Deadline set in DNA testing of duct tape in Scott Peterson’s case

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (Court TV) — In as little as 45 days, Scott Peterson could find out if a piece of duct tape will give him a shot at a new trial.

In an order filed July 24, a judge outlined how DNA testing on a piece of duct tape recovered from Laci Peterson’s pants at the time of her autopsy on April 13, 2003 will proceed.

Scott Peterson appears virtually at a motions hearing on July 16, 2024.

Scott is serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son. The Los Angeles Innocence Project took over Scott’s case in January.

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Previously, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hill denied the defense’s motion to have DNA testing done on multiple pieces of evidence, delivering a huge blow to Scott’s quest for a new trial. The 15.5-inch length of duct tape, however, is the one item out of more than a dozen physical pieces of evidence on which the judge granted testing.

The latest order states that Pure Gold Forensics, Inc. will conduct the DNA testing and lists the mandatory chain of command and testing methods. It also states that “the DNA testing shall be conducted within 45 days of this order or as soon as practical.”

The final results are also to be submitted “under seal.”