SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The Los Angeles Innocence Project said a new, yearlong investigation uncovered evidence and witness statements that undermine the case against Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn child in 2002.
LAIP filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus Friday in the California Court of Appeal seeking to overturn Peterson’s conviction.
“The Los Angeles Innocence Project advocates for truth and justice, no matter who the defendant may be or how controversial the case,” said John Sonego, the group’s board president. “Our organization has a team of professionals and experts who follow extensive screening protocols prior to choosing a client. We decided that this case deserved a second look, because of issues related to ‘confirmation bias’ and potential Brady violations committed by the Modesto Police and Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office that we believe led to Peterson’s wrongful conviction.”
The petition includes a 126-page declaration written by Peterson detailing his recollection of the events around the death of his wife and unborn child in Modesto, California.
Scott Peterson case ‘was entirely circumstantial’: LAIP
Los Angeles Innocent Project attorneys wrote in their petition, “This new evidence undermines the prosecution’s entire circumstantial case against Petitioner, and shows that the jury relied on false evidence, including false scientific evidence, to convict him.”
His attorneys alleged that “critical exculpatory evidence was suppressed and destroyed” by prosecutors before he went on trial in 2004.
“The case against (Peterson) was entirely circumstantial,” the petition continues. “No direct, physical or forensic evidence was found supporting any part of the prosecution’s theory.”
The group said new evidence includes:
- A new modeling showing the bodies of Laci and Conner could not have migrated from the area where Peterson went fishing in the San Francisco Bay to where they washed up on shore. Rather, their bodies were most likely placed in the waters off the Albany Bulb, a peninsula that is accessible by car and on foot.
- New sworn statements by eyewitnesses who reported seeing Laci walking the dog in the neighborhood after Peterson left their home to go fishing on Dec. 24, 2002. Police allegedly “ignored” these witnesses.
- An analysis by a certified forensic document examiner who analyzed handwritten notes from the Petersons’ home, with information from two marine supply stores about the cost of anchors that appear to be consistent with Laci’s handwriting. This could disprove the prosecution’s theory at trial that Scott had secretly purchased the boat as part of his plan to dump Laci’s body in the San Francisco Bay.
- New evidence showing a Modesto home across the street from the Petersons’ was burglarized on Dec. 24, the same day Laci was reported missing, and not two days later on Dec. 26, as the jury was told.
Scott Peterson convicted in murder of Laci Peterson, unborn child
Peterson, 52, was convicted by a California jury in November 2004 for the murders of his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn child, Conner. He was sentenced to death in 2005.
In December 2021, he was resentenced to life without the possibility of parole. At his resentencing hearing, Laci’s family members told Peterson that he is an “evil,” “sociopathic,” and remorseless killer who deserves to die.
The Los Angeles Innocent Project took on the notorious Peterson case in November 2023. San Mateo County Judge Elizabeth Hill released a ruling in October 2024, addressing the group’s request for access to evidence.
Peterson’s defense team was given access to audio and video recordings of Modesto Police Department interviews with two men who were suspects in the burglary, as well as any handwritten notes taken by officers who interviewed them.