Scorched: State v Peterson part 37

Summary

Real Life Real Crime: Scorched - State v. Peterson Part 37

Podcast Information:

• Title: Real Life Real Crime
• Host: Woody Overton (Real Life Real Crime Productions)
• Episode: Scorched: State v Peterson Part 37
• Release Date: May 9, 2025

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Introduction

In Part 37 of the "Scorched: State v. Peterson" series, host Woody Overton delves deeper into the high-profile case of Scott Peterson, accused of the murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Connor. This episode continues the intense examination of the trial, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the courtroom dynamics, testimonies, and the emotional toll on those involved.

Personal Updates from the Host

Woody Overton begins the episode with a personal note, sharing the difficult period he recently endured due to the passing of his father. He explains:

"Unfortunately, my father... he took the turn. For the last three weeks, I've been with my father and then with my mother, and we buried him and everything else." ([04:16])

Despite these personal challenges, Woody reassures listeners of his commitment to the podcast:

"We're going to continue with the State versus Scott Peterson, Scorched, and hoping to finish it today." ([04:16])

Mother's Emotional Testimony

A significant portion of this episode features heartfelt testimony from Scott Peterson's mother, Jacqueline Peterson. She paints a picture of Scott as a loving, nurturing individual:

"He's always been a nurturing, kind, loving person." ([07:05])

Jacqueline recounts Scott's dedication to helping others from a young age, highlighting his involvement with tutoring the homeless and participating in charitable activities. She emphasizes the emotional devastation she and her husband feel:

"My husband and I talk, and we feel like we're just shells in front of you. Coming here every day, like there's nothing left inside of us. We've mourned for Lacey and Connor." ([14:22])

Courtroom Proceedings and Defense Strategies

Woody Overton provides a detailed account of the courtroom proceedings, focusing on the defense attorney Mark Garagos's efforts to humanize Scott Peterson. Garagos calls upon 39 witnesses who testify to Scott's good character, portraying him as intelligent, honest, and compassionate:

"These 39 witnesses pretty much all said the same thing. The man who sits here, this convicted double murderer, he's not... this is not the Scott that I know." ([31:43])

Jacqueline Peterson counters these testimonies by questioning their authenticity and relevance, pointing out that these witnesses do not account for Scott's actions surrounding the murders:

"They have heard him react to the loss of his wife and baby, the bizarre things he did because he didn't know what to do." ([15:17])

Aggravating vs. Mitigating Circumstances

A critical segment of the episode revolves around the legal concepts of aggravating and mitigating circumstances in the context of the death penalty. Woody explains:

"An aggravating factor is any fact, condition, or event attending the commission of a crime which increases its severity..." ([25:41])

"A mitigating circumstance is any fact, condition, or event which does not constitute a justification or excuse for the crime but may be considered as extenuating." ([26:37])

Jacqueline emphasizes that there are no mitigating factors substantial enough to outweigh the severity of Scott's crimes:

"There is no mitigating factor big enough, heavy enough, powerful enough to take these things away." ([44:22])

Prosecution's Closing Arguments

The prosecution delivers a compelling closing argument, reiterating Scott Peterson's manipulative nature and the gravity of his crimes. They highlight inconsistencies in his behavior, contrasting the public persona of a grieving husband with actions that suggest deceit and calculation:

"He played the part of a grieving husband... the great manipulator, the great fraud." ([39:36])

Woody underscores the prosecution's stance that the evidence overwhelmingly supports Scott's guilt, leaving little room for doubt:

"There's a lot like Lee's story... nothing that comes close to mitigating these circumstances." ([31:40])

Defense's Last Stand and Final Thoughts

As the episode progresses towards its conclusion, Woody critiques the defense's approach, arguing that the multitude of positive testimonies does not negate the overwhelming evidence against Scott:

"These witnesses... ask mercy for that man don't even know who they're talking about." ([48:36])

He reinforces the notion that the circumstantial evidence and Scott’s actions provide a clear case for his culpability, urging the jury to focus on the facts rather than be swayed by emotional testimonies.

Conclusion

Woody Overton wraps up Part 37 by reaffirming the gravity of the case and the importance of justice for Laci and Connor Peterson. He hints at the ongoing efforts to solve cold cases and the development of new projects to advocate for justice, ensuring that listeners remain engaged and informed.

