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Published May 19, 2015
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Last night we showed you video of Scott Peterson being transferred at 3 a.m. California time to San Quentin (search) (death row). The video showed him coming out of the Redwood City jail (search) and getting into a white van. I wondered on air how we were able to get that video — as far as I knew, the transfer, for security reasons, would be done without notice to anyone. Don Fair, one of my Fox colleagues who worked with us in Redwood City fired off this e-mail to me:
E-mail No. 1 from Don Fair:
Yesterday, in the early afternoon, the San Mateo Sheriff offered to allow one pool video camera and one still camera to make the shot of Scott leaving the jail. All the network coordinating producers at Redwood City agreed to this. The Sheriff wouldn't reveal when the move was going to be made — saying it would take place "in a day or two." The pool coordinator was called at about 9 p.m. last night and told to have the camera at the courthouse after midnight. The agreement was that a local station would do the video shooting — and then distribute the "perp walk." That's how it went down.
Also, it was part of the agreement that the station that shot the video would distribute to all the networks and local stations at the same time.... which is how the video got into everybody's hands at once.
So, now you know (and, so do I!) By the way, did you notice how when we played the video of Peterson leaving the jail it restarted and we played it twice without stopping? The second run was absolutely seamless to the first so there was no break between the first showing and the second. At first, I thought I was imagining that I had just seen the same video — I had only had two hours sleep since I flew the red eye home and was feeling weary. But as I watched the replay I figured that I could not be that tired or goofy! I knew there had to be some mistake or malfunction of some sort. I asked my producer during the break, "didn't that play twice?" He moaned so I guess there was some problem and I was not imagining things.
Last night on the show we discussed the great number of letters that Peterson had waiting for him at San Quentin. Check out e-mail no. 9 below from a woman/viewer who is a "pen pal" of Peterson.
Yesterday there was a press conference in Modesto held by the prosecution team. KFI's Laura Ingle (search) attended and sent me this note:
E-mail No. 2 from Laura Ingle:
Prosecutors and police investigators held a news conference in Modesto today. It was in the "theater" of the department's headquarters. It was standing room only. While Laci's family did not come, her girlfriends and some of their mothers did. They listened intently as investigators and DA team members spoke. I talked with a couple of them outside the courthouse Wednesday, and one today. The friends are still shaken, and get weepy when they talk about the loss of Laci and betrayal of Scott. The one friend I talked to after the news conference told me that it's still hard to talk about, and all of them are doing what they can to move on with their lives. I also spotted Dave Markovich standing along the back row of the news conference...he is Amber Frey's boyfriend and father of her new baby. I talked to him outside and asked him what he was doing there, and he said he wanted to come and say thanks to the cops. I asked him if he and Amber were still together, (I had heard they were broken up) he said yes... He told me they don't live together, but they are still seeing each other everyday, and Amber didn't come to the presser because she's trying to get on with her life....
With the gag order lifted now that the trial and sentencing of Peterson is over — reporters were free to ask any question they wanted. Detective Al Brocchini was asked when HE knew Scott Peterson was involved in Laci's disappearance. He said, "when the bodies came up, that was clearly the time when I wanted to go get him". Detective John Buehler was in charge of Amber Frey. He talked about the day he had to show Sharon Rocha the photo of Amber Frey and Scott Peterson taken at a Christmas party in December 2002. It was a few weeks after Laci vanished. Bueler says he remembers sliding the photo across a table to Sharon who said to him "why did he have to kill her?" He said that pretty much told her without even saying it in words... "your daughter is never coming back." Prosecutor Rick Distaso was asked if he thought Scott Peterson meant to kill Laci on December 23rd 2002. The question was asked because Scott had invited Laci's sister Amy over for pizza that night, which many people thought was odd. Distaso said that he thinks Scott invited Amy over to help in his alibi, and that he planned to kill her later in the night. He said the evidence shows that, because Scott purchased a fishing license for December 23/24 that he bought on December 20th. When asked how big Amber Frey's role was in the case, detectives said "huge"... On the testimony of Sharon Rocha and other family members, prosecutors said their role was crucial. Prosecutor Dave Harris went on to say, they wouldn't have got a death verdict in the case if it wasn't for Laci's family testifying at trial.
Now some e-mails from you:
E-mail No. 3:
Hey, Greta—
You keep saying that when a jury finds someone "Not guilty" this doesn't mean he's been found innocent. YOU ARE WRONG! A person in a criminal trial is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If a jury rules he has not been proven guilty, his presumed innocence has been upheld.
