AOK
@Mike Booth -HE DID WANT CHILDREN
Couples they hung out with started having babies, Scott and Laci surprised friends when they reversed an earlier stance of not wanting children. Laci, who had had surgery years earlier and was left with one ovary, knew it would be difficult to conceive and methodically tracked her cycle. Richardson said she recalls Laci expressing frustration that Scott always seemed to be traveling at the wrong time, and it took some time before Laci was pregnant.
By early June, she got the good news. She enrolled in a prenatal yoga course and attended Lamaze classes with Scott.
They also got to work early on the baby's room. Consistent with the decorations for The Shack and with Scott's interest in fishing, the couple chose a nautical theme, even hanging a life preserver decoration that read: "Welcome Aboard."
Brent Rocha confirmed that Scott did indeed plan to have a family, and was quite emotional about becoming a father:
Mark Geragos: And also fair to say that she was very excited about the kid?
Brent Rocha: Yes.
Mark Geragos: Okay. And Scott was as well?
Brent Rocha: Yes.
Mark Geragos: When he talked about, when you talked to him, he would express the fact that he's, I mean he's a goal-oriented person; you heard that description earlier today. You would agreed with that, right?
Brent Rocha: Yes.
Mark Geragos: And is, one of his goals was to have a child and a family?
Brent Rocha: Yes.
Mark Geragos: Okay. And he told you that he was thinking about what kind of father he was going to be and he was crying and he said he was going to be great; isn't that what he told you?
Brent Rocha: That's what he was saying.
Sharon Rocha confirmed, on Larry King Live, that Laci told her Scott had changed his mind about having a baby shortly after they moved to Covena in October 2002:
ROCHA:“that's when she told me that Scott had said that he didn't think he wanted to have children. Of course that concerned me because we'd had conversations before in his presence or they had had conversations in my presence about having children.
KING:So then it shocked you?
ROCHA:It did. It really surprised me.
KING:But then she got pregnant.
ROCHA:Well, then she went on to say that not only did she -- that he didn't think he wanted to have children, she also said that he didn't want to. So, I was -- I was really upset about that knowing that he knew how she felt about having children.
And then it was about a month or so later, it was around Thanksgiving time she and I were in the kitchen preparing dinner when she told me that she's going to stop taking birth control pills in December. Well, that surprised me because it had only been a month ago that Scott didn't want to have children.
So, we had a conversation about that and I said, "Are you sure? Are both of you absolutely sure because you can't put the baby back once he's here"? Well, it was an it at that time. It was nothing at that time. And she said, yes, that they had talked about it and they were ready that Scott was ready also.
Greg Reed gave testimony about Scott's and Laci's relationship, and Scott's participation in Laci's pregnancy.
HARRIS: You also, Kristen, your wife, became friends with Laci, is that fair?
REED: All four of us met at the same time.
HARRIS: And they became friends separate of you and Scott? Kristen and Laci became friends?
REED: Yes, they did.
HARRIS: And at some point you and your wife began a Lamaze class at your home, is that correct?
REED: That is correct.
HARRIS: And you asked Scott and Laci if they would like to join in the Lamaze class?
REED: That is correct.
HARRIS: And they agreed to do that, right?
REED: Yes.
HARRIS: Okay. During about a one month period, they came to your house on a weekly basis to participate in the Lamaze classes, is that right?
REED: That's probably about right. About once a week.
HARRIS: You got a chance to see them interact quite a bit during that, didn't you?
REED: Yes.
HARRIS: And your impression, from telling the police, your impression was that they were a very happy couple?
REED: Yes.
HARRIS: And, in fact, you told the police Scott treated her very, very well?
REED: Yes.
HARRIS: They both, I believe your quote to the police was they were both very excited about the baby coming, is that right?
REED: That's what it appeared, yes.
HARRIS: And you were called in an interview you did with the police, excuse me. Let me take that back. Do you recall an incident at one point where you were looking through a catalog called Cabella's catalog?
REED: Yes, I remember that.
HARRIS: What is the Cabella's catalog?
REED: It's a hunting, fishing, outdoors-type of magazine. And equipment.
HARRIS: And they actually sell kids' camouflage outfits, is that right?
REED: In that magazine they were.
HARRIS: In that particular one?
REED: Yes.
HARRIS: During that time you were looking at it, both you and Scott were going through the, the kids' section or the kids' outfits,
hunting and fishing, or whatever outfits, and the two of you were talking and laughing about how much you couldn't wait to buy your kids those kind of outfits, is that correct?
REED: I remember that clearly, that's correct.
HARRIS: Okay. Scott was very excited about that possibility, wasn't he?
REED: Yes.
