Convicted killer Scott Peterson returned to court as part of his effort to get a new trial, two decades after he was found guilty of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner.
Mr. Peterson, 51, virtually attended the status hearing on Tuesday at the San Mateo County courthouse, backed by his new attorneys with the Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP) who attended the hearing in person.
The convicted murderer appeared through a livestream video feed from Mule Creek State Prison in Redwood City. He was wearing a light blue, collared prison shirt and his hair was slicked-back and tied in a low ponytail.
Earlier this year, the LAIP revealed it was seeking “DNA testing and post-conviction discovery” in a case that gripped that nation 20 years ago. The mission of LAIP is to exonerate the wrongly convicted, according to its website.
“New evidence now supports Mr. Peterson’s long standing claim of innocence and raises many questions into who abducted and killed Laci and Conner Peterson,” court filings state.
The materials being called into question were allegedly mishandled and should be retested, attorneys say. This includes a burned van containing a blood-stained mattress which was discovered less than a mile away from the couple’s home. It also includes a hammer found in a burglary that happened right across the street from their home.
In the courtroom, LAIP attorneys told the judge that there were deficiencies in the evidence provided to the defense at the time of his trial. The attorneys also requested some audio recordings and police reports.
The murder case once dominated headlines and sparked national interest. 27-year-old Laci Peterson went missing when she was eight months pregnant on Christmas Eve 2002. Four months later, her body was discovered in the San Francisco Bay.
Mr. Peterson told authorities that he went fishing alone and returned home to find his wife was gone. It was later revealed that he was involved in a relationship with massage therapist Amber Frey, who told police that Mr. Peterson said his wife had died and this would be his first holiday without her.
Shortly after, he was arrested in San Diego. At the time of his arrest, his hair was dyed blonde and he was carrying $15,000 in cash. Prosecutors alleged he was heading to Mexico.
Mr. Peterson was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to death in 2005. In 2021, he was resentenced to life in prison without parole. That same year, a judge denied his plea for a new trial based on alleged juror misconduct.
He has long maintained his innocence. His attorneys argued his conviction was based largely on circumstantial evidence.
The LAIP is taking on this high-profile case after it succeeded in exonerating Maurice Hastings, a 69-year-old man who spent nearly four decades in prison for a 1983 robbery-homicide and sexual assault. Mr. Hastings was freed on October 20, 2022, after the LAIP presented new DNA test results which “pointed conclusively” to another man who was never considered a suspect.
“LAIP is thrilled to welcome Maurice Hastings home,” the organization wrote following his exoneration.
Friday’s status hearing was the first of many expected in the case. Judge Elizabeth Hill scheduled a series of future court dates through July. The next hearing is scheduled for April 16th.
Mr. Peterson told the court that he prefers to continue to attend the hearings virtually.
