letter from scott peterson's father
Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 4:12 pm
lee peterson wrote this letter to the Modesto Bee this week. i can understand why he and scott's mother are in denial, but this is outrageous. so the jury got it all wrong. kind of like in oj. it's the media's fault! and the cops fault!
Investigation a $4.13M lie
Concerning the article "Peterson's finaltab$4.13M" (April 22, Page A-1), it is time for some truth to be told. Modesto citizens bore the cost of the police department investigation and trial to put an innocent man on death row.
Ron Grantski says the investigation was done professionally; ergo, a conviction was forthcoming. That is utter nonsense. The detectives in this case were anything but professional. They leaked lies to the media from day one.
The Modesto Police Department failed to follow up on solid leads and sightings. These leads did not fit the MPD's scenario. The police deliberately withheld exculpatory evidence †a woman saw Laci at the warehouse where the boat was kept. That would account for the single hair found in the boat, a hair that might have been Laci's.
Expenditures of $4 million and the MPD, FBI and Department of Justice came up with one hair, which possibly belonged to Laci and which could have been where it was found by any number of means.
My son has no history of violence or a police record that suggests he could be capable of anything like this. My son was convicted by the media, mostly because of lies leaked by the MPD. Pressure was brought to solve this crime (and) pin it on someone so the MPD wouldn't look inept. The MPD gave in to this pressure.
My son was convicted because he had an affair. He was convicted by a jury full of hatred because of the way Scott was vilified in the media.
He was convicted because of public opinion. Scott was not convicted of this crime under the standards required by law. The evidence presented did not meet the standards required to convict.
Consider: There was no cause of death, no crime scene, no motive, not a shred of evidence in the home or truck, no background of abuse, not even a harsh word was heard from Scott to Laci by any witness †including Sharon Rocha or Laci's siblings or friends.
The media manipulates our justice system in this country, and all you folks out there (especially in Modesto) should be scared as hell of what could happen to you and your families in this atmosphere of police corruption and media bias.
The Modesto Police Department, by its behavior, made it clear it cared not one whit about truth or justice. The detectives and the chief were only interested in self-aggrandizement and their own careers.
The power these people have (and utterly misused) is awesome. Because of them, a man is on death row and a family is hurting beyond all comprehension.
Scott will be freed through the appellate process in time, mark my words. He is innocent, innocent, innocent.
LEE PETERSON Solana Beach
Investigation a $4.13M lie
Concerning the article "Peterson's finaltab$4.13M" (April 22, Page A-1), it is time for some truth to be told. Modesto citizens bore the cost of the police department investigation and trial to put an innocent man on death row.
Ron Grantski says the investigation was done professionally; ergo, a conviction was forthcoming. That is utter nonsense. The detectives in this case were anything but professional. They leaked lies to the media from day one.
The Modesto Police Department failed to follow up on solid leads and sightings. These leads did not fit the MPD's scenario. The police deliberately withheld exculpatory evidence †a woman saw Laci at the warehouse where the boat was kept. That would account for the single hair found in the boat, a hair that might have been Laci's.
Expenditures of $4 million and the MPD, FBI and Department of Justice came up with one hair, which possibly belonged to Laci and which could have been where it was found by any number of means.
My son has no history of violence or a police record that suggests he could be capable of anything like this. My son was convicted by the media, mostly because of lies leaked by the MPD. Pressure was brought to solve this crime (and) pin it on someone so the MPD wouldn't look inept. The MPD gave in to this pressure.
My son was convicted because he had an affair. He was convicted by a jury full of hatred because of the way Scott was vilified in the media.
He was convicted because of public opinion. Scott was not convicted of this crime under the standards required by law. The evidence presented did not meet the standards required to convict.
Consider: There was no cause of death, no crime scene, no motive, not a shred of evidence in the home or truck, no background of abuse, not even a harsh word was heard from Scott to Laci by any witness †including Sharon Rocha or Laci's siblings or friends.
The media manipulates our justice system in this country, and all you folks out there (especially in Modesto) should be scared as hell of what could happen to you and your families in this atmosphere of police corruption and media bias.
The Modesto Police Department, by its behavior, made it clear it cared not one whit about truth or justice. The detectives and the chief were only interested in self-aggrandizement and their own careers.
The power these people have (and utterly misused) is awesome. Because of them, a man is on death row and a family is hurting beyond all comprehension.
Scott will be freed through the appellate process in time, mark my words. He is innocent, innocent, innocent.
LEE PETERSON Solana Beach
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