Testimony at Scott Peterson´s double-murder trial yesterday revealed that police investigating Laci Peterson´s disappearance omitted a key detail from reports about a tarp found near her body.

Defense attorney Mark Geragos noted how Modesto authorities leading the investigation failed to immediately test the tarp for evidence — even after another officer informed them of a decomposing flesh smell.

The revelation about the odor was only provided to defense attorneys several weeks ago, well into the five-month-old trial.

Peterson´s lawyers are trying to show that police narrowly focused on the former fertilizer salesman to the exclusion of other possible leads.

And that they bungled the case by not testing all items of potential evidence.