Oct. 1 CALIFORNIA: Peterson defense points to police inconstancies Scott Peterson showed greater interest in the police search for his missing pregnant wife, Laci, than what jurors in his murder trial were originally told, according to the lead detective on the case. Modesto police Detective Craig Grogan conceded Thursday that his testimony earlier in the week may have misrepresented how often Scott Peterson had contacted authorities about his wife's disappearance. Grogan, under questioning from prosecutors, said Peterson inquired with police about once a month. Thursday, during cross-examination by Peterson's lawyer Mark Geragos, the detective acknowledged that Peterson made many more inquiries. Grogan said the monthly contact was between Peterson and himself, and did not include conversations the former fertilizer salesman had with other officers. "In actuality, Scott Peterson was talking to police every single day asking about the investigation," Geragos said Thursday. Grogan then admitted he and Peterson spoke at least 11 times in the first 10 days of the case. Prosecutors allege Peterson killed Laci in their Modesto home on or around December 24, 2002, then dumped her body into San Francisco Bay. Her badly decomposed remains -- and that of her fetus -- washed up in April 2003, not far from where Peterson launched his boat that Christmas Eve morning for what he claims was a solo fishing trip. The defense maintains someone else abducted and killed Laci. Also Thursday, Grogan testified about how he became even more suspicious of Peterson when he heard Peterson refer to Laci in the past tense during a television interview conducted before his wife's remains were found. Peterson corrected himself in his interview, changing his reference to Laci from "was" to "is." Geragos noted Laci's mother spoke in the same manner when she did a television interview. "Ultimately, that doesn't mean a whole lot of anything, does it?" Geragos asked. "Probably not by itself," Grogan replied. Geragos then sought again to show how Peterson tried to become involved in the investigation, referring to a tip police in Longview, Washington, had received that Laci was spotted in a store there. Previous testimony indicated that police later determined it was not Laci after viewing surveillance tapes. Grogan previously testified that Peterson seemed uninterested in that tip, as well. But Geragos had the detective acknowledge that not only did no Modesto police officers ever view the tapes, but that Peterson persistently asked to view the tapes himself. Later, prosecutors called several state Department of Justice agents to testify about the events leading up Peterson's April 18, 2003, arrest in San Diego. The agents said it was apparent Peterson knew he was being followed and at times even attempted to elude them. Geragos has suggested Peterson thought the agents tailing him were reporters and noted Thursday that Peterson was immediately cooperative upon his arrest. Prosecutors then entered the final stretch of their case, expected to wrap up next week, with a tidal expert from the U.S. Geological Survey who discussed the currents in San Francisco Bay. The expert, Ralph Cheng, was due back on the stand Monday. (source: Associated Press) ALABAMA: Hocker had no Supreme Court review before execution David Kevin Hocker died by lethal injection last night for the 1998 stabbing death of his boss. The 33-year-old Hocker refused to file appeals of his conviction -- saying he was guilty and wanted to die for his crime. Hocker was convicted and sentenced to death for the March 1998 stabbing death and robbery of 47-year-old Jerry Wayne Robinson of Columbia in Houston County. Hocker was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m.. Bryan Stevenson, director of the Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative, says Hocker's execution was the 1st time someone has been put to death by the state without the Alabama Supreme Court reviewing the case. He also says it's only the 2nd time Alabama has executed someone without post-conviction court reviews to determine such things as whether the defendant was competent and had adequate legal representation, and whether prosecutors followed the law. (source: Columbus Enquire) VIRGINIA: Judge dismisses indictment against sniper In Fairfax, a judge dismissed an indictment Friday against convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad, ruling that the state waited too long to try him for capital murder in the death of an FBI analyst who was shot in a store parking lot. Muhammad, already convicted and sentenced to death for one of the sniper killings, was to have faced trial beginning in January in the analyst's death, one of 10 killings that terrorized the Washington area over three weeks in October 2002. But Circuit Judge M. Langhorne Keith said Muhammad's trial in the slaying of Linda Franklin did not begin within the time limit set by Virginia law, which requires a trial within 5 months of a person's arrest unless the defendant waives the right. Prosecutors and defense attorneys disagreed on when Muhammad was arrested. Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan Jr. argued that the speedy trial statute did not take effect until Muhammad was formally arrested May 27, 2003, on a warrant that was issued on November 6, 2002. But Muhammad's attorneys insisted the speedy trial countdown began no later than January 6, 2003, the day Fairfax County police faxed copies of the indictment to the jail where Muhammad was being held. Keith sided with Muhammad's attorneys, ruling that the January fax "constitutes an arrest for speedy trial purposes even if no formal arrest has been made." That was more than 5 months before Muhammad's original trial date of October 4, 2003. Horan did not immediately return a telephone message left by The Associated Press. One of Muhammad's attorneys said the defense was mindful of shooting victims as they pursued the appeal. "It needs saying that we well remember the victims in these cases and the families who suffered so greatly," attorney Jonathan Shapiro said. Muhammad was already convicted and sentenced to death last year for the October 9, 2002, murder of Dean Harold Meyers in neighboring Prince William County. But Fairfax County authorities sought a 2nd conviction in case the first were overturned on appeal. Muhammad's teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, was convicted last year in the Franklin killing and sentenced to life in prison. (source: Associated Press)
