Police Dropped the Ball, Peterson Lawyers Say
Defense attorneys in Scott Peterson’s murder trial Tuesday continued to aggressively attack the case, suggesting that police didn’t thoroughly pursue leads that may have pointed to other suspects.
Under cross-examination, Det. Ray Coyle continued his testimony that Modesto police investigating Laci Peterson’s disappearance questioned hundreds of registered sex offenders and parolees but decided not to follow up, even though investigators couldn’t verify a number of their alibis.
Attorney Mark Geragos repeatedly got the detective to acknowledge that police closed the cases on many of the offenders, marking the files “complete,” without eliminating them as suspects.
Geragos even pointed out one possible suspect who Coyle said confessed to the crime.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
