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Homicide, An under-reported cause of death among pregnant women

Staying Safe Online

Here at LiveTrialUpdates.com we're always looking for ways to ensure that our members enjoy a pleasant & safe experience online with us. So with that in mind we're delighted to present these Top Ten Online Safety Tips for you in conjunction with http://www.staysafeonline.info/ ......

A Family's Private Grief vs The Scientific Need To Teach?

Sadly there are many families who have lost a loved one to intentional violence. These families are hurt deeply knowing their deceased loved one was violated by an attacker and then discarded. Lost in a terrible nightmare they struggle to come to terms with a dreadful reality that their child, their sibling, spouse or lover is never coming home. Days and nights are dark with unanswered questions and constant heart wrenching reminders of their loss are ever present.

Law enforcement officers, lawyers and other legal and scientific experts step in to try solve the cold mysteries of violent deaths and bring perpetrators to justice. This necessary process can be a terrible experience for the surviving family members as the mechanisms of the law expose the last moments of a loved one's existence. In torturous detail the condition of the victim is recorded and tested for evidence. The body is photographed from all angles and as each layer is peeled away more photographs are taken as the organs are weighed and examined for evidence.

Fortunately the victim is far beyond the pain of this world as their lifeless remains are scrutinized by prosecution and defense experts. If a case against a defendant is strong it can often be because the very grisly details exposed during an autopsy determined the victim's time of death, the way they were murdered or some other revealing evidence. All of this is necessary so that justice may be served.

Open Letter to Dr. Henry Lee

LIVE TRIAL UPDATES

COURTING JUSTICE~VOICES FOR VICTIMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: info@livetrialupdates.com

(Originally Published March 21, 2005 Republished April 26, 2005)

A PUBLIC MESSAGE TO DR. HENRY LEE;
Primum Non Nocere "First Do No Harm"

Sharon Rocha and the surviving loved ones of Laci and Conner Peterson, received a measure of justice this past week in a courtroom in Redwood City, California. The trial of the murderer of Laci and Conner concluded with a death sentence for Scott Peterson on March 16th 2005.

Justice, however, has been tempered not with mercy but a new outrage for the surviving victims in this tragic case.

Live Trial Updates has learned that Dr. Henry Lee, a well known, colorful and often, controversial forensic scientist is exhibiting autopsy photos of Laci Peterson in his recent public presentations. The photographs are from the second autopsy of Laci Peterson, during which he was a consultant for the defense team in the trial of Scott Peterson. Dr. Lee has shown these photographs, described during the trial as grisly, macabre, shocking, devastating and wrenching enough to move jurors to tears, during recent public presentations.

The family of Laci Peterson, our source confirms, is aware of this exploitation and is deeply troubled by Dr. Lee�s actions.

At Live Trial Updates our motto is Courting Justice~Voices for Victims. We would like to publicly request that Dr. Lee cease exhibiting the autopsy photographs of Laci Peterson and desist in making these sensitive images available to the public. It is an outrage that this family should even have to consider any legal avenues to protect the privacy and sanctity of their murdered loved one�s body and all autopsy images of said body associated with this very public case.

This issue is one that lies in a legal shade of gray, currently. While many states agree that autopsy photos are not a matter of public record there are many arguments oft cited to circumvent or challenge privacy and victim�s rights laws, free speech and the First Amendment being the one most often cited in these heartbreaking public cases when a family�s private pain and horror are disregarded in the name of sensationalism, education or profit.

Live Trial Updates advocates the position of the victim�s rights in this case and strongly encourages Dr. Lee to reevaluate his decision to show any autopsy photographs of Laci or Conner Peterson to the public. This is an ethical issue and it is one that could easily be resolved through a few moments of introspection and common compassion.

Dr. Lee, you can end this outrage and further victimization of the Rocha family today by publicly pledging to honor the family�s wishes regarding these photographs.

Godspeed Justice for the Rocha�s.

Vigil of Hope 2005

Out & About
Hope for missing people is the focus of a march and rally set for today in Modesto. It's the seventh annual Vigil of Hope, sponsored by the Carole Sund-Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation. CNN Headline News and Court TV host Nancy Grace is scheduled to take part.

And take part she did. You all know I am not a writer by any stretch of the imagination. I can't spell and I "..." way too much. Having said that ... I would love to share with you our afternoon at the park.