Journey to Justice

Two new articles on our website!

nospam@example.com (Peterson Family) — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:01:36 -0700

Dear Friends,

It's been awhile since we posted new content to the website, so be sure to check out the two new Featured Facts we just put up. One article outlines Scott's contact with Amber Frey and the other is a list of trial quotes. Thank you for taking the time to read what we have to say!

Sex, Lies and Audiotapes

Trial Quotes

The Peterson Family

I was looking at some old family photos....

nospam@example.com (Lee Peterson) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:16:59 -0800

I was looking at some old family photos the other night and it made me think back about how our beautiful family came together and the role Scott's birth played in it.

Jacqueline and I met in San Diego while pursuing college degrees. I fell in love with this lovely, lively, and sweet girl almost immediately, and it turned out she felt the same for me. We were married in November of 1971. I had three terrific children, Susan 11, Mark 9 and Joe 7 and Jacqueline brought her 4-year-old son John to the marriage. Scott was born in the fall of 1972 and was immediately a treasured and much loved member of our family of 7. Much love and cohesiveness developed within our blended family by watching this toddler with a constant smile and pleasant disposition.

Scott learned right from wrong from not only from his mom and me, but also from his siblings who had a measurable hand in his upbringing. They taught him how to share and love. They read to him regularly and Scott developed an early love of reading. He was self sufficient at an early age, content to play with what was at hand and was able to entertain himself much of the time.

Scott was a joy at all ages, always praised by his elementary and middle school teachers who were touched by his kindness to other children. In high school he excelled academically while being captain of the golf team for two years. He then went on to college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he paid his tuition and supported himself by working as a waiter and other part time work. He graduated with a BS in Ag-business and almost immediately landed a job with a Spanish company, which wanted someone to introduce their agriculture products in the US.

Scott and Laci met while both attending Cal Poly and when Scott introduced us to Laci we knew immediately she was a special girl to him and we could see that they were a great couple together. They were married shortly after Laci graduated with her degree in horticulture. They were very happy from the onset and had a dream raising a family and one day owning a small winery or olive farm in the Central coast area. About 3 years after they were married, Scott and Laci decided to make the move from San Luis Obispo, CA to Laci’s hometown of Modesto, CA. They wanted to purchase their first home and to be near her brother with hopes of raising their children together. They were close to reaching that dream when Laci became pregnant with their son in May of 2002.

And as I reflect on our family and on Scott and Laci before that tragic day in December 2002, I want you all to know that my son is a good and caring man. He is incapable of harming anyone. He was universally liked and respected by his peers and business associates. During the FBI investigation the agents were not able to turn up one word which spoke ill of Scott. Not one person had ever seen Scott and Laci at odds or being other than loving and kind to one another.

It pains me that the world does not know this Scott, that they believe he’s capable of murder. I will tell you now, my son is no murderer. He is an innocent man who was devoured by the media and ultimately our legal system. Unfortunately, we’ve found that this story of heartache, tragedy, and injustice is not unique, but we hold on to the hope that this injustice will be made right.

Lee Peterson

Thanksgiving has always been...

nospam@example.com (Susan Caudillo) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:42:57 -0800

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Thanksgiving has always been one of our favorite holidays, one that we all look forward to. The great feast that everyone helps put together, the special table settings and decorations and just getting together with the family to spend some "quality time" together, makes it a great day. This year was no exception. We gathered at our home as has been the tradition for the past 7+ years, all 29 of us! We had great weather here in San Diego so a table was set out on the patio for the "kids". It is our tradition to gather around the table before the meal and join hands in a prayer that our brother Joe says for us, and we thank Jesus for the many blessing in our lives, and ask Him to watch over us and our family that cannot be with us. It is my favorite moment of Thanksgiving day.

Each Thanksgiving that we celebrate also reminds us of the very last time we were together with Laci in 2002. Laci is always missed immensely by our family, but especially at Thanksgiving time. We all have many fond memories of her from that last Thanksgiving holiday with her that we will keep forever. We will continue to celebrate and give thanks for all of the many gifts we have in our lives despite the tragedy and loss we have experienced. Laci would want nothing less.

Thank you for your generous support this past year and from our family to yours, may you enjoy the rest of the holiday season!

Susan Peterson-Caudillo

We have some GOOD NEWS we want to share...

nospam@example.com (Peterson Family) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:57:00 -0700

Cliff addressing the Supreme Court

Dear Friends, Family & Supporters,

We have some GOOD NEWS we want to share with you. The California Supreme Court has appointed Cliff Gardner as Scott’s appellate attorney. As you may recall, our family retained attorneys Cliff Gardner and Larry Gibbs in March of 2005 to begin work on the habeas (investigation) petition for Scott’s case. All aspects of Scott’s appeal can now move forward.

Along with the appointment, the state will provide some funds to cover investigative costs. As Scott mentioned in his June blog, we need to complete forensic testing that the prosecution ignored, we need to hire experts to review evidence, and we need to hire investigators to speak with key witnesses. These items are vital and necessary to the appeal process. Even with the state’s help, there is approximately $95,000 more needed to cover the expenses of the investigation.

We have been very blessed in that our parents have been able to pay for Scott’s defense and appellate attorneys for the past 6 years. But the reality of today is that they have exhausted their resources.

