Scott Peterson's Defense Team Granted Decades-Old Evidence To Build A Case For Exoneration

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A judge in California has granted Scott Peterson's legal team access to long-held evidence as they challenge his murder convictions. This approval for some post-conviction discovery materials comes almost 20 years after Peterson was found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, in 2002.

People Magazine reports that San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hill, in a detailed 207-page decision, addressed the Los Angeles Innocence Project's request to examine hundreds of evidence pieces.

The nonprofit organization, known for its efforts to free wrongly convicted individuals, announced in January 2024 that they were "looking into [Peterson's] claim of actual innocence."

Judge Hill's ruling allows access to some post-conviction items, including audio and video recordings of Modesto Police Department interviews with two men suspected in a burglary near the Petersons' home.

Court TV reports that the defense can also review any handwritten notes from Modesto Police Officers who questioned these men in a patrol car.

Under California law, Peterson is entitled to access certain discovery materials. This law permits defendants to obtain materials "held by the prosecution and law enforcement that the same defendant would have been entitled to at trial," as stated in the penal code.

This applies only to serious or violent felonies with sentences of 15 or more years. Peterson is currently serving life without parole for killing Laci, 27, last seen on December 23, 2002. A couple walking their dog found their unborn son in San Francisco Bay on April 13, 2003. Laci's body washed ashore a mile away the next day.

Due to severe decomposition, authorities couldn't determine a cause of death. Laci's body was missing its head and both forearms.

The Los Angeles Innocence Project took on Peterson's latest freedom bid in January, alleging violations of his state and federal constitutional rights. The lawyers cited new witness statements supposedly highlighting several areas of interest, including the burglary across from the Petersons' home.

Scott's lawyers have previously claimed his wife was killed after witnessing men breaking into the neighbor's house during a dog walk while Scott was on a Christmas Eve morning fishing trip.

In August, the former fertilizer salesman spoke in the three-part series Face to Face with Scott Peterson, again denying involvement in Laci and their unborn child's disappearance and death. He urged the public to hear his version of the "so-called investigation," claiming police and prosecutors ignored key leads and relied on circumstantial evidence.

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