Peterson: 'Let's Help Find Laci'
Report: Police Told Family Husband Is Responsible

POSTED: 8:24 a.m. PST January 17, 2003
UPDATED: 12:17 p.m. PST January 17, 2003

MODESTO, Calif. -- The husband of a missing pregnant Modesto woman broke his silence Thursday, telling a TV news reporter his only concern is keeping his wife in the media spotlight.

"I really don't care what people think of me. Make me the biggest villain in the world if you want to, as long as it keeps her photograph in the press," Scott Peterson said.

Laci Peterson, 27, is eight months pregnant and has been missing since Christmas Eve.

According to a report in Friday's Modesto Bee, a family member says Modesto police met with them Wednesday, and told them Scott Peterson was having an affair with a Fresno woman and that he took out a life insurance policy on his wife for $250,000 over the summer.

According to the report, police told the family they think Scott Peterson is responsible for his wife's disappearance.

Peterson Breaks Silence

In the meantime, the search effort is moving to Southern California. A volunteer arrived in Los Angeles Thursday night.

"About 12 or 15 of Scott's family is coming down to head this up, and what we're doing is a one-day volunteer command center, short of phones and fax machines, and what we really hope to accomplish is people that come by, just pick up four fliers," volunteer Brad Saltzman said.

Relatives of Laci Peterson closed the command center in Modesto Thursday, where thousands of people have volunteered since Dec. 26.

Modesto police said 200 people, including registered sex offenders, parolees, and mentally ill homeless have been ruled out of the investigation, but Scott Peterson has not.

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