Posted: August 11, 2003 at 3:36 p.m. MARTINEZ (AP) -- Scott Peterson's attorneys and forensic experts are examined the remains of Laci Peterson and the couple's unborn son in Martinez on Monday.
They say they are hoping to find evidence that will clear the Modesto man of murder charges.
Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant, disappeared on Christmas Eve while Scott Peterson says he was fishing in Berkeley. Her body, and the body of the fetus they had named Conner, washed up on a beach in nearby Richmond in April.
On Friday, Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Al Girolami approved guidelines for the exam. He told the defense team they could have what he called a reasonable amount of tissue for study.
The team will have access to the remains until five this afternoon.
The examinations will be carried out by Henry Lee, a former director of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory in Meriden. Lee's no stranger to controversial cases. He also worked on the O-J Simpson case.
Peterson faces murder charges in the deaths and the death penalty if convicted. He says he's innocent.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)