West
Scott Peterson arrest months after Laci disappeared Christmas Eve may have been strategic: former homicide cop
Laci Peterson, 27, disappeared on Christmas Eve, 2002, and her husband, Scott Peterson, was charged with murder, just days after her remains were found months later.
Law enforcement officers don’t always wait to find a body before bringing a murder charge, though, like in the cases of missing Texas realtor Suzanne Simpson and missing Massachusetts real estate executive Ana Walshe. Fox News contributor and former Washington, D.C., homicide detective Ted Williams explained why investigators sometimes pursue charges before a body is found.
As authorities continue to search for Simpson, a 51-year-old mom of four who disappeared more than two months ago, her husband, Brad Simpson, remains behind bars, accused of killing his wife of 22 years. Unlike in the Peterson case, law enforcement did not wait to find Suzanne’s remains before charging Simpson with murder.
“Homicides are like a puzzle,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “Investigators are forever putting together pieces of the puzzle, and once they feel that they have enough evidence – circumstantial evidence or physical evidence – they will then move forward.”
SUZANNE SIMPSON’S DNA FOUND ON MURDER SUSPECT HUSBAND’S SAW THAT CAN CUT METAL
Missing Texas mom Suzanne Simpson is pictured with her husband Brad Simpson. (Facebook/Suzanne Simpson)
Scott Peterson and Laci Peterson in a still photo appearing in the docuseries “American Murder: Laci Peterson.” (Courtesy of Netflix)
Laci Peterson was seven-and-a-half months pregnant at the time she vanished on Christmas Eve in 2002 from the Modesto home she shared with Scott, sparking a widespread search for the mom-to-be. Four months later, in April 2003, a pedestrian found her unborn son’s decomposed body in the San Francisco Bay, and authorities found Laci’s remains in the Bay the following day.
Within a week of the discoveries, authorities arrested and charged Scott Peterson with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of his wife and unborn son.
“I think in the case of Scott Peterson, they were still gathering evidence . . . they wanted to wait, and they had time on their side. And while gathering the evidence, they were able to make a very concrete case against Scott Peterson,” Williams said.
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The former homicide detective explained why, in cases like Peterson’s, law enforcement might wait until a body is found before bringing a homicide charge, elaborating on the risk involved in charging an individual too soon.
“Investigators have to get it right the first time,” he said. “Once a person is charged with murder, then they are put on trial, and if they are found not guilty and later found to have actually committed the murder, they can’t be charged a second time because of what we define in this country as double jeopardy.”
Double jeopardy refers to a clause in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits anyone from being prosecuted twice for the same crime.
WHAT SCOTT PETERSON’S RECENT COURT WIN COULD MEAN FOR HIS YEARSLONG QUEST FOR FREEDOM
Scott Peterson, left, was convicted of murdering his wife and unborn son. (REUTERS/Lou Dematteis LD/MR, California Dept. of Corrections)
Williams said investigators must gather enough evidence to sustain a murder charge, given that they only have “one shot.”
“That’s the key . . . investigators realize that the evidence in order to go forward with a murder charge has to be strong,” he added.
“Prosecutors realize that they only get one bite of the apple,” Williams said. “If a jury comes back and finds the person not guilty of the crime of murder, and they later subsequently find evidence that shows that the person did, in fact, commit the murder . . . because of double jeopardy in our country…they cannot retry that person again, that that person will have gotten off with the killing.”
In another homicide investigation in Massachusetts, Ana Walshe, a mother of three young children and a real estate professional who worked in Washington, D.C., disappeared on New Year’s Day 2023 and was reported missing a few days later. Though her body was never recovered, her husband, Brian Walshe, was charged in his 39-year-old wife’s murder.
TRIAL DATE SET FOR BRIAN WALSHE, ACCUSED OF MURDERING MISSING REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE WIFE
Brian and Ana Walshe raise a toast on their wedding day in the lounge of L’Espalier in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Ana Walshe holds her three children in an October 2022 Instagram post. (Ana Walshe/Instagram)
Williams explained why, unlike with the Peterson investigation, authorities in both the Simpson and Walshe cases did not wait to find the victims’ remains before bringing murder charges against the suspects.
