KTVU.com
Body Discovered; Modesto Police Airlifted To Richmond
POSTED: 3:15 p.m. PDT April 14, 2003
UPDATED: 7:06 p.m. PDT April 14, 2003
RICHMOND, Calif. -- Modesto investigators were airlifted to Richmond's Point Isabel Regional Park Monday after a badly decomposed female body was spotted in shallow water a little more than a mile from where the corpse of a male fetus was discovered on Sunday.
However, authorities would not speculate if the grisly discoveries had anything to do with missing Modesto schoolteacher Laci Peterson.
"What we have is a badly decomposed body that appears to have been in the water for some time," said chief Norman Lapera, of the East Bay Regional Park Police. "But it's (been in the water) longer than a few days. The body shows just some skeleton remains, there is some flesh on the body."
Lapera said it was impossible to immediately know the gender of the body, but added "I think you can infer by the fact that we called the Modesto Police Department that we have not eliminated that it may be a female."
Hours later, the coroner's office confirmed to KTVU Channel 2 that the body was that of a female. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday evening.
When asked directly whether the discovery had anything to do with Peterson, Lapera answered: "We don't know...It would be unreasonable for me to speculate, (but) that is the concern of everyone."
In a copyrighted story, the Contra Costa Times quoted a source as telling the paper that the head and legs of the body were missing and it was apparent that the corpse had been pregnant. The body was identified, according to the newspaper source, to be a petite female that apparently was clothed in maternity wear.
Once they were called, Modesto police immediately dispatched a team to the scene via a helicopter.
"Modesto investigators were very interested and appreciated the phone call," he said. "Rather than processing the crime right now, where we would call in the coroner, as a courtesy to the Modesto Police, we are waiting for them."
"There is no danger of any kind of evidence being damaged because the tide is out. We have some time and the coroner is waiting."
The body was sighted by a dog walker around 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Speculation that the discovery could be a major break in the Peterson case arose from the fact that Scott Peterson, Laci's husband, has told authorities he was fishing in the nearby Berkeley Marina on Christmas Eve day when his wife allegedly disappeared without a trace from their Modesto home. The waters off Berkeley and Richmond have been the sites of an intensive underwater search.
Laci Peterson also was eight months pregnant with a baby boy at the time of her disappearance. Authorities said the fetus discovered along the shoreline on Sunday was that of a late-term baby boy.
Copyright 2003
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