"We are in the process of doing it again. And it's you lifers who actually care about justice that are making it happen." ([50:19])

Notable Quotes

• Woody Overton:

  "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have rights..." ([02:09])

• Jacqueline Peterson:

  "He's always been a nurturing and kind and loving." ([07:05])

  "We've mourned for Lacey and Connor. We've seen Scott mourn for them. We lost him and them." ([15:17])

• Prosecution’s Representative:

  "Today is the two-year anniversary of Scott's monstrous plan to take his wife, murder her, and dump her body in the bay." ([17:57])

Key Takeaways

• Emotional Toll: The testimonies reveal the profound emotional impact on Scott Peterson's family, particularly his mother, who struggles with the loss and potential execution of her son.

• Character Contradictions: The defense presents Scott as a caring individual through numerous witnesses, while the prosecution counters with evidence of manipulation and deceit.

• Legal Framework: Understanding aggravating and mitigating factors is crucial in the jury's deliberation for the death penalty.

• Justice and Closure: The episode underscores the podcast’s dedication to solving cold cases and providing justice for victims' families.

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Note: This summary is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of Part 37 of the "Scorched: State v. Peterson" series for those who have not listened to the episode. It encapsulates the key discussions, testimonies, and legal arguments presented, while omitting advertisements and non-content sections as per the provided instructions.

Transcript

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[Woody Overton]

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have rights an attorney prior to it during any question.

[Dutch Pet Care Representative]

If you can't afford one the quarter.

[Woody Overton]

Point one for you. Do you understand your rights.

[Unknown Speaker E]

When the wolf is at your runnings over that's.

[Co-host or Guest]

For sure.

[Unknown Speaker E]

Already know all about you cut you down no matter about you now you better walk alive.

[Woody Overton]

Warning this episode of Real Life Real Crime. The podcast may contain descriptions of acts of violence or that of a sexual nature and should be for people that are 18 years or older. He. My warning people, I do not get the facts of these cases off of the Internet or for some television show. The facts I'm retelling, you were presented to me by the victims of the crimes or. Or the perpetrators who committed the crimes against the victims. My descriptions of the crime scenes, what I saw with my own two eyes. If you're going to get offended, please turn this podcast off now. Thank you.

[Co-host or Guest]

Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode.

[Woody Overton]

Of Real Life, Real Crime, the podcast. As always, I'm your host, Woody Overton, and it has been a minute and.

[Co-host or Guest]

And I intended to finish this weeks ago.

[Woody Overton]

Unfortunately, my father, you know, it was just bad and I got to be with him and he took the turn. For the last three weeks, I've been with my father and then with my mother, and we buried him and everything else. But we're going to continue with the State versus Scott Peterson, Scorched and hoping to finish it today.

[Co-host or Guest]

The.

[Woody Overton]

This case is just. This is exhausting. But again, it's scorched.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

This is.

[Woody Overton]

It's exhausting and scorched on both sides.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

And.

[Woody Overton]

And you've heard me say it once, I'll say it a thousand times. They better pray to God they don't get anyone else's DNA off that duct tape that was found on Lacy. But I'm going to continue this. I want to thank each and every one of y' all for liking and listening and sharing and all that good podcaster shit. But my very first episode after Scorch is going to be called Confidential Informant. And it's an old school, real life, real crime, Woody Overton story rolling unscripted. So you know that that is coming back.

[Co-host or Guest]

All right?

[Woody Overton]

And let's just roll with it. So left you last. The Garagos, the defense attorney has Scott's mom on the stand, and they're going through everything about Cub Scouts in school and blah, blah, blah, and his relationship.

[Co-host or Guest]

With his grandfather and the whole shebang.

[Woody Overton]

Which does not take away from the fact that those jury members are sitting there and they seen the autopsy photos. They've already found him guilty of murder, murder of Lacy and his unborn son, Connor. And I understand they're trying to put a human face to him. They're trying to say, you know, oh, if you keep him alive, don't give him the death penalty. If you keep him alive, he could be really do something special in prison. You know, him. So we. Let's just continue with it. All right, so Garagos interviewing Scott Peterson's mom, JACQUELINE so I'm going to say Garagos and then I'm going to say Peterson and it won't be long and this this testimony will be over. So Gerrigo says we've heard some testimony from people about him wanting to work or being industrious.

[Co-host or Guest]

Is that always something that you and Lee tried and stealing him?

[Woody Overton]

PETERSON yes, my husband is like that.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

My husband do 10 things in a.

[Woody Overton]

Day and I always try to catch up.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

And Scott is like that.

