Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty - Hardcover

Bird, Anne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060838574 ISBN 13: 9780060838577

Publisher: William Morrow, 2005

Synopsis

The story no–one else can tell. Scott Peterson's sister gives her account of his marriage and his disturbing behaviour – and tells how she realised that her brother was capable of murder.

What happens if, after being given up for adoption in childhood, you reestablish contact with your biological family – only to discover that your true brother is a killer? Anne Bird, the sister of Scott Peterson, knows first–hand.

Soon after her birth in 1965, Anne was given up for adoption by her mother, Jackie Latham. Welcomed into the well–adjusted Grady family, she lived a happy life. Then, in the late 1990s, she got back in contact with her mother – now married – and her family, including Jackie's son, Scott Peterson, and his wife, Laci. Over the next several years, Anne shared the Petersons' holidays, family reunions, trips to Disneyland. Anne and Laci became pregnant at roughly the same time, and the two became confidantes. On Christmas Eve 2002, Laci Peterson went missing, and the happy facade of the Peterson family began to crumble. Anne helped in the search for Laci; Scott even stayed in her home while police tried to find his wife. Noticing Scott's bizarre behaviour, Anne grew suspicious that her brother knew more than he was telling. Then Laci's body – and that of her unborn son, Conner – were found . Had Scott Peterson murdered his wife and child in cold blood?

Filled with newsmaking revelations and intimate glimpses of Scott and Laci, Blood Brother is an account of how long–dormant family ties dragged one woman into one of the most notorious crimes of our time.

About this title

About the Author:

The mother of two sons, Anne Bird lives outside of San Francisco, California.

From Publishers Weekly:

As true crime books go, this addition to the Scott and Laci Peterson library isn't particularly riveting, salacious or revealing, which is strange considering Bird's unique perspective. Adopted as a child, Bird reunited with her birth mother, Jackie Peterson, Scott's mother, in late 1997. Bird takes every opportunity to stress that she grew very close to the Peterson family, but there's very little evidence of this apart from Bird's own assertions. The reader learns tidbits about Scott and Laci: i.e., Laci loved flowers, and Scott "was a real charmer, the kind of guy who lights up a room." But such details hover on the surface. In fact, this book reveals more about the author's self-delusional behavior than the crime itself. Laci's abduction occurs early on, and for the rest of the book, Bird relates how, despite all evidence to the contrary, she refused to believe her brother could be guilty. Her denial is such that, after Scott's arrest, Bird writes letters to him in which she replaces the word "jail" with "camp." Despite Bird's frequent protestations, one wonders if she isn't disingenuous at times. She professes her love for her birth mother, for example, yet paints her in an unflattering light ("I was beginning to understand why Jackie was so critical of Laci. No one was good enough for her golden boy"). With the help of a therapist, Bird finally accepts the evidence and devises her list of 33 reasons why her brother is guilty. This list-which takes up a mere five pages and offers such banal reasons as Scott "flirted with our babysitter"-is just as superficial as the rest of the book. Photos.
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About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0060838574
• ISBN 13: 9780060838577
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224