Woman Admits Affair With Laci Peterson's Husband
A 28-year-old woman
came forward Friday to confirm that she had a romantic
relationship with the husband of Laci Peterson, the
pregnant Modesto woman who disappeared a month ago.
Amber Frey, a single mother, told reporters gathered at
the Modesto Police Department that she met Scott
Peterson, 30, at a Nov. 20 party in Fresno.
"I was introduced to him. I
was told he was unmarried," Frey said. "Scott told me he
was not married."
Fighting tears, Frey said that when she "discovered he
was involved in the Laci Peterson disappearance case, I
immediately called the Modesto Police Department."
Det. Doug Ridenour said Frey contacted police on Dec. 30
and "has been cooperative in the investigation." She has
been eliminated as a suspect, he said.
Frey said she held the news conference because reporters
have harassed her. She asked them to respect her privacy
and left without answering questions.
"I am very sorry for Laci's family and the pain this has
caused them," she said, "and I pray for her safe return
as well."
A few hours earlier Friday, the family of Laci Peterson,
27, held their own news conference to say they no longer
support Scott.
Brent Rocha, Laci's brother, said that in a phone
conversation Jan. 16, Scott Peterson confessed the
rumored affair to him.
"Scott has not been forthcoming with information
regarding my sister's disappearance, and I am only left
to question what else he may be hiding," said Rocha, 31,
of Sacramento.
"Since Scott is no longer communicating with anyone in
Laci's family and because we have so many questions that
he has not answered, I am no longer supporting him."
Sharon Rocha, Laci Peterson's mother, wept and begged
for information that could lead to her daughter.
"There are no words that can possibly describe the ache
in my heart or the emptiness in my life," she said. "I
know someone knows where Laci is. I am pleading with you
to please, please let her come home."
Neither Scott Peterson nor his attorney could be reached
for comment. But his sister-in-law, Janey Peterson,
defended him during a series of evening calls to
national television networks.
"There is absolutely no way Scott had anything to do
with Laci's disappearance," she told CNN. Janey Peterson
said she was unaware of any affair, "and frankly, it
wouldn't matter. It's a distraction from what our
primary focus needs to be, and that's to bring Laci
home."
Laci Peterson's family had initially supported her
husband. But last week, they began to distance
themselves after they said police showed them pictures
of him with another woman.
Peterson, who was due to deliver a baby boy on Feb. 10,
disappeared on Christmas Eve day. Her husband told
police that he was fishing in the Berkeley Marina, 85
miles away, that day. He reported her missing that
night. Her purse was in the house, and the couple's
golden retriever was found wandering.
Repeated police searches of marina waters have produced
no sign of the missing woman, nor have police been able
to find witnesses who saw Scott Peterson there.
Modesto police have searched hundreds of square miles of
Stanislaus County creeks, rivers, irrigation canals and
reservoirs, and expanded the search to neighboring
counties without success.
Police have not labeled Peterson a suspect, but say they
haven't ruled him out.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-laci012503_lat,0,7355990.story?coll=la-news-columns