[Co-host or Guest]

He's he has a busy job, but.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

If somebody needs something, he'll stop and help them and take care of his work later. He's just always been a nurturing, kind, loving person. All through his life. He in high school, he tutored the homeless in the evenings and came home and told me, mom, those kids don't even have the shoes that fit them. Their backs are walked on. And things he got me and my friends and his getting shoes and we gave the money to buy shoes for these kids. He just noticed these things, noticed their needs and wanted to help them. And I because of my disease, I can't be exposed to colds or the flu. It could be fatal. I can't go there and do hands on and I can only financially help. And it gave me a way to help provide that I wanted to help. That made my husband and I were involved St Vincent de Paul and feeding the homeless. And it's all because of Scott really putting us into that. He's an optional young man, even if he's my son. I know he's not perfect. He was a normal kid, but he is genuinely a loving, caring, nurturing, kind, gentle person.

[Co-host or Guest]

GARY Guys, the at some point he.

[Woody Overton]

Announced to you at age 19 that.

[Co-host or Guest]

He was going to support himself, is that correct?

[Woody Overton]

PETERSON yes. Gary's and did he end up doing that? He yes.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

He said, I'm 20 years old, I've been living off you long enough. I want to support myself and be on my own. And actually we were hurt. We wondered what we'd done wrong because we loved having him around. It was fun having him around.

[Co-host or Guest]

GAR GOES Is that about the same time that you moved to Morro Bay?

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

PETERSON yes, it was when we moved to Morro Bay and he was working and he was he did well at the restaurant. He got good tips and he met Lacey and Lacey was struggling on her own. Her grandparents helped her pay her tuition.

[Co-host or Guest]

But I think that was part of it.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

He saw that she worked hard and he wanted to work hard. And the Two of them just they lived not live with us, but through college. It was like we got to go to college with them. They came to do their laundry and we cooked together. Lacey and I like Martha Stewart so I would always have the recipes. And she showed up on Mother's Day and planted me an herb garden one year and care guys Would that have.

[Co-host or Guest]

Been the first year that you met Lacey?

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

PEARSON yes, yes.

[Woody Overton]

GARY goes did the two of you.

[Co-host or Guest]

Hit it off right away?

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

PETERSON Yes, I was still the mom.

[Woody Overton]

You know, and Scott's mom and she.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Was a little careful around me and I had to learn that anything I said, she was very sensitive to it like mother in law's can. No matter what you say, it could be different. But we liked all the same things and we were interested and we were both interested in Scott. She adored Scott.

[Co-host or Guest]

Did your relationship with Lacey grow as her relationship with Scott grew?

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

PETERSON yes, she grew into a beautiful young woman and the two of them were inseparable. We used to tease them about being joined at the hip because they wouldn't, I mean if he left her run down and do something, she went with him. They were just a perfect match here guys.

[Co-host or Guest]

They the did they live close to where you and Lee lived up in Morro Bay?

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

PETERSON yes, about 10 minutes away. And we spent many times at their house with dinner and many times at our house. She called me to go to the movies with us. We went to sympathies together and they kept us up on that through college. And my husband would go over to the campus just just to have coffee with them or we'd go to the auditorium where she was the manager and visit at work and she would show us the plants and tell me what I needed to do. And she became like a daughter to us. For eight years she was Garagos.

[Woody Overton]

At a certain point, did she start calling you mom?

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Hear some yes, she did. She's the only one of my daughters in laws that called me mom because she was so young when I met her and other kids call me Jackie and dad so the other ones picked it up. But because Scott called me mom and she wrote me one day she was comfortable with that and she was happy and she decided to do that.

[Woody Overton]

Here it goes.

[Co-host or Guest]

As the years went by, you would spend more and more time, I guess.

[Woody Overton]

Getting to know both Scott and Lacey's relationship.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

PEARSON Yes, I love Lacey as much as Sharon loves Scott and we were both supportive of them and it was just an equal thing. I think having her eight years is like having if you Had a child eight years. You couldn't love that child any less if you had them 20 years. They're in your home and they're part of you, and they become part of your family.

[Woody Overton]

Here goes.

[Co-host or Guest]

You were looking forward, obviously, to the baby, Peterson.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Yes, we all were. They tried three years to get pregnant. And originally, Lacey made jobs. She didn't want any children because she thought she couldn't have any. And we all understood it. And one Thanksgiving, my grandkids were wrestling. She said, that's a good reason for birth control right over there. But nobody took it that away because we knew she would not be unkind. And over the years, she had some medical treatments and was able to. They talked about adoption. They wanted a baby. And when she got pregnant, we were all elated, thrilled.

[Woody Overton]

Garrus, you told me yesterday what this.

