Scott Peterson Avoided The Death Penalty, But Today He Was Resentenced To Life Behind Bars
Modesto, California. 27-year-old pregnant Laci Peterson disappeared from her high-end home in Modesto, California on December 23rd, 2002.
Her case drew widespread media attention, and it wasn’t long before her husband Scott Peterson became the leading suspect in her case.
It quickly came to light that Scott had a mistress named Amber Frey, who ended up being a key witness.
Scott told Amber Laci had passed away on December 9th of 2002, even though that was not true. Amber learned that Scott was married a few days after Laci went missing.
A few months later on April 13, 2003, Laci’s unborn baby, whom she was going to name Conner, was found washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay area. His umbilical cord was still attached to him.
The day after Conner was found, just a mile away, Laci was recovered. She was so badly decomposed it was hard to tell she once had been a person. She was still wearing a maternity bra and beige colored pants.
On April 18th, Scott was arrested, and on the 21st he was arraigned and charged with the second-degree murder of Conner and the first-degree murder of Laci.
Scott pleaded not guilty, and he maintained his innocence throughout his widely publicized trial, where the prosecution insisted Scott had killed his wife and unborn child so he could live a single life and be free to date Amber.
YouTube; Laci and Scott smile together in the photo above
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The prosecution also suspected Scott’s financial problems and the fact that he didn’t want to be a dad (he had said that to Amber) also were motives for Laci and Conner’s murders.
There was no physical evidence, but there was plenty of circumstantial evidence:
Scott was caught near the Mexican border when he was arrested, and he had $15,000 in cash, four cellphones, rope, several credit cards, camping gear, knives, an ID that was not his, and clothes. He had also dyed his beard and hair blonde.
Scott said Laci was watching a show about cooking on December 24th when Scott said he left their house. He told authorities it was one show, but that show had not been on TV on the 24th…it had aired the 23rd.
Every single day Laci put on a sapphire ring, her wedding band, and a diamond necklace that she never left home without. When she went missing, all of her jewelry had been left behind at her home.
YouTube; Laci and Scott are pictured above together
Scott had told authorities he went fishing when Laci disappeared, and the tarp he had used in his fishing boat was coated in gasoline, which is known to ruin DNA. He also said he stopped fishing that day because it rained, but that was not true. It never rained that day where he was at the Berkeley Marina.
Scent dogs had been used at the Berkeley Marina, where they reportedly picked up the scent of Laci. It was also not far from the marina where Laci’s remains were recovered. On November 12, 2004, a jury found Scott guilty of Laci and Conner’s murders.
California Department Of Corrections; Scott is pictured above in a mugshot
Even though he was convicted and has spent years behind bars at San Quentin State Prison, Scott still says he’s innocent.
Last year, Scott seemed to have a shot at freedom after his death sentence was overturned in August.
Then, last October, the California Supreme Court determined that Scott’s case deserved another look to see if he should get his guilty verdict overturned.
Today, a judge in California decided that Scott should be resentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole for murdering Laci, and Scott was also sentenced to 15 years to life for the murder of Conner.
YouTube; Laci is pictured above while pregnant with Conner
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