“Over a period of time, if investigators realize that they are not going to find or come up with a body, but that they believe that they have enough physical evidence to move forward, they will move forward, and they will present that to a prosecutor, and that prosecutor will make a decision as to whether he or she wants to go forward with charges,” he said.
On Dec. 3, Brad Simpson was indicted on two first-degree felony charges – murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury to a family member. He was also indicted on charges of tampering with a corpse, two additional counts of tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
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Suzanne and Brad Simpson allegedly fought after a night out at The Argyle in San Antonio, Texas.
“In the case of Suzanne Simpson, it appears as though investigators have come up with physical as well as circumstantial evidence to show that she is no longer here. And as a result of that, they have moved forward,” Williams said.
Suzanne Simpson’s DNA was reportedly found on a “reciprocating saw” that Brad Simpson is accused of hiding, according to indictment records obtained by Fox News Digital and KABB reporting. Authorities said there are no signs of Suzanne being alive since her husband allegedly assaulted her on Oct. 6, and that this has been verified by her cellphone records, financial records, family, friends and co-workers.
A neighbor reportedly saw Simpson assault his wife the night of her disappearance and later heard screams coming from the woods nearby, while the couple’s five-year-old child told a school counselor that on the evening of Oct. 6, her father allegedly had “pushed her mother against the wall, hit (physically) her mother on the face and hurt her mother’s elbow inside their residence” and also “turned off her mother’s phone because they were fighting,” according to the affidavit.
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The home of Suzanne and Brad Simpson in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Suzanne Simpson disappeared under suspicious circumstances. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
Investigators tracked Simpson’s unusual behavior in the days after his wife vanished, including shutting down his phone, driving with suspicious items in the bed of his truck, going to a dump site and cleaning his truck at a car wash.
“There is a bottom line and a common thread,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “Among all of these cases . . . they happened in various jurisdictions, and those jurisdictions handle homicides differently, but all homicides are based on the evidence . . . that investigators over a period of time are able to come up with.”
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
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Utah
Utah Weather: Increasing wind and fire dangers this weekend with a colder and wetter pattern arriving Sunday
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Happy Friday, Utah! Our Friday afternoon will feature pleasant conditions across the area.
Today’s weather: Sunshine and pleasant temps
Daytime highs will warm into the upper 70s for our Friday afternoon. Southwest Utah will see daytime highs in the low to mid 90s Friday afternoon.
Tommorow’s weather: Stout cold front
An approaching cold front will bring some extra clouds and gusty southwest winds to the state for our Saturday. A Fire Weather Warning has been issued for Grand County along with most southern Utah south of I-70 Saturday.
West and southwesterly winds will be sustained between 15-25 MPH on Saturday with wind gusts between 35-50 MPH. The gusty winds and relative low humidity levels will lead to an elevated fire danger across southern parts of the state.
A few isolated showers will develop Saturday across portions of central and eastern Utah, with partly cloudy skies developing across northern Utah. Daytime highs on Saturday will warm into the lower 70s across the Wasatch Front. Highs will warm near 90° across southwest Utah.
Looking ahead: Frost and freeze concerns
The cold front moves through Saturday evening, bringing a deeper surge of cooler conditions to Utah late this weekend. Daytime highs will only be in the 50s on Sunday and Monday. The core of the storm arrives Sunday bringing widespread rain showers across northern Utah.
As colder air rotates into the state Sunday evening, rain showers will likely change over to snow showers for our mountain locations across the state through Monday morning. Snow levels look to drop as low as around 6,000 FT, including some mountain valleys.
Get the latest Salt Lake City weather forecasts. View live doppler radar, & closings from the ABC4 Utah weather team.
Some light to moderate snow accumulations looks possible for the mountain valleys and mountain areas, with a better shot of seeing 6″+ for places like the Upper Cottonwoods and the Western Uintas. The good news is that road temperatures will be quite warm, so no major travel impacts are expected for most areas. Still, could see the accumulations on elevated surfaces by early Monday morning.
