ``doesn't prove anything one way or another.''

Peterson's defense attorney Mark Geragos would not comment on the report. He said Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Al Girolami, during a closed meeting in his chambers Tuesday, ``more than telegraphed that he does not want us commenting on the case.''

Girolami had said he was considering a gag order in the case to prevent news leaks.

The MSNBC report called the findings a ``significant development'' and suggested it could be used to create reasonable doubt in a jury's mind about murder charges against Scott Peterson.

Geragos, who took Peterson's case May 2, has suggested that members of a satanic cult were the killers. He has also hinted that a female mystery witness could lead authorities to the real killer and free Scott Peterson.

The network did not say how it obtained the report.


 
05/29/03 15:09 EDT
   

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.  All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL..

Quoted:
Apparently when he was dismembering her he performed a unintentional C-section and the baby made noise so it was strangled.

Quoted:
I am so fucking tired of hearing about this shit.  I wish Scott would get a little prison justice so the whole god damn story would go away.

Quoted:



Is that your guess or was that in the tory? because that is a huge assumption.

Apparently when he was dismembering her he performed a unintentional C-section and the baby made noise so it was strangled.

Quoted:

If I had to guess, I'd say on the boat. Boats are made to be washed down easily.

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Could someone please provide me with a link to a story where it said she was dismembered?  First, I don't recall hearing that.  Second, it's unlikely that a dismembered body would wash ashore, because it probably wouldn't bloat & float.  

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Geez... I guess everything they say in the media about assault weapons and the people that use them is true too!

All of you who have already tried and convicted Scott Peterson better hope you never get charged with something and get folks on the jury who think like you.

Frankly, the evidence I've heard, which is all circumstantial and spread by the media, doesn't look good for Scott; however, since I'm not a trier of the facts in this case who has access to all the evidence, I'm going to reserve my judgment until those who do try the case render their verdict. Decent members of society will do the same.

Quoted:
By your theory of waiting until the jury renders it's verdict, are you saying that you believe OJ was innocent?  After all, that's what the trier of fact found.

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Right now, there is so much flotsum surrounding this case, it is unrecognizable.

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No pun intended? [puke]

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As for OJ being innocent... A civil jury found him responsible for the deaths. BTW, I heard [b]all[/b] the evidence as it was presented to the jury. My opinion is based on those facts, not media [s]drivle[/s][red]drivel[/red].

Quoted:
Are you a friend of the Peterson family eswanson?

Cause you are getting awfully irate over people exercising their First Amendment right to share a opinion...

Quoted:
Is there some reason a "decent member of society" is not permitted to have, or express, an opinion before the trial? The jury is required to presume him innocent. We're not.

Quoted:
...I'm going to reserve my judgment until those who do try the case render their verdict. Decent members of society will do the same.

Quoted:
When did the media decide speculation was better than reporting?

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I don't think OJ was innocent, but then again we got to hear the trial, ee got to see the detials outlined for us; the evidence was presented.

Right now, there is so much flotsum surrounding this case, it is unrecognizable.

The fact they had not considered other suspects is a bad sign in my book.  Despite what they said, when it came out they finally said that Scott was the sole focus of their attention.

When the facts come out and get cleared up, all this other bullshit is pre-trial hype.  There are too many holes in this case right now.

Why didn't he just stay gone, in Mexico, when they let him go down there for business?

I still want to know why he sold her toruck if he thought she was still alive?

You see there is too much shit...to get a clear picture...at least for me.