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Laci Peterson's killer Scott Peterson may walk free after 'new evidence emerges'

Home> News> Crime

Published 20:54 1 May 2025 GMT+1

Laci Peterson's killer Scott Peterson may walk free after 'new evidence emerges'

Scott Peterson was convicted for killing his wife Laci and their unborn child

Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper

Laci Peterson's killer is currently seeking to have his conviction overturned, over two decades on from her death.

27-year-old Laci was heavily pregnant when she vanished on 24 December, 2002, with husband Scott Peterson and her stepfather reporting her disappearance.

Her remains, as well as the body of her unborn son, Conner, would tragically be discovered on a beach in April 2003 by dog walkers in the San Francisco Bay area.

Scott would soon become a person of interest after authorities uncovered that he'd been having an affair with a woman named Amber Frey, prior to Laci's death. Scott would be arrested later that month after increased police surveillance and charged with the murders of Laci and their unborn son.

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He was found guilty the following November and sentenced to death, however, this was later turned into a life sentence.

Scott Peterson (pictured in 2003) has repeatedly claimed he did not kill his wife and unborn child (Al Golub-POOL/Getty Images)
Scott Peterson (pictured in 2003) has repeatedly claimed he did not kill his wife and unborn child (Al Golub-POOL/Getty Images)

Scott has repeatedly argued his innocence over the years, while the Laci's murder featured in Netflix's American Murder anthology series.

Now - nearly 21 years on from his conviction - and Scott could be released from prison after the Los Angeles Innocence Project submitted a lengthy appeal with a California court last week.

"In my opinion, once the police locked onto Mr. Peterson as the prime suspect, they had no interest in finding evidence showing that someone other than Scott may have abducted Laci Peterson because that evidence did not fit with their working theory of the case." Innocence Project director Paula Mitchell stated in the filing (via ABC News).

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The statement also argued that further evidence suggesting that Laci had been killed by two burglars would also undermine the prosecution's case against Scott, now 52.

According to the petition, the LA Innocence Project claims that a witness had allegedly overheard the burglars talking about how Laci had confronted them as they were targeting a home in the neighbourhood. The team are also arguing for evidence from the burglars' van to be tested for Laci's DNA.

A relative of Laci's mother Sharon Rocha (pictured right) has called the situation a 'nightmare' (Netflix)
A relative of Laci's mother Sharon Rocha (pictured right) has called the situation a 'nightmare' (Netflix)

The news has left Laci's relatives distressed, with a relative of Laci's mother Sharon Rocha telling MailOnline the update was a 'nightmare' for the family.

"This is something we put behind us 20 years ago, and now it's back," they said.

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"We believed then and we believe now that Scott killed Laci and belongs in jail for the rest of his life."

Meanwhile, Scott reiterated his claims of innocence in a 126-page declaration included in the filing, writing: "It is important to me that whoever killed my wife and son be found and held accountable.

"If whoever committed such violence against Laci and Conner is still at large they are a danger to public safety. It is also important to me that I clear my name and my family's name because I did not and could never harm or kill my family."

Featured Image Credit: (Netflix)

Topics: Crime

Brenna Cooper
Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture.

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@_brencoco

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