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Police
introduce Scott Peterson's girlfriend to
a stunned media at bizarre press conference
POSTED:
Friday, January 24, 2003 at 10:40 PM PST
UPDATED: Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 1:03 PM PST
by
Gregg L. DesElms
In a stunning moment that seemd to take at least one part of the Laci Peterson missing person case from the bizarre
to the surreal, Modesto Police Detective Doug Ridenour walked-up to the microphone in the police department's press
room and began the second of two amazing press conferences that that city had in a single evening.
Amber Frey
gives a prepared statement to the media admitting to a romantic relationship with Scott Peterson, husband of missing
Modesto woman Laci Peterson. Modesto Police Det. Doug Ridenour observes over her left shoulder.
Photo
by BART AH YOU
of the Modesto Bee |
And it was a press conference that those present are not likely to forget any time soon.
Ridenour explained to the roomful of eager reporters and camera crews that earlier in the day the press had located
the woman with whom Scott Peterson was alleged to have had an affair behind his wife's back prior to her recent
disappearance. He said that she had been contacted by reporters at her place of business and that she, in turn,
contacted the Modesto police department to ask what she should do.
She and the police decided that in the interest of her safety and privacy she would make a statement at the police
department. And that's when police decided to have the press conference a few hours after the Rochas finished theirs.
Ridenour then introduced the reporters assembled to 28-year-old AMBER FREY, the slender, frightened-looking and
trembling woman standing, uncomfortably, in the wings. He said she would make a brief statement and then she would
not take any questions. And with that he stepped away from the microphone and looked her way. She just stood for
a moment, frozen. Then she stepped, hesitatingly, to the microphone and cleared her throat. After a pause, and
in a fragile voice, she began:
"Okay,
first of all, I met Scott Peterson on November 20th of 2002. I was introduced to him. I was told he was unmarried.
Scott told me he was not married. We did have a romantic relationship.
"When I discovered he was involved in the Laci Peterson disappearance case, I immediately contacted the Modesto
Police Department.
"Although I could have sold the photos of Scott and I to tabloids, I knew this was not the right thing to
do. For fear of jeopardizing the case or the police investigation, I will not comment further."
Frey then took a deep
breath and attempted to compose herself. After a pause and a word or two of quiet comfort from Ridenour, who was
standing behind and to her left, she continued, her voice trembling and obviously fighting back tears.
"I
am very sorry for Laci's family, and the pain that this has caused them. And I pray for her safe return, as well.
"I would appreciate to my friends and acquaintances to refrain from talking about me to the media for profit
or recognition. I am a single mother with a 23-month-old child, and I ask to respect my privacy. Thank you."
Frey then promptly
left the podium as Ridenour approached the microphone again.
"Amber
Frey had contacted the Modesto Police Department on Monday, December 30th, 2002. She met with detectives and gave
the information about the relationship with Scott Peterson. This information was verified by a variety of means,
and Amber Frey has been cooperative in the investigation, and has been eliminated as a suspect in the disappearance
of Laci Peterson.
"For the near future we've asked Ms Frey not to make any statements to the media. It is her desire that you
respect her privacy. Please don't follow, harass, or make any other attempts to interview her during the investigation."
With that, Ridenour
ended the statement portion of the press conference and said he would try to answer a few questions, but asked
the press to understand that he was still very limited, as he has been for the past month, in the kind of responses
he can give to certain kinds of questions.
The press then began to pepper Ridenour with questions that he basically couldn't answer because it would require
him getting into details that police were simply not prepared to divulge yet.
He wouldn't answer a reporter's question about whether Scott was romantically involved with Frey after Laci disappeared.
He wouldn't answer a reporter's question about whether she told police anything about where Scott was on Christmas
Eve.
He wouldn't answer a reporter's question about whether she gave police any information that ties Scott to Laci's
disappearance.
When one reporter asked how Frey found out who Scott Peterson was -- whether she learned about it on television,
or what, Ridenour answered the question by not really responding to it directly.
"I think she said in her statement that when Scott Peterson... when she found out who he was, she contacted
the police department," Ridenour said, and then moved on to the next question before the reporter could tell
him that he hadn't really answered that question.
He would not answer a reporter's question about whether Scott did or did not actually have a $250,000 life insurance
policy on Laci.
When asked how the police went about eliminating Frey as a suspect, Ridenour replied, "The investigators have
a variety of ways that they've been able to eliminate her from the investigation."
When asked by a reporter if she called police because she saw that Scott was involved in Laci's disappearance,
or because she saw that he was married, Ridenour answered, "Her statement, I believe, said that she did not
know that Scott was married at the time that they had this relationship... that was her statement."
When asked if they (Frey and Scott) had any future plans or if she talked about that, Ridenour said "no, not
that I'm aware of."
When asked if Ridenour could characterize how helpful Frey has been in the investigation, he replied, "Again,
as we reported a minute ago, she's cooperated with the investigation and we've eliminated her from..."
And at that moment, Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden stepped to the microphone and quietly asked Ridenour to step
aside. He thanked the press for its involvement in the case, telling reporters present that they were responsible
for masking sure that the entire world knew that Laci Peterson was missing. He added, "and we want to find
her... we want to find her and bring her home."
