Los Angeles Innocence Project takes up Scott Peterson case

Elizabeth Crisp
·2 min read
20

Scott Peterson, the California man who was convicted of murder in 2004 in the deaths of his wife and their unborn son, is getting new legal assistance from the Los Angeles Innocence Project.

The Los Angeles Innocence Project said in a brief statement to The Hill that it “is investigating his claim of actual innocence.”

“We have no further comment at this time,” the nonprofit organization added.

Peterson’s wife, Laci, who was eight months pregnant, vanished on Christmas Eve 2002. The bodies of Laci and the couple’s unborn son, Conner, washed ashore in April 2003 along the San Francisco Bay.

The case generated a media firestorm, particularly as new details and inconsistencies emerged, including an extramarital affair that Peterson was having with a woman who ultimately became the prosecution’s star witness at his murder trial.

Prosecutors built a case that Peterson, then 36, had killed his 27-year-old wife in their Modesto, Calif., home and then dumped her body into the bay. He claimed he was fishing that morning.

At the time of his arrest in 2003, Peterson had colored his hair and grown a goatee and was in possession of nearly $15,000 and his brother’s identification. All of which fueled interest in the case.

Peterson initially was sentenced to death; he was resentenced in 2021 and is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

At least one juror is happy to hear the news of the LA Innocence Project’s involvement.

“I’m glad that this group is taking up the Peterson case and investigating it,” Mike Belmessieri said Thursday on NewsNation’s “CUOMO.” “Because if there’s new evidence that suggests he’s innocent, then he’s innocent.”

Mark Geragos, one of the lawyers who represented Peterson during his initial trial, said on “CUOMO” Thursday that the Peterson case still “haunts” him.

“We knew what we were up against, but at the same time, if you’re like me and [have] great faith in the system, you think that you can overcome that,” he said.

Pat Harris, who is Peterson’s current attorney, said in a statement to The HIll that his firm would not be granting interviews “at this time.”

“We are very excited that the incredibly talented attorneys at the L.A. Innocence Project are lending their considerable expertise to helping prove that Scott Peterson is innocent,” Harris said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.