[Co-host or Guest]

Whole ordeal has been like for you.

[Woody Overton]

Can you describe for the jury what it's been like? He wasn't.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

The whole process of going through here.

[Woody Overton]

Guys. You said you feel hollow at this point, Peterson.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

I do. My husband and I talk, and we feel like we're just shells in front of you. Coming here every day, like there's nothing left inside of us. We've mourned for Lacey and Connor. We've seen Scott mourn for them. We lost him and them. And I really feel if. If you'd take Scott away from us, it would. They were like family, Lacey and Connor and Scott. And it would be a whole family wiped off the whole face of the earth. It would be like Lacey never existed because she was a woman with him, and she grew with him from 18 to 28. And it was. It was a family member of ours. And we would lose a whole family. Both Sharon and I would lose a whole family.

[Co-host or Guest]

You know, it would be like they.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Never existed, that it would be so unreasonable, such a waste.

[Woody Overton]

It's.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

It's irreversible. And he can do a lot of good things with his life. No matter what it is, he'll do it. And I. I beg you to consider that. How he helps people and how he always has. And in this trial, you heard one month how he reacted to the loss of his wife and baby being ripped from him, the bizarre things he did because he didn't know what to do. At 30 years old, when all his work was taken away, he was stalked by the media and everybody, twisted and turned and harassed by the police and painted as a devil in the public.

[Woody Overton]

He's not that he's never been that.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

He's always been nurturing and kind and loving.

[Woody Overton]

Judge let's get back to questions and answers. Mr. Garagos. Garagos. I have no further questions.

[Co-host or Guest]

Judge Any questions, Ms. Flagella Flager?

[Woody Overton]

No questions, your honor. Judge okay, Ms. Peterson, thank you. Now, y' all, come on, man, you know what? Mom would be moving if she get on the stand.

[Co-host or Guest]

But at all the other shit they.

[Woody Overton]

Presented, all the other stuff, they're still not touching the fact certainly he's not claiming responsibility for he's on trial for his life. You would think it would be like, oh yeah, fuck yeah, I did it. Please don't kill me now you're guilty already. But the defense finally rest on Thursday, December 9th of 2004.

[Co-host or Guest]

So now the final argument for the people begins first.

[Woody Overton]

Okay. And then the defense is going to get to go, and the prosecution will get to go one more time if they choose. So now I'm just going to read this to you. There'll be no question to answer. And imagine this.

[Co-host or Guest]

This is it. This is the last shit you're going.

[Woody Overton]

To hear before you go decide Scott Peterson, whether you're going to put him to death or not. So Harris begins, gets up in front of the jury, says, two years ago.

[Co-host or Guest]

Today, the defendant, Scott Peterson, bought a.

[Woody Overton]

Boat and told Amber Fry that his wife was lost.

[Co-host or Guest]

Today is the two year anniversary of Lacey becoming lost. Today is the two year anniversary of Scott's monstrous plan to take his wife, murder her and dump her body in the bay. Today is the two year anniversary of that the plan was for his wife's body to be dumped in the bay, a watery grave and never to be.

[Woody Overton]

Found, never to be laid to rest.

[Co-host or Guest]

The ripples from that water has spread far and wide and they have spread to us.

[Woody Overton]

And that's why we're here today.

[Co-host or Guest]

We are here to decide what is the just is the appropriate punishment for Scott Peterson for the murder of his wife and son. A decision that you all agreed that you could do. Before I start talking about the instructions, I want to talk about your task here. Let's face it, that is a very hard decision. You have a tough job in front of you, but when you think about this tough job that you have to do, let's be clear about one thing. Death is worse than life. So if you hear an argument that life is far worse, it's not because you have life. And the defendant gets to sit in a cell, he's alive, he gets to read books, he gets to write letters, he gets to have letters, he gets to read books along with people on the outside. All things that Lacey and Connor would have loved to have had. All things that Lacey's family would love to be able to share with Lacey and Connor. So when we start from that point, remember, death is, is the worst punishment. It is worse than life. The instructions that you see up there, weighing the various circumstances, those are instructions the judge has read once, he's going to read them to you again. You determine under the relevant evidence which penalty is justified and appropriate by considering the totality of the aggravating circumstances with the totality of, of the mitigating circumstances. There's a scale up there because it's a symbol. It's a symbol of the weighing process that you're going to be going through. It's a weighing process of you deciding. Talk to you a little bit more about that in a few minutes. The balance, the balance of good and.

[Woody Overton]

The bad, the weigh in process, it's.