HE HAS BEEN FOUND INNOCENT.
Rob Sherrill
Norwalk, CT
Answer: Rob: I am right about this one. The jury is simply asked if the evidence of guilt was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury is not asked if the person is innocent. A jury could "think" the person guilty and a person could actually be guilty, but the jury could be required by law to return a verdict of "not guilty" because the evidence is insufficient.
E-mail No. 4:
Greta and panel, I used to have respect for you and your program but no more. It is nothing more than a way for you to get out your theories. The only one that is on your panel with any common sense and ability to think before speaking with good judgment is Laura Ingle, I did think well of Jim Hammer but no more. As has been stated before Scott did not kill Laci, Amber did and her lawyer knows it. Her actions and body language gives that away. It was stated that Laci's family has faced the worst now, but this is not true. The worst will come when they have to face Scott after the real murderers are located and convicted. When you use a liar as your police consultant it shows that you do not care about the truth. This consultant lied and fabricated evidence in a trial that when he was found out enabled a true double murderer to go free. No facts were ever presented to show Scott as being guilty. If he had been able to release his emotions he would not have been declared guilty, I do not believe that he was found guilty on the evidence presented by the prosecution. If you had influenced the Robert Blake jury the way that you influenced Scott's jury he would have been declared guilty also.
Richard Duane Morris
E-mail No. 5:
Hi Greta,
THANKS for the great job you and the panel have done on the Peterson case. I doubted for along time that he was guilty but I did not hear all of the evidence. Apparently there was proof.
Although he has gotten a sentence that is deserved for such a crime I feel
he did not get a fair trial which, in all rights is fair, Laci and Connor were surely not treated fairly or given a chance. I realize that is now up to the court of appeals but the media and Gloria Allred tried him in public, if it were not for that, I still do not feel based on what I have heard that they could have convicted him - based on the lack of physical evidence.
I think that it is awful that Amber Fry, Scott's stepsister and jurors are allowed to make money off such a tragic case. As interested as I have been in this I would not purchase or read any material written by or on behalf of them. People will do or say anything for a financial motive including Gloria. I feel that it is so disrespectful to Laci, Connor and their family as well as the Peterson family.
GREAT WORK!!
K. R.
E-mail No. 6:
I am curious what you and Fox news will do now that the Peterson mess is over. Your rating are sure to go down, unless of course you can find another white male to hang on your program. But, I am sure your research staff is working hard to find the next candidate for your legal lynch mob. You and Fox news make me sick!
E-mail No. 7:
The other evening you asked Jessica's grandparents if John Couey could see Jessica's bedroom window from his house. They both answered, "No" and the grandmother added, "He would have to be around on the other side of the house." Tonight you asked Jessica's father the same question and he answered, "Yes, he could see the whole house."
Also at first Jessica's father said that when he returned home the day Jessica disappeared the front door was unlocked. The grandfather later told you that the door was locked. What is going on here? There is something weird about this case.
B. Merrell
Tulsa, Oklahoma
E-mail No. 8:
HI-
I hope that when you have Terry Schiavo's brother on tomorrow night you will express to him to find it in him that he needs to accept the decision of the court and not allow this to continue because all it does is make a mockery of her life. Terry's Schiavo's husband needs to do the same as well, both parties need to lay everything on the table to the court and whatever the court decides that is it no matter what it is, disputing back and forth does no good and in fact is counter productive. I hope that you will also have the prosecutor’s from the Peterson trial on your show, seeing how you have dedicated so much time to that case. Keep up the good work!
Karen
Answer: We have an open invitation to the prosecution team.
E-mail No. 9:
(This following e-mail is from a viewer who wrote Scott Peterson in jail and is offended that we talked about women doing that.)
I was very offended by your show tonight while you are talking about Scott receiving fan mail and implying they were coming from sick desperate women.
I am a penpal of Scotts... I am not a fan, I am not some sick woman seeking marriage... I am a friend. I fully believe Scott is innocent and will continue to support him until he is exonerated. Maybe you cannot see the reasonable doubt in this case, however I am not that blind. Scott is a great guy. Stop cutting him down. Will you apologize when he is exonerated??? I would love to see that.
Amanda
E-mail No. 10:
Just heard a huge stack of letters from WOMEN were waiting for Scott Peterson at San Quentin...some letters were returned because he was not yet a prisoner there!!!
Jim
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