Home / Crime and Justice / Defense Claims New Hope in Scott Peterson Conviction
Defense Claims New Hope in Scott Peterson Conviction
31 May
Summary
- New evidence may lead to a review of Scott Peterson's murder conviction.
- A burned van near the Peterson home may contain crucial, previously untested evidence.
- Witnesses reporting Laci Peterson seen on December 24th were allegedly not vetted.
Scott Peterson's longtime attorney, Mark Geragos, asserted that new evidence might compel courts to reconsider his client's murder conviction. This comes as a two-part documentary, "Scott Peterson: The New Evidence," is slated for release in July, detailing the case.
A San Mateo County Superior Court judge recently denied a request to review the conviction, a decision the Los Angeles Innocence Project plans to appeal. Geragos highlighted a burned van discovered near the Petersons' Modesto home following a burglary, suggesting it contained significant evidence that was not fully tested.
Peterson was convicted in the 2002 murders of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son. His defense team has stated that Laci Peterson may have confronted burglars shortly before her disappearance. This detail, if proven, could establish Peterson was not in the area at the time she vanished.
Retired detective Ninette Toosbuy, working with Peterson's defense, pointed out that Modesto police reportedly did not thoroughly vet witnesses who claimed to have seen Laci Peterson on the morning of December 24, 2002. Toosbuy described this as a significant investigative failure that could have quickly cleared Scott Peterson as a suspect.
