By Jacqui Flint
I followed the Laci Peterson story very closely. When the New York Post showed a large photo of Scott Peterson in his orange jumpsuit, being transported to jail, they showed a small picture of Laci in a silhouetted oval shape in the corner. The headline read "MONSTER." Laci had a big smile on her face in the inset photo (as she seemed to in most pictures the media has shown the audience). I know this was typical tabloid sensationalism, but it was still very disturbing to observe. I couldn't help relating this story to Danice's. I wondered if my family and I will ever see her assailant in an orange jumpsuit. I am not a malicious person, but I hope so.
When a case such as Laci's is solved, it only makes me more impatient and, as I have expressed before, more frustrated. In following the Laci Peterson closely throughout those six months, I had mixed emotions. The day investigators found her body, my heart sank and I wanted to cry. I watched as her mother cried during a press conference, as she said she will never get to hug her daughter again. I knew how she felt and I am very sure my mom knows how she felt. The last time I was home, my mom approached me for a hug and I could tell she was dismayed as I unconsciously pulled away. My mom said, "I lost my hugger." Danice was always the best at good, hard, gut squeezing hugs. It must have been because she had so much love in her heart.
As a couple of days transpired, it seemed that every news magazine and TV show in the country told of something relating to Laci Peterson. I felt a little bit of anger on behalf of her family. I am not sure the murder of an innocent young woman should be considered fodder for the Enquirer. In that vain, I am somewhat glad Danice's case has not gained that kind of national attention.
By the same token, I couldn't help feeling somewhat slighted at the lack of press coverage for my sister's case. I have heard (but don't always believe), from the people in the media I tried to contact that "there are so many missing persons cases out there, we could never cover all of them" or from a particular news station in Denver, "if we covered every missing person's case, our whole news cast would be about missing persons." When I wrote to America's Most Wanted, they rejected the story as well. I guess this was because Danice was not really a child, and she was a teen mother, so maybe the public wouldn't find the story appealing. I often find myself saying, "How come they can solve other cases?" or "Why wouldn't they cover my sister's case the way they covered Laci's?"
I am well aware this isn't about whose case is getting more coverage, it is about human life. I certainly would never want Danice's story to be exploited the way I feel Laci's has. Danice's story might not be so appealing because there is no climax and we don't know when there will be an ending. There hasn't been any evidence since it happened, so there is never anything new to report. That is the simple truth and that is why it is so hard to deal with.
I feel a sense of relief for Laci's family. I know they have experienced terrible sorrow, so maybe that sounds strange. There will never be any sort of ending to the pain they feel with Laci gone, but perhaps knowing she is really dead will allow them to mourn justifiably. On May 4th, her family held a memorial service for her. It was her birthday. I am glad they termed this service a celebration of her life. I want our family to be able to do the same for Danice at some point.
In much the same way I believe there's a reason that Laci left a mourning family behind, I strongly feel that there is a reason Danice left us too. Perhaps that reason will not become clear for a very long time, but God knows, and I keep that close to my heart in times of despair. It isn't as if no one in my family is ever not sad and we are trying as best we can to move on in our lives, but there is always something missing in our hearts.
May 8th is Danice's birthday. It really isn't different than any other day because we think about her in a special way every day. Danice gave birth to two special children before she left this world. Josh turned four in April and her daughter will turn two on the same day as Danice would have turned 21. Happy Birthday Danice and Kaylie!