We will likely have to deal with a few mornings of frost and freeze concerns for some of our valleys into early next week. Currently, looks like the period to watch will be Monday morning and again on Tuesday morning.
High pressure builds behind this system by the middle of next week bringing the return of sunshine and moderating temperatures to Utah.
Stay with us for the latest updates from our 4Warn Weather forecast team on News4Utah+ and on abc4.com/utah-weather. We are Good4Utah!
Wyoming wildlife managers plan to reduce how many wolves can be hunted by 50% following a canine distemper outbreak that has cut the state’s wolf numbers to the lowest level in two decades.
A 22-wolf cap is the fewest number of wolves available to licensed Wyoming hunters since the state began allowing wolf hunting after Endangered Species Act protections were lifted in 2012. The limit also marks a significant decrease from last fall’s wolf hunting season.
“As far as the overall mortality limit, it’s exactly half,” Wyoming Game and Fish Department wolf biologist Ken Mills told WyoFile.
Last year, hunters could target a maximum of 44 wolves in the area around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where Wyoming classifies wolves as trophy game during the Sept. 15-Dec. 31 season. Hunters bound to Wyoming’s relatively tight regulations in that zone managed to kill 31 wolves.
It wasn’t hunting, however, that resulted in the lowest population since wolves were still being established after the 1995-96 Yellowstone National Park reintroduction. Biologists say a canine distemper outbreak is the primary culprit in the decline. The measles-like disease is especially deadly for puppies, and it was detected in 64% of the animals that Wyoming biologists handled during routine capture work last year.
As the calendar turned to 2026, Mills and federal biologists tallied 253 wolves and 14 breeding pairs statewide. Those are decreases, respectively, of 23% and 42% from the 330 wolves and 24 breeding pairs estimated at the end of 2024.
Wyoming’s proposed hunt for 2026 is designed to increase the wolf population in the trophy game area, located in the state’s mountainous northwest corner. The population in that zone decreased 19% to 132 wolves in 2025 — a figure that’s well below the state’s 160-animal objective.
“We want to grow the population by 28 wolves,” Mills said.
Driving Wyoming’s desire to increase numbers of the controversial native canine is the 160-wolf objective designed to ensure that the state meets its obligations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. When the state first gained jurisdiction over wolves 14 years ago, Wyoming’s delisting agreement called for maintaining at least 10 breeding pairs in the trophy game area. In 2025, there were exactly 10 breeding pairs, which shows that the margin for error is thin at the current lower population.
The reductions to Wyoming’s wolf hunting quotas aren’t uniform.
“The wolf numbers in the Cody, Lander and Pinedale regions were relatively stable in 2025,” Mills said. “The largest reduction was in the Jackson region.”
As a result, Game and Fish is proposing to reduce the limit, from 19 to six, for wolves that can be killed in four conjoined hunt areas (units 8, 9, 10 and 11) spanning from Jackson Hole into the Green River basin. The state’s draft regulations also call for relaxing the limit on wolves that can be hunted along the west slope of the Tetons and in the Teton Wilderness (units 6 and 7) from five animals to no more than two.
There are major differences in how the three northern Rocky Mountain states hunt wolves, and it’s unclear if Montana and Idaho will follow suit and decrease hunting pressure near Yellowstone National Park. Wyoming’s distemper outbreak was regionwide and also hit Yellowstone packs, which only managed to produce 17 surviving pups — the lowest count in 30 years of careful monitoring.
In Montana, where hunters and trappers can kill 15 wolves apiece, wildlife managers do use a quota system near the Yellowstone boundary to ease impacts on wolves that leave the park. Idaho, meanwhile, allows largely unfettered wolf hunting on the western side of the ecosystem.
Wyoming manages wolves similarly, with few regulations, on the outskirts of the Yellowstone region. Where the species is classified as a “predator” — in 85% of the state — wolves can be killed by almost any means and there are no hunting limits to be altered as a result of the population decline.
