Frey's testimony ends for now
In taped calls, Peterson repeatedly professes innocence
 |  Amber Frey faced cross-examination about her conversations and sexual relationship with Scott Peterson. |
| |
|  VIDEO |
 Taped conversations were front and center in Amber Frey's testimony.
|
|
REDWOOD CITY, California (CNN) -- Scott Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey, wrapped up her testimony in his double murder trial Tuesday after cross-examination in which the defense sought to emphasize that Peterson repeatedly told her he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance.
Frey, 29, a massage therapist who said Peterson told her he was single when they first met, testified for seven days. She could still be called as a defense witness.
Her testimony revolved around tape-recorded phone calls between her and Peterson -- recordings she made at the request of police shortly after Laci Peterson was reported missing on Christmas Eve 2002.
Peterson, 31, is charged with killing his 27-year-old wife and their unborn son around that time.
The bodies of Peterson's wife and unborn son washed up on the shore of San Francisco Bay in April 2003, nearly four months after Laci Peterson was reported missing from the couple's home in Modesto.
The site was not far from where Scott Peterson said he launched a fishing trip on Christmas Eve.
Tuesday marked the second day of Frey's cross-examination, and defense attorney Mark Geragos pressed her, saying that in hours and hours of phone conversations Peterson always maintained his innocence in his wife's disappearance.
Frey, a single mother of two, retained her composure but responded several times that she didn't recall times and conversations. Geragos prodded her memory with more taped calls.
Prosecutors have claimed that Peterson was obsessed with Frey and his love for her drove him to kill his wife. But when Geragos asked if Peterson ever said he loved her, Frey replied, "Not in those words."
Geragos then played a recorded conversation in which Frey said, "I assume she's missing because you love me."
"Amber, she's missing because someone abducted Laci," Peterson responded.
With other excerpts, Geragos highlighted how Peterson denied involvement in his wife's disappearance and when Frey threatened to go to police, he told her "fine."
On Monday, Geragos contended that in written reports, investigators expressed concerns that Frey was hiding details because a wiretap of Peterson's phone indicated he made more calls than she had reported.
Frey testified that the Modesto Police Department never talked to her about that issue.
Geragos also pressed Frey about how much alcohol she drank during her dates with Peterson.
Outside court Tuesday, Peterson's family dismissed any effect of Frey's testimony on the jury.
"What was she a witness to? What did she testify about -- an affair," said Janey Peterson, his sister-in-law.
Meanwhile, Frey's attorney, Gloria Allred, blasted Geragos, as she waved a garbage bag.
"I think that a lot of the arguments that Mr. Geragos engaged in were just total garbage," Allred said.
"For example, yesterday Mr. Geragos tried to demean the relationship between Amber and Scott, by implying that it was all about sex. However, you can examine the more than 20 hours of tape-recorded conversations with more than 142 recorded calls, and you will not hear any discussion of sex on those tape-recorded conversations."
Allred said she doubted Geragos will call Frey as a defense witness, but if he does, "she's ready."
Jurors heard more than 12 hours of recordings between Frey and Peterson -- calls that revealed a web of lies by the defendant, including his statement to Frey that he celebrated New Year's 2003 near the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the day that call was made he attended a candlelight vigil for his wife.
In another phone call, he admitted to his many lies, confessed to his true identity and said, "I'm not an evil person."
He could be sentenced to death if convicted of the murders.
CNN's Susan Richter contributed to this report.
