Jurors in Scott Peterson Trial See Fishing Boat He Possibly Used

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 28, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Jurors in Scott Peterson Trial See Fishing Boat He Possibly Used

by Paul Nowak
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
July 28, 2004

Redwood City, CA (LifeNews.com) — Jurors in the Scott Peterson double-murder trial got to see first hand evidence of Peterson’s fishing story, with a field trip Tuesday to see the boat he may have used during an alleged fishing trip December 24, 2004.

Peterson’s 14-foot fishing boat is a critical piece of evidence, as prosecutors allege he used the boat to take his wife’s body out into San Francisco Bay. The defense claims that if Peterson were to throw Laci’s 153-pound body overboard, the boat would have capsized.

On Monday, jurors were briefed by a professional angler on the proper way to fish for sturgeon and striped bass, the fish Peterson claims he was trying to catch on Christmas Eve.

Angelo Cuanang explained the timing, equipment and bait used in fishing for those fish, and concluded that Peterson’s gear, rigged for freshwater fishing, was all wrong. He added that the concrete anchor found in Peterson’s boat would be insufficient to keep the boat from drifting.

However, he admitted under cross-examination that an amateur fisherman like Peterson may not prepared properly to fish for the striped bass and sturgeon. He also admitted that someone trolling for striped bass would use an anchor like the one found in Peterson’s boat.

Jurors will not hear testimony for the rest of the week, as defense attorney Mark Geragos must attend a hearing in another case, and on Thursday Judge Alfred Delucci will hold a meeting with attorneys regarding Geragos’ request for a mistrial due to misconduct from a Modesto police investigator on the witness stand.

The prosecution has been attempting to put forth a case based on Scott Peterson’s erratic behavior, affair, and alleged secret purchase of a fishing boat that could have been used to dump Laci’s body into the San Francisco Bay.

Geragos claims that the prosecution has no murder weapon, no eyewitnesses, and a case built entirely on circumstantial evidence. He has put forth explanations for Peterson’s strange behavior as well as theories that a satanic cult or men with a tan van abducted Laci on the morning of December 24.

Scott has pleaded innocent to the double murder charges. The case has received national attention and spurred the passage of numerous unborn victims laws.

The laws allow prosecutors to charge criminals with two crimes when they kill or injure an unborn child as a result of attacking a pregnant woman.

Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha, has become and outspoken advocate of Unborn Victims Laws, both for individual states and the entire nation.

President Bush signed a federal Unborn Victims of Violence Law in March. Rocha had voiced her support of the bill, and had criticized members of the Senate, including presidential hopeful John Kerry, who returned to Washington from the campaign trial to vote against the bill.

According to the National Right to Life Committee, 30 states have unborn victims laws, most recently Kentucky and Virginia, and 18 cover mothers and their unborn children.