August 18
CALIFORNIA:
Police: Sharon Rocha lashed out at Scott Peterson after learning of
mistress
Sharon Rocha left court Monday while jurors heard taped phone calls
between Scott Peterson and Amber Frey.
When Laci Peterson's mother learned about Scott Peterson's affair with a
masseuse, she angrily called her son-in-law and accused him of murder.
According to documents obtained exclusively by Court TV's Catherine Crier,
Sharon Rocha instantly suspected Peterson was involved in her daughter's
disappearance when police met with her on Jan. 16, 2003, and told her
about his affair with Amber Frey.
Rocha wasted little time in confronting Peterson.
"You killed my daughter, didn't you?" Rocha said, according to a phone
transcript obtained exclusively by Crier.
"No I didn't, Mom," Peterson said.
"Stop lying. I'm tired of your lies," she said.
Modesto Police decided to inform Scott and Laci Peterson's families of the
fertilizer salesman's relationship with the massage therapist when they
learned that the National Enquirer was going to break the news, according
to a police report made available exclusively to Crier.
Police informed the couple's parents on the same day, but separately.
The report noted that up to that point, both families had "remained united
in their confidence" that Scott Peterson was uninvolved in her
disappearance.
"Not wanting the family to be caught without this knowledge, it was agreed
that it would not impact negatively on the case and the potential
prosecution of this case to inform them of this information," Detective
Jon Buehler wrote in a police report dated Jan. 16, 2003.
News of the affair triggered an emotional breakdown in Rocha, who sobbed
in front of police and said, "Why did he have to kill her?"
She didn't mince words when she contacted her son-in-law, who now stands
accused of murdering his wife and unborn son.
"Since you've managed to lose all of my confidence in you, what I want to
know is where's my daughter at, Scott?" Rocha demanded, according to the
transcript.
"I wish I knew, Mom," Peterson said. "I wish I knew where she is."
The conversation quickly escalated despite Peterson's repeated claims of
innocence.
"You are such a f---ing liar. You make me sick, Scott," Rocha said. "Tell
me where Laci is. I want to be able to bury my daughter. Now tell me what
you did with her."
Laci Peterson's body and that of her fetus washed up on the San Francisco
Bay in April 2003.
Scott Peterson faces the death penalty if convicted.
(source: Court TV)
********************
Wiretaps show Scott Peterson flattering mistress Amber Frey/'I ... threw
up when you cried,' double murder suspect told her
The day after his girlfriend went public with their relationship, Scott
Peterson called Amber Frey to tell her how proud he was of her during her
nationally televised press conference, according to tapes of the
conversation played in court Tuesday morning.
"I wanted to say how brave you are and I am really glad you did that,"
Peterson told Frey in a brief conversation. "It just shows what amazing
character you have."
Peterson called Frey again two hours later and continued to marvel at her
strength during the press conference which was held in Modesto with police
present.
Peterson said hearing her pain made him literally sick to his stomach.
"I was ... so in awe, yet so proud of you," said Peterson, who told her he
had listened to her press conference on his car radio. "It also made me,
well, I pulled over and threw up when you cried."
Frey addressed a bank of television cameras and throngs of journalists in
Modesto Jan. 24, 2003 after she discovered her name and information about
her relationship with Peterson was reported on a Fresno radio station.
Immediately, reporters and photographers began camping outside her
workplace and Frey told Peterson she had no choice but to go public with
their affair. Trapped in her Fresno massage studio, she called Modesto
police, who picked her up and drove her to Modesto where the hastily
called news conference was held.
Peterson had reported his wife Laci missing Dec. 24, 2002 and had
repeatedly denied his involvement in her disappearance or having a
girlfriend. In reality, he had become involved with Frey 6 weeks before
Laci disappeared and repeatedly lied to her about his marital status and
travel plans. During phone conversations, which Frey was secretly
recording for police, Peterson told her he was on a whirlwind European
business trip when in truth he was holed up in Modesto being hounded by
police and reporters.
Peterson offered his girlfriend the truth about his martial status and
about his missing wife only after Frey, working with police, coyly baited
him in a conversation on Jan. 6, 2003.
Peterson was arrested and charged with his wife's murder and that of their
unborn baby after their bodies washed up on the Richmond shoreline in
April, 2003.
Tuesday marked the 5th day in the 12-week-old trial that jurors heard tape
recorded conversations of Peterson and Frey.
