The Los Angeles Innocence Project is at a standstill in its fight for Scott Peterson’s freedom nearly 20 years after he was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and unborn son.
Peterson, now 51, was convicted in 2004 of murdering Laci Peterson and their baby just before Christmas 2002, despite his claims of being on a fishing trip at the time of their deaths.
He was initially sentenced to death, but the sentence was overturned due to problems with the original trial. Peterson was re-sentenced to life without parole in 2021. He is being held at the Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California.
In May, the Los Angeles Innocence Project took on Peterson’s case, claiming he was found guilty due to circumstantial evidence and arguing that DNA evidence went ignored. The organization is submitting 1,000 pages of court documents to call for a new trial.
When Newsweek asked for an update, a spokesperson for the LAIP said, “We are waiting for a judge’s ruling on a motion for further discovery. It may come mid-month. Nothing else in terms of updates at the moment.”
The LAIP argues that the initial investigation overlooked crucial evidence, such as a mattress discovered in a burned-out van near the couple’s residence.
Laci Peterson, 27, went missing from the couple’s Modesto, California, home while eight months pregnant on Christmas Eve of 2002. Scott Peterson reported her missing after he claimed to return home from a fishing trip to find their dog alone in the backyard with its leash still on.
Scott Peterson, 51, is serving life in prison without parole for murdering his wife Laci Peterson (inset) and their unborn son in 2002. The Los Angeles Innocence Project has taken on his case.
AP Photo
On April 14, 2003, Laci’s body washed ashore on Brooks Island, where Scott had been fishing in his newly purchased boat. The day prior, their unborn son, Conner, was discovered a mile from his mother’s body.
The case captured the nation in the early 2000s and received renewed interest in August after the release of a Peacock docuseries and Netflix documentary.
Scott Peterson participated in Peacock’s Face to Face With Scott Peterson and maintained his innocence.
“I didn’t kill my family,” Scott Peterson said from behind bars. “Don’t trust me—look at the evidence.”
He pushed the blame on a burglary that took place across the street from the couple’s home on the day of Laci’s disappearance.
“There were a lot of people in that burglary, and I believe that Laci went over there to see what was going on. And that’s when she was taken,” he said, adding that investigators ignored evidence in that incident to hone in on his guilt.
Reflecting on his memories of Laci and her fatal disappearance, Scott said, “I drove away expecting to come back that afternoon and have our wonderful Christmas together after we both had fun mornings [but] no, they were gone,” he remembered. “I said goodbye to Laci, and then my family was gone.”
Scott Peterson’s mistress at the time of Laci’s death, Amber Frey, shared her side of the story in Netflix‘s American Murder: Laci Peterson.
Secretly recorded phone calls between Frey and Scott Peterson included in the doc suggest that Scott wanted a future with her, which gave police a possible motive behind killing his wife.
Laci Peterson’s mom, Sharon Rocha, also participated in the Netflix documentary. She said that Scott originally did not want to have a child, which could serve as another motive.
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