Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him | Opinion
Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him.
Most may not remember the sensational experience, but Conner’s dad was criminally convicted over 15 years ago of killing him and his mother. Prosecutors said that Peterson took his wife’s body and the unborn life within her womb from their home in Modesto, California on Christmas Eve 2002 and dumped them in the San Francisco Bay. Originally, Scott Peterson was sentenced to die, but because of an appeal against the death penalty as a result of jury composition and instruction, Peterson was re-sentenced Wednesday by the state of California to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
When Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife in December 2002, let it be clear that Scott took not one life, but two. We certainly should not take any joy in Peterson’s sentence, but while we grieve the taking of Laci’s life, let us also grieve Conner’s life.
Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him.
While the whole saga is indeed a sad situation, it is highly significant that Peterson was found guilty not of one murder, but two. He was found guilty of killing two people. He killed Laci Peterson, his wife, and he killed Conner Peterson, his unborn son.
Before Scott killed them, Scott and Laci’s unborn son, Conner, was just as alive as them. In fact, Scott and Laci had already decorated Conner’s nursery.
Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him.
Peterson was rightly convicted for taking the life of his unborn son. For almost 50 years in America, over 60 million babies have been murdered in their mothers’ wombs, and no criminal charges have been filed for those murders. Today, if the Peterson murders happened in a state like New York, Scott Peterson’s murder of Conner would not even be recognized.
Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him.
This month was the first time in 17 years that Laci’s family had seen Scott. Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha addressed Peterson in court at his re-sentencing and said, “You didn’t want the responsibility of being a father. You’re a coward.” Rocha recognizes that whether taking the life of another is legal or not, it is cowardly.
Scott Peterson will sit in prison for the rest of his life. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled this month to allow the lawsuit challenging the Texas abortion ban to continue but to keep the law in effect for now. On the first day of this month, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
A battle for life is raging. It has been raging since Cain killed Abel.
As the struggle continues, let us remember Conner Peterson and his mother Laci, and let us pray that life would be recognized, valued and protected as we go into the future.
And let us remember. Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him.
Todd E. Brady is vice president for university ministries at Union University. Write to him at 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Conner Peterson would be 18 if his father had not killed him | Opinion