[Co-host or Guest]

Not a mechanical process. It's not. You put one thing on one side and one thing on the other, whichever is the heavier one is the one with the most numbers.

[Woody Overton]

It's a matter that you get to decide.

[Co-host or Guest]

So before we start talking about the weighing process, let's go through what are.

[Woody Overton]

The things that you put on to the scale.

[Co-host or Guest]

As you see, step out of the way. It's a problem with the podium being here, kind of blocking the view. Hey lifers, Woody Overton here and I want to talk to y' all about something that's come up around our house.

[Woody Overton]

More than once lately. Hormones.

[Co-host or Guest]

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[Co-host or Guest]

Learn [e-mail] aggravating factor is any fact, condition or event attending the commission of a crime which increases its severity or enormity or adds to the its injuries consequences which is above and beyond the.

[Woody Overton]

Elements of the crime itself.

[Co-host or Guest]

What makes this crime bad? That goes on one side of the scale that you are asked to weigh. What goes on the other side of the scale is mitigating circumstances.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Let me read that to you real quick.

[Co-host or Guest]

A mitigating circumstance is any fact, condition or event which does not constitute a justification or excuse for the crime in question but may be considered as extenuating.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Circumstance in determine the the appropriateness of the death penalty.

[Co-host or Guest]

These are the two sides of the scale. So when you start weighing, remember clearly this balance. Now the next slide I show you, which is another part of the instructions. You are free to assign whatever moral or sympathetic value you deem to be appropriate for each and all of the factors that you are permitted to consider. That means you as individuals can look at the evidence, remember everything from the guilt phase and weigh it in this particular case and with that weighing process make the appropriate determination. The determination. These are the instructions the judge is going to give you. It's the law. It's what you have have to do. Let's talk about what these factors are. You get to weigh as aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The one that I talked to you about in the opening statement, which is circumstances of the crime is also referred to as factor A. That's anything that involves the crime for which the defendant is here in this particular case, the two murders. That is an aggravating circumstance and we'll talk more about that. But remember factor A, the circumstances of the crime go on one side of the scale. Factor B, the presence or absence of other activity. Criminal activity talked about that. That's a mitigating factor because there is none in this particular case. Factor C, any prior felony convictions. Again that's on the mitigating side.

[Woody Overton]

You heard there is no record.

[Co-host or Guest]

We will get into other factors as the judge will Tell you D which is whether or not the offense was committed while the defendant was under the influence of. Of extreme mental or emotional disturbance. That one is not applicable.

[Woody Overton]

There is no evidence before you.

[Co-host or Guest]

E. Whether or not the victim was a participant in the defendant's homicidal conduct or consented to the homicidal act. Again, that one is not applicable. F. Whether there was a moral justification or extenuation of the conduct. That one is not applicable. Either whether or not the defendant acted under extreme duress or under substantial domination of another person. Again, not applicable. Whether or not at the time of the offense, the capacity of the defendant to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or was he impaired as a result of mental disease or defect or effects of intoxication. Again, that's not applicable. There is no evidence the age of defendant at the time of the crime.

[Woody Overton]

You decide if that one's mitigating or not.

[Co-host or Guest]

Whether or not the defendant was an accomplice to the offense or his participation in the commission of the offense was relatively minor. Again, that one's not applicable. The last factor, kind of a catch all factor, is referred to as factor K. And that's any other circumstance which extenuates the gravity of the crime, even though it's not a legal excuse for the crime in any sympathetic or other aspects of the defendant's character or anything that serves as a basis for less than death. Those are the legal factors that you are going to be asked to look at. Now when we talk about putting them on the opposite side of the scale. Remember, the absence of a mitigating factor, one that's not applicable, does not make it a mitigating factor. Again, whether it's mitigating or aggravating, which side of the scale do they go on now talking about the legal stuff at this point in time? I want to talk about one other thing. Normally, at this point in time, I wouldn't be talking about the defense side of the case. But as the judge told you yesterday.

[Woody Overton]

I only get one opportunity to talk to you.

[Co-host or Guest]

This is it. So I get to stand up and I get to tell you what the defense has shown and how it relates to this particular case. Because I don't get to get back up and say, here's what they argued, here's what it means. This is the last time you're going to hear from me, the last time you're going to hear me talk about this particular case. So I want to spend a few minutes, I want to go through and talk about what it was the defense has shown us. Let's talk about the 39 witnesses that we heard from the defense. 39 witnesses. Those 39 witnesses pretty much all said the same thing. The man who sits here, this convicted double murderer, he's not. This is not the Scott that I know. His high school vice principal, his golf coaches, relatives, assorted cast of characters and.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Family and friends, they all pretty much said the same thing. They remember him as a young man. They remember him as this person. They remember him as a good golfer, sincere, respectful. They remember him doing the deeds that he did when he was young.

