Passports

Collected on:  December 26, 2002

Collected by:  Rudy Skultety, Crime Scene Manager

Detective Ray Coyle, responsible for searching the Master bedroom during the December 26-27, 2002 search, said he noted the passports and called them to Detective Rudy Skultety's attention.  Skultety was the Crime Scene Manager.  It seems, from Coyle's testimony, that the passports were collected as evidence. 

GERAGOS: . . . did you point out anything else at the house?
COYLE: Yes.
GERAGOS: What else?
COYLE: Numerous items. Several pieces of jewelry, a diary out of the dresser, a pair of shoes out of the closet, passports, a Social Security card. I believe I also found a checkbook that I pointed out in the bedroom, the other bedroom. I can't recall whether that was taken into evidence or not.

Detective Craig Grogan confirmed that Scott's passport was seized on December 26, 2002. 

Mark Geragos: Okay. And on the 26th you seized Mr. Peterson's passport, did you not?
Craig Grogan: Yes.

Geragos took the opportunity to validate what Scott told Grogan  about his international travel:

Mark Geragos: Specifically when you talked to Scott on, I assume this was one of the early conversations, and you asked him where he had been, he told you about the Carmel trip; is that correct?
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: Okay. And in August he said he had gone to San Luis Obispo to a place called The Cliffs?
Craig Grogan: Correct.
Mark Geragos: And then he said that he and Laci had been in Hawaii with Aaron and Freidi, Heidi Fritz sometime in May of 2000 and 2?
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: And he said he had been out to Cairo in February for one and a half weeks?
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: And Brussels, Belgium in June for one and a half weeks?
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: And southern Spain in October for one and a half weeks?
Craig Grogan: Correct.
Mark Geragos: Okay. And that was all part of, what he explained it as part of his corporate meetings in connection with TradeCorp?
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: And specifically did you, somebody at some point started talking to his employer at TradeCorp, Nuno I think his name was?
Craig Grogan: Nuno, I think so.
Mark Geragos: Okay.
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: Did anybody confirm whether or not, in fact, with him Scott had been to those various countries during those time periods?
Craig Grogan: I don't know. Possibly.
Mark Geragos: Okay. You don't have any information that what he told you about those countries was untrue, do you?
Craig Grogan: No.
Mark Geragos: Okay. And on the 26th you seized Mr. Peterson's passport, did you not?
Craig Grogan: Yes.
Mark Geragos: Okay. Did you, do you know if anybody compared the passport with the locations to see if, in fact, he had been those specific spots?
Craig Grogan: I know I've seen it at one point or another, and I don't recall what's, what's inside.