Frey sounds exasperated during many parts of the conversation, saying
Peterson, who offered up many apologies but refused to give any specific
answers to her questions, left her no choice but to assume he was somehow
involved in his wife's disappearance.
"From what I know, Scott ... this was all a plan," an angry Frey said
confronting Peterson. "The thing is you know where it went wrong for you,
Scott, in this plan is you didn't think the media would be so big and I'd
ever learn of this. That's where it went wrong, that it was so huge and I
did learn of this. ..."
Frey also grew angry when she told Peterson that police had been
questioning her whereabouts on the day before Laci Peterson had
disappeared.
As he has in all of the conversations played for jurors, Peterson
apologizes profusely to Frey, all the while adamantly denying any
involvement in his wife's disappearance.
"Why did you continue a relationship with me?" Frey asked.
"Just because you're wonderful," Peterson replied.
"If I'm so wonderful and all of these things, Scott, then why couldn't you
give me the decency of truth?" Frey presses.
"I don't have an answer to that one either," Peterson replied.
******************
Coach says Kelly helped suspect make all-star team/Prep football star who
was gunned down was a close friend of arrested man, 18
The man accused of killing De La Salle High School football star Terrance
Kelly allegedly turned on a former friend who had given him help and
encouragement, their former basketball coach said Monday.
Kelly, 18, who was killed Thursday in Richmond just before he was to leave
his hometown to attend the University of Oregon on a football scholarship,
encouraged his youth basketball coach to give Larry Pratcher a tryout 2
years ago.
"He vouched for Larry," said Gerald Montgomery, who coached the Richmond
Police Athletic League all-star team. "I didn't know Larry, and I don't
usually take new kids (on the all-star team). But because Terrance brought
him in and said, 'Take a look,' we let him play."
Police arrested Pratcher, now 18, on Saturday and were searching Monday
night for his 15-year-old brother, Darren Ray Pratcher. Larry Pratcher is
expected to be arraigned on murder charges later this week for his alleged
role in killing Kelly, who was shot several times Thursday night as he
waited in a car to pick up a relative on Seventh Street near Nevin Avenue.
With Kelly's help 2 years ago, Pratcher became the starting guard on the
team, Montgomery said. Kelly and his family began giving Pratcher rides to
and from practices and games.
The 2 teens often spent time together off the court in 2002, their
basketball coach said. Kelly, who lived with his grandmother and father,
often had Pratcher over for dinner.
"Larry was a real nice kid," Montgomery said. "He never talked back or
gave me a bit of trouble. When they played together in 2002, I never saw
any animosity between (Pratcher and Kelly), because they were friends."
Montgomery was among many people who were stunned when the quiet Pratcher
was arrested for allegedly killing Kelly less than 2 days before the star
linebacker was scheduled to leave for college.
The Pratchers grew up a few blocks from Kelly in Richmond's Iron Triangle
neighborhood. Larry Pratcher and Kelly apparently knew each other from
playing pickup basketball games in grammar school, friends said.
The 2 young men maintained a friendship but drifted in different
directions.
Kelly graduated in June from De La Salle, an academically rigorous
Catholic high school in Concord. After playing linebacker, tight end and
running back, he was named the most valuable player in what is considered
to be the top prep football program in the nation.
But Pratcher dropped out of public schools, friends said, and never
transformed his playground athletic prowess into success at the prep
level.
"Kids go different ways," Montgomery said. "Terrance stayed in school, and
Larry hit the streets."
Carmen Lee, whose sons are friends with Larry Pratcher, said she could not
believe that a young man who played video games in her living room would
be a killer.
"Larry didn't do as well as that football player, but he was always a nice
young man," said Lee. "He's been over to my house plenty. He's just not
the type who gets in trouble."
Investigators declined to discuss a motive for the slaying, but Montgomery
and several people who know both men said jealousy was the only motive
they could figure in Kelly's killing.
"It's odd. It's shocking. But maybe Larry (Pratcher) resented his
success," Montgomery said. "It had to be jealousy, total jealousy. That's
all it could have been."
Kelly's 16-year-old sister, Tremeka Kelly, agreed.
"I can't think of why anyone would want to kill my brother," she said. "He
never did anything to anyone. But I think some people are jealous. Maybe
they have a problem with his doing so well."
Amanda Morgan, 16, was surprised to hear Larry Pratcher was a suspect.
However, she said, jealousy is a potent source of anger in her
neighborhood.
"If someone is doing too well, everyone wants to pull him down," Morgan
said. "Nobody wants to see someone get out and make it."
(source for both: San Francisco Chronicle)
