More leaks in the Laci Peterson murder case, this time of one page of the autopsy report stating that plastic tape was found around the neck of the Petersons' unborn child.

The DA is now moving to unseal the entire report. We agree with the request, it's better to have the whole report out in the open.

Most experts are speculating that this information is helpful to the defense, because it tends to suggest that the baby was killed separately from the mother. While some people are able to envision Scott Peterson killing his wife, no one reasonably thinks he would intentionally murder the son as well.

We caution that it's too early to draw any conclusions because none of us have enough information. It could be the tape was debris in the water that found its way to the baby's neck--there is no information that the tape was found as a noose around its neck. The tears in the shoulder could be stab wounds--or they could be cuts resulting from encounters with rocks or other sharp objects in the water.

At TalkLeft and in real life, we always side with the presumption of innocence. We have yet to hear of any physical evidence linking Scott Peterson to a deliberate, premeditated killing of his wife and child. Peterson insists he didn't do it. A cad, a cheater, yes. A murderer? We're not buying that.

The case keeps growing in the media with no sign of abating. We'll be debating the newest developments on the O'Reilly Factor tonight, Fox News Channel, 8pm and 11 pm, EST.

Update: ABC News is reporting that they have seen the entire autopsy report and the coroner's photos and the baby's umbilical cord was not attached to the baby's body. "According to the autopsy, the skin of the child was not decomposed at all, though the right side of his body was mutilated, and the placenta and umbilical cord were not found with the body." Up until today, all other news reports we've seen since the bodies were recovered state the opposite: that the umbilical cord was attached to the baby. Several news outlets today reported the autopsy report shows the baby was attached to a 1/2-centimeter section of his umbilical cord. (See also, here.) It's just one more reason not to judge a case based on media reports.

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