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The fling between Scott Peterson and Amber Frey was more lust than love and definitely not motive enough to propel the murder of his pregnant wife, defense attorney Mark Geragos implied yesterday.
During Frey's second and final day under cross-examination, Geragos aimed to undermine the prosecution theory that Peterson killed Laci and Conner Peterson because he was so besotted with the Fresno masseuse he'd met a month before. On Monday, he painted Frey and Peterson's early dates as based on alcohol and sex rather than emotional intimacy. Geragos also wants the jury to believe Frey was the obsessed party in the affair.
Frey admitted under questioning that Peterson, who she believed was a single Sacramento-based businessman, never said he loved her.
"He never told you he loved you," Geragos asked Frey.
"Not in those words," she replied twice.
Peterson also never told her not to contact the police about their affair after she learned about Laci Peterson, Frey said.
Geragos finished his cross-examination of the prosecution's star witness just before noon yesterday. During Frey's last hours on the stand, Geragos steered his questioning toward the dozens of phone calls between the couple secretly recorded by Frey for Modesto police.
During one call, Frey asked Peterson if his wife is "missing because you love me."
Peterson replied, "Amber, she's missing because someone abducted her."
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The rest of the calls were filled with similar denials and oftentimes Peterson told his former lover there were things he just couldn't talk about. He said his former attorney before Geragos cautioned him against speaking with her.
Under Frey's questioning, Peterson said he loved his pregnant wife.
In February 2003, Frey told Peterson she thought they should cease communication until his wife was found. Peterson easily agreed, leaving Frey surprised, she testified.
Frey spent a total of seven days as a witness in the sensational double-murder trial. Her appearance is considered the pinnacle of the case against Peterson and drew crowds to the Redwood City courthouse.
Geragos told Judge Al Delucchi he might re-call Frey as a defense witness later to present phone calls not allowed under cross-examination.
During the afternoon, the trial returned to drier testimony as Daniel White, director of technical operations for AT&T, explained how calls bounce from cell tower to cell tower. Prosecutors want to show Peterson was not at the Berkeley Marina when his wife disappeared from the couple's Modesto home on Christmas Eve 2002.
Prosecutors will continue questioning District Attorney Investigator Steven Jacobson of the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office this morning. Jacobson installed wiretaps on Peterson's cell phones in the weeks after his wife's disappearance.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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