[Co-host or Guest]

They remember him coming from a loving home of privilege, that he loved to.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Drive, that he was even tempered, he never lost his cool, that he enjoyed spending his parents money and that he.

[Co-host or Guest]

Had all nice toys. From those witnesses, it's a lot like Lee's story.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Remember when Lee Peterson testified when he was young and poor and his mother would clean houses. Emily, go over to one particular house where there was a young boy who had a cowboy costume.

[Co-host or Guest]

That's the Scott Peterson. These people painted a picture for you.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Some witnesses came and they scribed him as an adult.

[Co-host or Guest]

Scott Peterson as an adult boy.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

They tell you he's a good golfer, he's a good salesman.

[Co-host or Guest]

And I want you to think about.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

That story, the salesman golfer, where they came together with the witness.

[Co-host or Guest]

I believe his name was Mr. Beardsley. When he talked about Scott coming to a golf tournament, and Scott played in a golf tournament, he won.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

He donated his money to the pot. So that was a terrible thing to do.

[Co-host or Guest]

Or was it a kind of like Scott that we know he's trying to make sales, he's trying to make a good in this area.

[Woody Overton]

I mean, that's what Mr. Beardsley was saying.

[Co-host or Guest]

And if all these farmers and sales people thought he was a ringer, came down and beat them and took their money, you think he would ever get a sale from them in the future? One thing that Mr. Beardsley said, and truer words were never spoken, Scott Peterson was a person who had a plan and he acted on it. He executed it. These witnesses also describe this Scott Peterson, the adult, being thoughtful and smart. In fact, a lot of witnesses said he was intelligent. Maybe intelligent enough to think that he could get away with something there. He was a matchmaker. You heard that from his friend, Ms. Galloway. They described their relationship.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

And when you listen to that, what.

[Co-host or Guest]

She described, it sounded a lot like the relationship that Scott had with Sean.

[Woody Overton]

Sibley, the woman who ultimately set him up with Amber Fry.

[Co-host or Guest]

One thing they also said, he was absolutely honest. They Painted a picture of Scott being pretty much perfect. And when he met Lacey, they were the perfect couple and they completed each.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Other, that they were both full of life and loving.

[Co-host or Guest]

But unfortunately, they didn't know what you know.

[Woody Overton]

They didn't know the other side of Scott Peterson. They didn't know the side of Scott Peterson that, you know, who isn't honest.

[Co-host or Guest]

Who isn't loving, who isn't kind. Now, one of the other things to think about when you look at these two pictures up there is to see this behavior, what Scott Peterson did. Remember what Galloway said, that Scott always had flowers. We heard from a couple of other witnesses, too. Remember how he set up this wonderful table for Sharon Rocha with all the flowers? Same behavior, the same planning, the same.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Gentle kindness that they described the. That he did for Amber Fry the.

[Co-host or Guest]

First night with the roses and the.

[Woody Overton]

Champagne and the strawberries.

[Co-host or Guest]

These individuals that testified for Scott, let's.

[Woody Overton]

Go through them just real briefly. Aaron Fritz, for example, you will remember him.

[Co-host or Guest]

He was the one that was. What would Scott do? The friend of his from elementary school, junior high, that kind of transition period.

[Woody Overton]

Known him for that time period, friends.

[Co-host or Guest]

With Scott, didn't know anything about Amber, didn't know anything about Scott cheating on his wife because he didn't know the real Scott. His other friend that came in, Shelly Reiman, same thing she was telling you about Scott saying in December, oh, I'm.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Happy to have a baby.

[Co-host or Guest]

Where at the same time he's telling Amber Fry, I don't want kids.

[Woody Overton]

Yours is enough for me.

[Co-host or Guest]

I want a vasectomy. That whole public and private Scott, you've heard from these tapes throughout the trial.

[Woody Overton]

What the real Scott is, that he's.

[Co-host or Guest]

A manipulator, that he's a liar, that these witnesses that came in, they are just more of his victims, more victims of Scott. Some of these witnesses, they came in and they told us about some of the family background and his character traits. The family was stoic.

[Woody Overton]

They didn't cry.

[Co-host or Guest]

They didn't wear their emotions on their sleeve, I think is what Galloway said. Scott was only he didn't know how.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

To handle the situation.

