Dear Viewers,
Wednesday night, Dr. Cyril Wecht (search) was booked by our staff for the show: He had been released from the witness list over the weekend and was eager to talk about the Peterson (search) case.
As I was interviewing him during our second segment — the "B block" — I was suddenly surprised by the stage manager holding up two signs and looking rather frantic. He held up the signs just as I asked a question. The two signs read "15 seconds" and "hard break." This came as a huge surprise to me since the B block is never a "hard out" — meaning that the computer will zap us off if I don't end the segment. Needless to say, I readily complied with the directions I got — even though I received the information with literally no notice (I assume by the time I read the sign, I was down to 13 seconds!) Apparently the producers wanted to bring the segment to the very edge and that unfortunately meant "surprising" me since they could not warn me or tell me until I got the two signs.
Here is what the viewers thought about what happened — and, as always, randomly chosen:
E-mail No. 1
Hello Greta,
Do you have a problem with Dr. Wecht?
Why cut him off? I wanted to hear what he had to say.
You let that awful creature with the bright red lipstick talk till the cows come home, what is wrong with letting a decent intelligent guest have his say? We all know you are pro-prosecution and a Frey lover but still, cutting off a man like Cyril Wecht to let an old has been worthless attorney like lipstick talk is just plain suicide to your career. I am officially telling you, this is the last screw up for me, I will no longer be a viewer of this program. I am e-mailing Fox tonight to let them know I don't pay to see an old woman try to put something over on me.
Patty
Kansas City
ANSWER: Patty — the good thing is that you are not quick to criticize without all the facts...hmm…just kidding.
E-mail No. 2
Greta,
I was extremely surprised in your despicable behavior tonight cutting Dr. Ceril Wecht off. I have known for some time you want the young Peterson boy convicted, but to jeopardize your journalist reputation to keep your viewers from hearing the other side is not you, or at least I didn't think it was you. Nancy Grace, Catherine Crier, or Dan Abrams yes. They do it all the time, but you definitely surprised me. I guess you are no different from them after all, especially considering the way you coddle that red mouthed old hag Allred. I'm glad the trial is almost over, I have no intention of watching your program ever again, so if you are planning on having that unfortunate husband stealing Frey on, forget it, you won't be getting your regular viewers to watch it. We have had it with your one sided reporting.
The Quotester
E-mail No. 3
Hi Greta:
It was outrageous to give Cyril Wecht a platform to spew garbage about his take on how and when Conner Peterson died. He appeared on your show to help Geragos muddy the waters and stir throw some other manure on the wall. If he had something important to say and Geragos could successfully use him on the stand, why wasn't he called? The answer is simple — under oath and cross, his hocus-pocus theory would not meet the smell test.
Phyllis Karpe
Pikesville, Maryland
ANSWER: Phyllis — while I regret if your mind is now "muddied" (to use your word).... but we are only seeking to give you all the different facts and viewpoints. We are not telling you what to believe or think. You should not be too troubled since in the end your opinion — and mine — are irrelevant on this matter. What matters is the collective opinion of the 12 jurors. The 12 jurors have all promised not to watch any TV, or read papers about this case. I actually believe jurors are good citizens and will do their very best.
E-mail No. 4
How dare you cut Dr. Wecht off and let that black hearted big mouth Gloria Allmouth talk on and on about garbage. We have waited months to hear some decent information and you cut them off. What kind of a prosecution sycophant are you? Gloria Allmouth adds nothing to that program and neither does that stupid Bernie. You need to change the name of your program to the Gloria Allmouth Show, you couldn't even get her to shut up to let you talk. You have lost control of your own show to a big mouthed media whore. I have completely had it with you and your stupid show. At least Larry King is able to control his guests. If you are sucking up to that cow to get an interview with her bitch client Amber Frey, save your mouth, nobody is going to watch it anyway.
Robert Misner
Chicago, IL
E-mail No. 5
Dear Greta,
wow! i am dumbfounded at cyril wecht's statements. now what do you think of this? let's say that connor was born alive or removed from laci. perhaps scott, after killing laci wanted to see his child before he disposed of the body, therefore ripping him from laci's stomach. then he placed connor in that plastic bag (you know, the one that was found near where the bodies washed up, a detective thought it smelled like "death"), tying him up very tightly in that bag to the point of preservation, but not before tying some kind of plastic around his neck (oh, now i know, connor was born alive and scott had to choke him with the twine, but wait! there are no indentations on his neck, oops!). okay, maybe he used the twine to tie him to laci's body so he would go down with her and the anchors. that would explain how they washed up at the same time and so close together. there you have it! now if the defense can argue ridiculous theories and conclusions, so should the prosecution and do you really think the jury would buy it? come on! stranger things have happened, yes. but not in this case. my theory above defies logic and is just as "reasonable" as geragos's theories. how can anyone possibly come up with "reasonable" doubt in this case? one would have to totally ignore the facts and the evidence, that's how!!! i think that people want to believe geragos because he is so likable and charismatic, but that does not mean that one has to buy into everything that comes out of his mouth nor does it make his client innocent.
have a nice day!
erica,
san diego,ca
E-mail No. 6
Greta,
You gave the doctor an open mike, free from cross examination, to express his ideas about the death of Connor Peterson. That's something the judicial system would not allow.
I don't believe that you are really naive enough to think that jurors are not watching your show. Are you being paid by Mark Garagos?
E-mail No. 7
Greta:
Cyril Wecht was fantastic. I have always believed Peterson was innocent and now I know it for sure. Thanks for having Wecht on. Sure wished you would have let him talk longer. I realize that you all the members on your panel think he is guilty, but that doesn't mean that everyone does.
Please get this guest back on your show.
And please, in the interest of decency, put a gag on Gloria and Fieger. They really are too much to take sometimes.
What is the chances of getting Henry Lee on? Bet he would be every bit as good as Wecht. Please work on getting him. Some of the members of your panel seem nice enough, but all you and they do is just rehash the same old stuff. No offense meant.
C Franklin
E-mail No. 8
Greta,
I am disappointed you would allow Dr. Wecht to speak on your program last night. His comment about baby Conner and whatever was around his neck was something he should have only said in court where he could have been cross examined. Of course he didn't do that and I am certain he would have been made to look as foolish as Mark Geragoes's other witness.
I have to wonder if Wecht was Geragoe's paid TV witness last night!
Dr Wecht giving the measurements of the head was VERY MISLEADING.
Bodies swell when they are in water.
Junk collects in the water and attaches itself in many ways.
I am disappointed in you.
I hope in spite of those on TV who seem bent on making sure there is no justice for Laci and Conner that justice will prevail anyway.
Bonnie Warnock
Springfield, VA
ANSWER: Bonnie — we don't pre-select our guests to support one side of a trial or the other. If a person is somehow connected to a case, then my staff will attempt to book that person and then, once booked, I ask questions. In the end, you decide whether to credit what the person says in whole, in part or not at all.
Greta
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