Game and Fish will host several northwestern Wyoming public meetings about its wolf hunting proposals. They’ll take place at 6 p.m. May 26 in Jackson; 6 p.m. May 28 in Cody; 6 p.m. June 2 in Pinedale; and 6 p.m. June 3 in Lander.
Public comments can be submitted at WGFD.wyo.gov/get-involved/public-input through June 10.
The state agency’s commission must also OK the draft hunting regulations. Commissioners plan to take up the issue at their July 14-15 meeting in Sheridan.
Mills anticipates hearing from detractors on both sides of the wolf hunting issue.
“There will be people frustrated that the mortality limit is lower,” he said, “and members of the public that probably think we shouldn’t hunt wolves at all.”
Cross that big street
Major arteries like Market Street and Van Ness constitute mental borders for many drivers. If your destination is near a popular street, aim for the other side of it, where there’ll typically be more vacancies.
Stray uphill
Hills, too, create mental obstacles for people looking for parking. If you’re willing to walk up one of San Francisco’s many hills either before or after the show, you’ll find more spots.
Always check signs
Pay attention to posted time restrictions to avoid tickets. Some meters in San Francisco mercilessly run until 10pm. Also, street cleaning hours can start at 12am, before some shows get out.
Know when you’re beaten
Some neighborhoods are hopeless. North Beach, Nob Hill, Divisadero — forget about it. The sooner you accept this, the more inner peace you will find.
Trust your gut
I acknowledge that I am a 6’1” man, and not everyone feels as comfortable as I do walking alone at night. If you’re not a local, and you’re feeling unsure, read up on the neighborhood beforehand.
Realize the ‘right’ way can be painful too
If you’re tempted to suck it up and pay for a parking lot or garage, remember: after the show, you may be stuck for a long time in a parking-lot traffic jam as cars try to get out all at once.
Okay! On with my list, with suggested free parking areas marked red.
Where to find parking for Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Herbst Theater or Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
East side of Gough Street, between Golden Gate and McAllister
Pro tip: Park on the left side of the street. Quick eats to go are almost nonexistent in the area, so pick up any pre-show provisions you may need at the Super Sam corner store.
Where to find parking for SFJAZZ, Rickshaw Stop or Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club
North side of Oak Street between Buchanan and Octavia
Pro tip: The right lanes are almost always congested due to the upcoming freeway onramp. Watch for cars speeding down the hill behind you in the left lanes, and nose in rather than backing into the spot, if possible.
Where to find parking for the Castro Theater
Castro Street, between 14th and 16th
Pro tip: Separated from the Castro by Market Street, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. I found a cool old metal dustpan on the street here once. Still use it.
Where to find parking for the Chapel
South Van Ness Avenue between 17th and 21st
Pro tip: Parking in the Mission District can be maddening; find solace on either the east or west side of the main artery on the edge of the neighborhood. Say hi to Whiz Burger for me.
Where to find parking for the Great American Music Hall
Franklin Street between Ellis and Geary
Pro tip: I’ve also found Geary Boulevard, between Van Ness and Franklin, to usually have open spots. (Plus, you’re right next to Tommy’s Joynt for post-show eats.)
Where to find parking for the Regency Ballroom
Franklin Street between Post and Bush
Pro tip: Separated from the venue by Van Ness, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. Aim for the left side of this one-way thoroughfare, where parking is usually more open. Pour one out for the closed Walgreens.
Where to find parking for Mabuhay Gardens or On Broadway
Leavenworth Street between Francisco and Chestnut
Pro tip: Trying to find parking in North Beach is like repeatedly hitting yourself in the face with a hammer for a half hour. I park an entire mile away, and enjoy the walk along Columbus, which is teeming with action on weekends.
Where to find parking for the Midway
Illinois Street between 23rd and 25th
Pro tip: Do not be seduced by the road leading toward Pier 80; it looks wide open, but is full of private parking, and Pier 80 itself will be closed off.