He then characterized the line of reporters' questions as "destructive," speaking of the harm that pressing
police on these matters could potentially do to the case. He told the press that police were not going to discuss
with them the details of the investigation, the relationships, the who, the what and the when.
"We've given the information that we feel we need to give," he said, "and we've given that information
so that a young woman who had the courage to come forward and give us information will not be harassed as she tries
to go on with her life."
When asked if Frey was from Fresno, Wasden replied that he would not confirm that or say where she was from.
When asked if the investigation was making progress, Wasden said, "The investigation is moving forward, and
we will continue to move it forward."
One reporter pointed out to Wasden that Laci's family was calling on Scott to be more cooperative with police,
and then asked him if he could characterize Scott's level of cooperation. Again, Wasden said, "I won't...
I won't comment on those things. Laci's family is going through a horrible time. And... and you all saw Laci's
family today. And they are... they are dealing with their life as a family. I am not gonna' comment about Scott...
this department's not gonna' comment about Scott... not gonna' comment about the investigation. And I know it's
frustrating to you, but we can't make this case a public understanding of what's involved... we cannot do that.
It wouldn't be appropriate or right. So, we're not gonna' talk about those things. Laci's family has information
they've decided to share. I respect that. I... I appreciate what they're going through. And... uh... you know...
their appeal today... uh... you heard it."
When asked, again, on what the police have based their conclusion that Frey has been eliminated as a suspect, Wasden
refused to say.
When asked if the Rocha and Peterson families were notified that Frey was going to come out and speak publicly,
Wasden replied, "yes."
"This
is still a missing person case. We'd love to find Laci alive and well and bring her home safe."
Modesto
Police Chief Roy Wasden on January 24, 2003 |
When asked if anyone had yet come forward and backed-up Scott's story that he had, indeed, been at the (Berkeley)
Marina, Wasden said, "You know... we're just not going to go down those paths and we're not going to discuss
those things." He continued, "The investigation is continuing to move forward. We... I believe... when
I checked just before coming down here... have received close to 4,500 tips on the tip line at this point in time.
There are continuing information and leads as the investigation evolves that we have to follow-up on.
When asked, "Are you any closer to finding Laci now than you were the last time you talked to us," Wasden
paused and then replied, "I don't... I don't believe there's been a significant change .. uh... that... uh...
I can articulate.... are we closer?... [pause] ... I hope so."
When asked if Scott had been eliminated as a suspect, Wasden replied, "We have not eliminated Scott Peterson
as a suspect."
When asked if Wasden knew where Scott was now, he paused and replied, "I don't... no."
When one reporter started to ask about forensic evidence, Wasden stopped him before he could even get the question
out, saying, "We're not going to discuss any of the evidence."
One reporter asked, "Is this still a missing person case?" to which Wasden replied, "Yes, this is
still a missing person case." The reporter followed-up, "It's not considered a homicide case?" Wasden
replied, "Well... this is still a missing person case. We'd love to find Laci alive and well and bring her
home safe."
When asked if the police were keeping tabs on where Scott was going, Wasden replied, "I can't discuss that."
When asked what Frey's profession was, Wasden refused to say.
When asked if Frey had had any contact with Laci's family, Wasden said, "We're not going to discuss Amber.
Amber gave you her statement. You have the information that Amber was comfortable sharing with you. She's asked
to have her privacy respected. We are gonna' do that. I'm not gonna' comment about Amber, her private life, where
she works, where she lives... any of those things. Amber wants to be able to go on with her life."
When asked how Laci's family learned about Amber, Wasden replied, "Your question earlier was whether we talked
with the family. Yes, we talked with the family."
When asked if the police were working in concert with other departments in surrounding counties, or within the
county, Wasden replied, "We are continuing with searches. We're not disclosing where those searches are....
and... uh... yes... there are those searches that are continuing."
And with that, Wasden wrapped-up the press conference with a thank you to the press for the important role they're
playing in the search for Lacy, and he left the podium.
The last-minute police press conference followed a press conference by Laci's family at the Red Lion Hotel in Modesto three and
a half hours earlier in which they read emotional, prepared statements to the press. Click here to read more about that.
A spokesperson for Laci's family told CNN on Saturday, January 25, 2003 that they watched the police press conference
on TV and they were slightly stunned. They had been warned by police that it would happen, so they thought they
knew what to expect. But they were still surprised by what they saw and heard. They said they actually felt sorry
for Frey and bore her no ill will; that they saw her as a victim, too. They wished Frey well and hoped that she
would get her wish of having her privacy respected and the opportunity to get on with her life.
A few hours later, the FOX News Channel reported that the Rochas met with Frey in the afternoon on Saturday, January
25, 2003, and that Frey was sharing what she knew with them. No other details about that meeting were immediately
available.
In an article published in the Sunday, January 26, 2003 edition of the
Modesto Bee, Amber Frey's father spoke to staff writer Louis Galvan about
his daughter's painful situation.
Frey said it was not easy for his daughter to come forward and contact Modesto police about her relationship with
Peterson. He said he watched the Friday news conference on television.
"It was very important for the public to know right away that my daughter is also a victim in this thing."
Because of all the publicity, she does not know when or if she will return to her job in Fresno, her father said.
"Right now she just wants everything to go away. How do you make this go away?"
Click here to read the full story.
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