Laci Peterson's hometown hosts vigil
 |
Laci Peterson had been missing since Christmas Eve.
Story Tools
|
MODESTO, California (Reuters) -- More than 100 relatives and friends of violent crime victims held a vigil Saturday to remember their loved ones in the hometown of Laci Peterson and intern Chandra Levy -- young women whose disappearances gained national headlines.
While the annual event was not held in honor of Laci Peterson, the young mother-to-be who was allegedly killed by her husband was on the minds of many who turned out for the vigil in the agricultural hub of Modesto.
Kim Petersen, executive director of the Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation which organized the event, said attendance was up this year because of publicity over the Laci Peterson case.
"Our goal is, by providing education and information, we can prevent this from happening again," said Petersen of the event that featured booths where volunteers fingerprinted children and taught them how to escape from the trunk of a car.
The vigil followed a decision from prosecutors Friday to seek the death penalty for Scott Peterson, who stands accused of murdering his 27-year-old pregnant wife and dumping her body in the San Francisco Bay.
Police now believe Peterson killed his wife the night before he reported her missing on December 24 and dumped her weighted body into the bay. Peterson admitted to having an affair with a Fresno woman who has since said he lied about being single.
Susan Levy, whose daughter Chandra's skeletal remains were found more than a year after she vanished in Washington in 2001, said the recent discovery of the bodies of Laci Peterson and her unborn son have sparked painful memories for her.
Chandra Levy's disappearance dominated the U.S. news after links surfaced between the dark-haired Washington intern and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gary Condit. The Modesto congressman lost his bid for reelection despite police assurances he was not a suspect in her death.
"This sort of thing cannot go on any longer," said Levy, who clutched a high school portrait of her daughter.
Copyright 2003
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