Where to find parking for Chase Center
16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut
Pro tip: For concert parking, the Chase Center garage currently charges $75. Ahem. I think you’ll agree that a nice 10-minute stroll down 16th Street is a better alternative.
Where to find parking for the Bottom of the Hill
16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut
Pro tip: Parking’s not nearly as plentiful as it used to be here; be aware of the new-ish protected bike lanes on 17th and the many time restrictions. (Also, bring presents for the excellent staff at one of the city’s best clubs before it closes at the end of the year.)
Where to find parking for the Fillmore
Geary Boulevard between Divisadero and Scott
Pro tip: I agonized for years driving in circles on neighborhood streets until finding this wonderful stretch of Geary, down the road and on a slight curve, where no one thinks to park.
Where to find parking for the Warfield
Folsom Street between 7th and 6th
Pro tip: This one’s tough, being close to both Union Square and the Tenderloin. I shoot for the less-populated area south of Market and walk up 6th Street, home of harm-reduction services, pizza-by-the-slice joints, SROs and Tú Lan.
Where to find parking for the Brick and Mortar Music Hall or Public Works
Gough Street between Market and McCoppin
Pro tip: This is on an odd little diagonal block that’s off of most people’s radar, on the other side of a freeway overpass. It’s never let me down.
Where to find parking for Oracle Park
Harrison Street between 3rd and 4th
Pro tip: Optimal ballpark spots used to change each year. In a coincidence that I won’t overanalyze, I’ve had luck parking on this block ever since Buster Posey left the Giants in 2021.
Where to find parking for the Masonic
Van Ness Avenue or Franklin Street between Sacramento and Pine
Pro tip: Sorry, man. You will not find parking on Nob Hill. You can try driving up California while looking for a spot, but likely, you’ll have to head back and make the five-block walk.
Where to find parking for August Hall
Mission or Howard Streets, between 5th and 6th
Pro tip: The “park up the hill” trick doesn’t work here, since the nearby hill is Nob Hill. If you strike out on Mission or Howard, Folsom is often open.
Where to find parking for the DNA Lounge
Treat Street between Florida and Alameda
Pro tip: Luckily the DNA is surrounded by a pretzel of strange, short, wiggly streets, good for finding parking; head south of the freeway overpass to this hidden curve. (It’s where I parked when I saw Prince at the tiny club in 2013; yes of course I am bragging.)
Where to find parking for Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands or Hardly Strictly
Clement Street between 34th and 38th
Pro tip: The best way to get to these festivals is to throw a bike in the trunk, park near Ocean Beach, and ride in past the bison to the free bicycle parking area. Barring that, your other best bet is to park up the (very) steep hill, near the VA hospital.
Where to find parking for the Cow Palace
Geneva Avenue between Stoneridge and Carter
Pro tip: I don’t really have a pro tip for this one. I just want to say that there should be more concerts at the Cow Palace, which is cool as hell.
Where to find parking for Stern Grove
Portola Drive between San Fernando and Santa Clara
Pro tip: Park across the major artery of 19th, and up the hill a little bit. And, since Stern Grove concerts always take place on Sundays, there are no two-hour parking restrictions to contend with.
Where to find parking for the Independent
Divisadero Street between O’Farrell and Turk
Pro tip: You’ll have to go back in time to when you could park at the DMV lot, because this neighborhood is impossible now. I go down the hill a ways, and usually find a spot north of Primo Pizza.
Where to find parking for the Black Cat
East side of Van Ness Avenue, between Turk and Ellis
Pro tip: Aim for Van Ness, the west boundary of the Tenderloin. For a major thoroughfare, Van Ness often surprises me with open spots, especially on the east side heading north.
Where to find parking for Cafe du Nord or Swedish American Hall
16th Street between Guerrero and Sanchez
Pro tip: Once the daycare that’s just east of Dolores on 16th closes for the day, the white curb — which tends to scare off many drivers — is free for you to park at. Bonus points for the view of the Mission Dolores basilica, just a beautiful building.
The SF venues you don’t need my help parking at
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