Scott Peterson appeared in a California courtroom on Tuesday as he tries to overturn his convictions for killing his wife and unborn son.
Lawyers for the LA Innocence Project, which is representing Peterson, 51, sought to have details sealed regarding the ongoing case. However, the hearing only lasted a few minutes because both sides agreed that those details were already sealed or redacted, according to KTVU.
The LA Innocence Project is not connected with the national Innocence Project, which has nothing to do with Peterson’s case. The nonprofit organization is arguing that Peterson’s rights were violated as evidence proving his innocence was withheld.
READ: Scott Peterson Smiles in Court as LA Innocence Project Seeks DNA in Laci & Baby Connor’s Murders
Laci Peterson, 27, vanished on Christmas Eve 2002 — a month before she was due to give birth. Prosecutors said Scott Peterson strangled or suffocated his pregnant wife before wrapping her in a tarp, fastening her to anchors, and dropping her in the San Francisco Bay.
Scott Peterson — who claimed he was fishing in Berkeley when his pregnant wife vanished — was ultimately arrested in San Diego County with $15,000 in cash in his possession.
Scott Peterson stood trial in 2004 and was sentenced to death the following year. However, the California Supreme Court overturned his death sentence in 2020 after jurors who disagreed with the death penalty but were willing to impose it were found to be unfairly dismissed from the case. There were also issues surrounding prejudicial misconduct after a domestic violence victim was put on the jury.
In 2021, Scott Peterson was re-sentenced to life in prison without parole for the slayings. Later that year, a judge denied his bid for a new trial.
The LA Innocence Project is now claiming that a van found on fire a day after a burglary near the Petersons’ home had a bloodstained mattress in it that could be related to the murders. The van was found a mile from the family’s home. The organization also claimed it has evidence that the van did not have a mattress in it before it was stolen and before Laci Peterson’s slaying.
According to KTVU, Scott Peterson’s legal team also suggested that Laci Peterson witnessed a burglary across the street from her home — which led to her abduction.
Scott Peterson has maintained his innocence, claiming no physical evidence links him to the murders. A hearing in May will address a motion for DNA testing on evidence central to this case.
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[Featured image: Scott Peterson/Andy Alfaro/The Modesto Bee via AP, PoolCaleb Harris/CCPD]