We want to lift the burden of these investigative costs off their shoulders. This is where we need your help. As the saying goes “Many hands make light work,”. If each of you can make a donation between $5 and $50, we will be well on our way to making up this deficit. With your contribution to the Peterson Family fund, the investigation will be able to move forward uninterrupted, the burden to pay for it will be lifted from our parents, and we will be one step closer to the priceless freedom of our innocent brother.

Without your help, it would take our family years to come up with the funds needed, time we do not have. If you have ever thought about donating in the past and were waiting for a time that your gift would make the biggest impact, then this is that time. Your help today will bring us one step closer to getting Scott granted a new trial and finding justice for Laci and Conner.

Please know that we would not be where we are today without the love and support of each and every one of you, and we thank God everyday for that. Thank you for the sacrifice you are willing to make for our family, we will be sure to keep you updated!

The Peterson Family Children

Click the “Make A Donation” button at the top right
or you can mail a check to:
Peterson Family Fund
PO Box 853
Solana Beach, CA 92075

At this point in time...

nospam@example.com () — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:13:41 -0700

The original content of this blog has been removed

Death Penalty Report 2008...

nospam@example.com (Peterson Family) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:08:20 -0700

The link to the left is to The Death Penalty in 2008: Year end Report. It contains alot of information if you would like to learn more about the death penalty. For every 8.7 people that have been executed in the United States since 1973, 1 death row inmate has been exonerated. California currently has 667 death row inmates. If you apply that ratio; 76 of them are innocent! And Scott is one of them!

The Peterson Family

Wrongful death lawsuit dropped...

nospam@example.com (Peterson Family) — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:26:04 -0700

Last week the Rocha family quietly dropped the wrongful death lawsuit against Scott.

The reality is, if this civil case would have gone forward, it would have given Scott's criminal conviction an even better chance of being overturned because of the amount of new information that would have been discovered and revealed.

Part of this civil litigation would have included depositions. Civil depositions would have allowed our attorneys to question people under subpoena who would not otherwise cooperate with our investigation. This would have been critical because our investigators do not have the power to execute a search warrant, they do not have power to detain people for questioning, and they do not have power to subpoena records.

We know that with each new piece of evidence that comes to light, it further shows Scott is innocent. We have the truth on our side and as stressful and difficult as the courtroom and media spotlight are, we were not afraid for this civil trial to move forward.

The Peterson Family

It's been six years...

nospam@example.com (Peterson Family) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:41:16 -0700

It's been six years since Scott's arrest. It's almost overwhelming to ponder the length of time that's gone by and the road that we've traveled. It is by the grace of God that our family is able to continue on, and that grace has been manifested in the support we've received from all of you. Our family friend, Jill, wrote the following and it seems an appropriate time to share her thoughts...

"Let us not grow weary in doing good"

When presented with a situation that calls for help, I have often found myself thinking that if I can't do something extremely significant, then there's nothing I can do except simply hope things turn out for the good. In a situation such as Scott's injustice, the task seems daunting. It has been and will continue to require an enormous amount of time, effort, finances, and favor from God to correct the unfathomable wrong that has been done to him and his family.

In Scott's case, however, I have learned that it is indeed the little things that have kept Scott and his family moving forward on the long journey before them - letters of encouragement, donations, willingness to spread the word about this injustice, etc. If there is anything I can do, no matter how trivial it may seem, it is important that I commit to do it. It has been a long road so far, and there is still quite a journey ahead until Scott will be free, but the efforts of the thousands of people that support Scott and stand against injustice will help him reach that day.

I want to encourage everyone to stay the course, do whatever it is you can do to bring awareness to this injustice, and to not become weary in this fight for justice. This fight is a long and steady one, but perhaps one of the most rewarding we will ever be engaged in. Be confident that as we all do whatever "little things" we can do day by day, it will one day amount to the priceless freedom of an innocent man.

The Peterson Family

Media spotlight wrong again...

nospam@example.com () — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:41:20 -0700

The original content of this blog has been removed

A girl in our community....

nospam@example.com (Susan Caudillo) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:32:36 -0800

On the morning of February 14th my husband and I were leaving our local grocery store and as we were heading out the door I noticed a missing person flyer taped to the door. The photo was of a teenage girl and when I read the details I learned that she was a classmate of my daughter and was last seen at 7:10am (about 20 minutes before school started) approximately 300 yards from the school's main entrances.

I pay more attention to fliers since Laci went missing and our family experienced this first hand. This one touched very close to home and our immediate community. I know the panic and worry that set in when the parents, extended family, neighbors, and friends realized Amber Dubois never made it to school that day.

It has been over two weeks now and there are literally no leads to her disappearance. Amber is said to have been very eager to be at school that day as she was going to be getting her baby lamb for her FFA class project. She also had Valentine gifts that she purchased the night before for friends she was to see at school that day. She had never run away in the past and it would be "very out of character" for her. They have a website www.BringAmberHome.com and a toll-free tip line 888-55AMBER.

Please take a look at their website, print out some fliers and put them around your community. Amber could be anywhere in the country by now. Remember the fortunate outcome for Elizabeth Smart and her family!

Our prayers go out to Amber, her parents, and family. We pray that she be will be found soon - safe and unharmed.

Susan & Family