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Susan Medina
Witness for the Defendant: Penalty Phase December 7, 2004
Direct Examination by Pat Harris HARRIS: Good morning, Susan. MEDINA: Good morning. HARRIS: You testified in this courtroom before in this trial, right? MEDINA: I did, on June 10, 2004. HARRIS: You're the neighbor across the street from where Scott and Laci lived? MEDINA: Yes. HARRIS: And they lived there for how long, Scott and Laci were across the street from you? MEDINA: How long have they lived? They moved sometime in October of 2000. HARRIS: You had, if I understand it, sort of a passing relationship with them, waving, how you doing relationship up until December of 2002; is that right? MEDINA: That's correct. HARRIS: What kind of changed that in December, early December of 2002, what happened? MEDINA: On December 5th, approximately 7:30, 7:45 in the morning I was in my driveway ready to go to my 8:00 o'clock appointment in Modesto. I noticed that my back tires, you know the back tires, is flat or, you know, like flat. So I called my husband on my cell phone as I was standing on the driveway and he was a little perturbed because I think he's in a meeting. And I mentioned to him that I think I have a flat tire, so he was very smart and he said you don't think, you know, you either are pregnant or not pregnant, so what is it. That's when, you know, I was still on the phone and I saw Scott in his driveway. He appears to be loading something at the back of his truck. So I wave at him and then he came, you know, as I keep on circling to see if I have any more low tires or flat tires. HARRIS: And what happened next? MEDINA: When he came over, you know, he asked if I'm okay. If I need any help. After my motive at that time is to get even with my husband just to find out if I have a flat tire or not a flat tire. So what he said is I don't really have a flat tire, but I am low on air. And so I casually mentioned to him that I have a 8 o'clock appointment. I just hired a new nurse that I have to give an orientation. So he said that, you know, he could bring me to the nearest gas station, fill it up with air and, you know, but that's not a, a permanent fix because I travel a lot for my job. HARRIS: So what did he volunteer to do? MEDINA: So he volunteered to take me to my appointment, drive me to my appointment that morning. HARRIS: Did he end up doing that? MEDINA: I asked him, you know, if I'm not inconveniencing him because I noticed that he is doing some work, seems like ready to go to work. No, he, he said no, he'll be more than glad to do it. HARRIS: Did he take you to work that day? MEDINA: Yes. So what I did is, you know, I crossed, as I live across Laci and Scott, I crossed the street and he helped me, you know, I was pulling a little luggage. So he put that in his truck. And then I have a little difficulty getting up into his pickup truck because it's tall, so he kind of helped me get into the pickup truck. HARRIS: Did you guys get a chance to kind of get acquainted and get to know each other on the drive? MEDINA: Yes, we did, we did. HARRIS: Did you find him to be a nice young man? MEDINA: He is and he was talking about, you know, Laci's obstetrician. HARRIS: Hm‑hmm. MEDINA: And I mentioned to him, you know, when I heard the name that he is the best doctor in Modesto. He received, or I can't remember if he had received or he made a phone call, but he was trying to get his schedules arranged so that he can accompany, I guess, because we were talking of Laci, I assume, Laci on some kind of appointments. HARRIS: After Laci' disappearance did you get to know him even better? MEDINA: I did. HARRIS: Would he come to your house on occasion and talk to you? MEDINA: He did come on one time as I, you know, with friends before, HARRIS: Hm‑hmm. MEDINA: Mr. Rocha, and then one time with his, the investigators. Met him on the vigil night with my husband. We spoke with him briefly. From time to time, because of my observation in his house, you know, I approach him and offer, because UPS and FedEx leaves notes when he's not at home, leaves notes on his gate. And I have offered one time feel free to have it delivered on the side of my house. HARRIS: You got to know a little bit also his parents, Jackie and Lee? MEDINA: Yes, I did. HARRIS: And did you develop a friendship with them as well? MEDINA: Yeah, I would say that. I have invited Mrs. Peterson, you know, on a few occasion to have a tea at my house. HARRIS: Obviously you live in Modesto and you were in the center of sort of the whole storm here, including the media storm and everything surrounding you. I know that it's hard on you to come here and testify. MEDINA: It is. I have had so many sleepless nights. I am a mother of, you know, 30-year-old son and a 26-year-old daughter. HARRIS: Given your experiences having got to know Scott, having been in the center of all this, how would you feel if he was put to death? MEDINA: I would feel terrible for Mrs. Peterson. Us, I think I mentioned last night that I have personal experience with execution. My father and my grandfather was kidnapped, shot and decapitated close to Christmas. This is back in the Philippines. The kidnappers were recognized by my grandfather and that's why he was shot so that there would be no witness. But these people, when they were caught, turned into against one another. And so the penalty in the Philippines at that time for a crime that heinous, he was to be put in an electric chair. My father, who is the sweetest man in the world, witnessed it and he was never the same. He never spoke of it. HARRIS: Given your own personal experience do you think Scott Peterson's life should be spared? MEDINA: I am a nurse, I have witnessed the joy of birth and the sadness of death. In my mind I have mental collage of deaths to people that were executed continues to haunt me. I have their pictures when they were at the, they were on the news. I was very young at that time. I was like seven years old. HARRIS: That's all I have. JUDGE: Any questions? D. Harris: No questions. JUDGE: Ms. Medina, thank you. MEDINA: Have a Merry Christmas. JUDGE: Thank you. Same to you. |