[Co-host or Guest]

Those are the kinds of things that they heard. But once Amber Fry came out in the public, and Scott wanted this to be about himself again. What did Scott do? What did Scott do?

[Woody Overton]

He played the part of a grieving.

[Co-host or Guest]

Husband, the great manipulator, the great fraud. Turn on the tears to play the part of the grieving husband.

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[Woody Overton]

Smart bed Can I make my side softer?

[Co-host or Guest]

Can I make my side firmer can.

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[Co-host or Guest]

So these 39 witnesses that came before you and basically ask mercy for that man don't even know who they're talking about. To show you behind the scenes what he was doing shortly after that last phone call that was captured with one of the defense witnesses that they had.

[Woody Overton]

On behalf of Scott Janie Peterson.

[Co-host or Guest]

So we go from Scott, this grieving husband. You've heard this tape before, to the not so grieving Scott Peterson.

[Woody Overton]

And they play the tape, y' all.

[Co-host or Guest]

Not the caring, compassionate, gentle, grieving husband, Scott. I play this one because it sets up the next tape, which is a reminder to you how Scott Peterson lied and manipulated the people during the time that Lacey was missing. That's a circumstance of the crime for you to consider. Now remember, this is a phone call to someone that worked at the volunteer.

[Woody Overton]

Center and played the tape.

[Co-host or Guest]

Need to get those signs. Somebody was out there looking for his wife. I have been in grief counseling, man who lies to people who are trying to help. That's how private Scott is. He lies, he fools, he manipulates. He is not the person that deserves your sympathy. Now, speaking of the people that were out there looking, remember this candlelight vigil New Year's Eve? Look at that picture. Brent Roach described it. That's the defendant's mother up there on the stage. He couldn't get up there, but he let his sick mother go up and ask community for support. Ask for help finding his wife while he's down in the audience and how to pay his own mother, y' all.

[Woody Overton]

Then they play the recording of him on the phone of Amber Fry while this is going on.

[Co-host or Guest]

He laughed. He laughed at his Own mother. He laughed at the people that were helping him. He laughed at everyone. And when you look at that scale, when you balance these things, there is no mitigating factor big enough, heavy enough, powerful enough to take these things away. Even with all that his family and his mother asked for. Ask for your sympathy, and they begged for his life. As the judge will instruct you. Sympathy for a defendant's family is not a matter that a capital jury can consider in mitigation. It's not something that comes into play unless family members may offer testimony of the impact of an execution on them. And by doing so, they illuminate some positive quality of the defendant's background of character. So when you think about all of these 39 witnesses, many of them not family members, and you think about what they told you, about how hard this would be on them, did it illuminate any positive character trait of the defendant?

[Woody Overton]

No.

[Co-host or Guest]

You've heard it over and over again.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Well, if you execute him, it will kill Lee, it will kill Jackie, it will kill Janie.

[Co-host or Guest]

Here is the person responsible is right there. Right there. That's the one that's responsible. The law says you have to follow instructions. So all that stuff about what it would mean to Lee and Jackie, you can't consider because there is no redeeming value to a man that laughs at his mother. One other thing, many of those witnesses, they got up here and, you know, they sat on the witness stand and they kind of looked you in the eye and they said, you are wrong.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

He's innocent.

[Co-host or Guest]

He's not guilty.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

You have to ask yourself, why are they doing that?

[Co-host or Guest]

Why are these witnesses doing that? Are they trying to make you doubt your resolve in this case? You think maybe they are trying to make you feel guilty. Don't feel guilty for doing your job. Don't feel guilty for doing the right thing. Don't feel guilty for him. They're trying to create some lingering doubt. Don't let them. You did the right thing. Now is the time to do the right thing again.

[Woody Overton]

Don't be manipulated.

[Co-host or Guest]

One of the other things, since I.

[Woody Overton]

Don'T get up here again and respond.

[Co-host or Guest]

Another argument that's kind of common, besides this lingering doubt is, well, he's not the worst of the worst.

[Woody Overton]

Think about that for a second.

[Co-host or Guest]

First of all, the instructions that you would get from the judge would tell you not to make comparison to others again. You will get an argument that you don't need to compare him to others. And when you start thinking about whether Scott Peterson deserves the death penalty, ask Yourself, this. When the man carries out murder of his pregnant wife and unborn child. Can you think of a more heinous crime? Would it be more heinous if he was a stranger? No. Scott Peterson is the worst of the worst because he's the kind of person that lures you in, the kind of person that you can trust, that can manipulate and fool you.

