A shocking update has been revealed in the case of Scott Peterson, who was infamously convicted of the brutal murder of his pregnant wife.
Peterson has spent the past two decades behind bars for the 2002 massacre of 27-year-old Laci and the murder of their unborn son, Conner. The fertilizer salesman dumped her body in San Francisco Bay after promising to elope with his mistress.
Now the 51-year-old has been given access to crucial evidence by a California judge in a surprise ruling that could open the door to a re-evaluation of the case that has attracted national attention.
Peterson will now face a discovery period under California Penal Code 1054.9, which gives discovery rights to defendants convicted of serious or violent crimes and sentenced to 15 years or more in prison.
The code gives the suspect access to material “in the possession of the prosecuting and law enforcement authorities, to which the same suspect would have been entitled at the time of the trial.”
Scott Peterson, 51,’s stunning request for a post-conviction discovery period has been stunningly approved by a California judge
A shocking update has been revealed about the case of Scott Peterson (right), who was infamously convicted of the brutal murder of his wife Laci (left), 27, and the couple’s unborn son, Conner.
Scott Peterson and Amber Frey, pictured together at a holiday party on December 14, 2002
Whether or not Peterson, who is incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, will get a new trial depends on how the discovery process plays out.
Peterson had been married to Laci for five years when she disappeared on December 24, 2002, after they walked their dog.
The cause of death was never determined, as Laci’s corpse was in poor condition when it was found washed ashore on April 14, 2003, just a day before their unborn son’s fetus was discovered.
At the time of his wife’s murder, Peterson was also having an affair with Amber Frey, now 49, who helped police convict her then-boyfriend, adding to the complexity of the case. Peterson and Frey were pictured together at a Christmas party just ten days before Laci’s disappearance.
The latest documents come just months after the Los Angeles Innocence Project took on Peterson’s infamous case.
The Los Angeles-based group suggests in court documents that Laci may have witnessed a Christmas Eve burglary across the street from the couple’s Modesto home and was kidnapped and then killed by the burglars.
The group is seeking DNA testing on materials related to the burglary and on tarpaulin and a large plastic bag found at the water’s edge, near where the bodies washed up individually.
Peterson will now face a discovery period under California Penal Code 1054.9 – which gives discovery rights to defendants convicted of serious or violent crimes and sentenced to 15 years or more in prison
The latest documents come just months after the Los Angeles Innocence Project took on Peterson’s infamous case
Peterson had been married to Laci for five years when she disappeared on December 24, 2002, after taking their dog for a walk.
In addition, the group’s lawyers are asking for police reports and audio and video recordings of interviews with suspects and witnesses related to the burglary.
According to court documents, Modesto police improperly withheld material and rushed to declare that the burglars were not connected to the murders.
Peterson, who previously worked as a fertilizer salesman, is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
He still denies any involvement in Laci’s disappearance or the deaths of her and their unborn child.