2 Pairs of Men's Blue Jeans
Collected on: December 26/27, 2002
Collected by: Detective Rudy Skultety, Crime Scene Manager
Evidence Item Nos.: 46, 52
Reason: Might have been jeans Scott wore in the commission of the crimes
Received by: California Department of Justice crime laboratory, Ripon, CA
Received on: December 30, 2002
Case No: CV-02-010941
Request No: 01
Tested by: Pin Kyo
Bates No. for Report:
Results: Negative for both pair
Initial Suspicion
Scott told the responding officers and Detective Brocchini that he washed the clothes he wore fishing when he returned, and Brocchini observed a pair of jeans in the washing machine, having gone through the wash cycle.
BROCCHINI: Did you ah when you left, when you wearin’, what, what were you wearin’ when you left?
PETERSON: Ah blue jeans and a blue T-shirt.
Allen Brocchini: There was a pair of blue jeans in there. These have all been through the spin cycle. They were -- they were damp, and been through the spin cycle. I pulled out a pair of blue jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a green pullover. He told me those were the clothes he wore fishing.
When they executed the search warrant on December 26-27, Brocchini wanted to locate the clothing Scott had worn during that fishing trip. He found the green, long-sleeved pullover folded on top of a laundry basket, with the blue t-shirt beneath it, but not the jeans. One officer found a pair of jeans (item 46) in the washing machine, but the pants were dry and it looked like they had not yet gone through the wash cycle. Another pair, C-20 brand jeans (item 52), was found inside the armoire in the Master bedroom, where Scott kept his clothes. They were folded on top of several articles of clean clothing. Brocchini noted some suspicious stains on the front portion of the leg. (Crier, A Deadly Game, pp. 91-92)
The test results: Item 46
Defense 6L-8 shows the location where the jeans were found during the search (having already been removed from the washing machine), and Defense 6M-8 (click to enlarge) shows the detail of Kyo's analysis. The examination of the jeans included all pockets and seams. All tests were negative (Kyo).
The test results: Item 52
Defense 6L-12 shows the location where they were found during the search (after being removed from the armoire) and Defense 6M-12 (click to enlarge) shows the details of Kyo's analysis. Again, the examination included all pockets and seams and all tests were negative.
Conclusion
Neither pair of blue jeans were worn during the murder of Laci Peterson.