[Woody Overton]

No one ever sees it coming.

[Co-host or Guest]

The circumstances of the crime, that trust that was violated.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Let's talk about that now.

[Woody Overton]

Y' all, this is, this is fucking fire. Okay? This is what exactly I've been telling you as it goes along so far. This closing by the prosecution is not scores and it's only going to get better. And obviously we got to do another episode because it's, it's, it's long. But I'm trying to emphasize my voice because I've sat in all these murder trials.

[Co-host or Guest]

Oh, they try.

[Woody Overton]

And you can call it an act, you can call it whatever you want to, but I've seen many a prosecutor cry during this part of the death penalty phase.

[Co-host or Guest]

You know why?

[Woody Overton]

Because they're good people who are trying to bring justice. Right? And now you're at the ultimate justice phase and this case means something to them. Is there hollering in theatrics? Sure it is. Absolutely. Is it not necessary? No, it is necessary. And basically he's saying everything I've been telling you. How in the death penalty phase, how the defense scores it, 39 witnesses, y' all listen to me tell you about, and they amount to a fucking hill of beans.

[Co-host or Guest]

Nothing.

[Woody Overton]

And other than defense lawyers doing what defense lawyers do. And I tell you one thing, and it's been proven over the years by Mark Garrigos, who's still defending even like the Menendez brothers today executed their parents in cold blood. He's had every high profile case since Scott Peterson and he's a fine lawyer. Defense lawyer if you're a fuck up, if you're famous, if you got a shit ton of money, or if you could put him on the front line of Nancy Grace or CNN or Fox News or whatever you watch. So I'm gonna stop it. The we will continue again and we're almost done. But I think this is probably the best part of all these episodes that I've done and I love and appreciate each and every one of y' all. I, I want to thank you again for listening, liking and sharing Real life, real crime. Original Confidential Informant is coming as soon as I finish this. Hashtag justice for Haley.

[Scott Peterson's Mother (Jacqueline Peterson)]

Oh, Lord.

[Woody Overton]

Sweet baby Jes. That meeting is the day before you. You're getting this episode unless you're a patron or convict. And so we'll let y' all know next week how that goes. And fingers crossed. But don't stop calling. Don't stop calling and texting because squeaky wheel gets the grease. And that is proven. We've done it before. We're in the process of doing it again. And it's you lifers who actually care about justice that are making it happen.

[Co-host or Guest]

Lopa, Louisiana, Oregon Procurement Agency Love them.

[Woody Overton]

Love them, love them in their nonprofit. That's why I close every Saturday show with them. Recently, Kevin Kool Aid Garrett and I, celebrity bartender at Walcorn's Restaurant Bistro in Zachary, Louisiana. Wallcorns is a fine, fine organization. In the tips that we made, Kevin and I made from the lifers that came in, the tips that we made, walk ons matched it. And I, you know, unfortunately, the last three weeks of my daddy dying and everything and me staying with my mama, the they, they've been wanting to do the presentation of the check in the big check, you know, for social media and everything else. And we're going to do that. I just haven't got over there yet. But I want to thank them again, that being walk once. I want to thank Kevin Koolaid Gary, my boy, and for helping set it up and do it, we raised some good money. Lopa saves lives. Become an organ donor. Please, please. I could promise you one thing. My daddy was an organ donor. And not that anything he had could be used, but a lot of times it's a thought that counts, right? And you don't have to be a lifer from Louisiana to. For Lopa to help you become an organ donor. You can be a lifer from Switzerland. Go to lopa.org take 2 minutes, fill out the questionnaire, give the gift of life and sight and all the great stuff that they do. All right? And shout out to Lori Steele Lopez, spoke person, spokesperson for coming out to walk ons. And we signed up organ donors. More, way more important than the money we raised are the people that she signed up that night to be organ donors that because one, maybe one of them one day are going to save a ton of lives.

[Co-host or Guest]

And I'm Woody Overtson, you host a.

[Woody Overton]

Real Life, Real Crime, the podcast. Until next time or ever, don't let me catch you down on Murder by Peace. Yeah. The right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You gotta write to an attorney prior to it during any question.

[Dutch Pet Care Representative]

If you can't afford one the quarter.

[Woody Overton]

Point one for you. Do you understand your rights.

[Unknown Speaker E]

And the wolf is at your home you running over that's for sure Already knows all about you cut you down no matter about you now you better watch the.

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[Woody Overton]

Smart Bed Can I make my side softer?

[Co-host or Guest]

Can I make my side firmer? Can we sleep cooler?

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