The Los Angeles Innocence Project, Scott Peterson’s defense team, has recently filed a motion in court requesting DNA testing in the murder case of Laci Peterson and Conner Peterson. However, the district attorney in Stanislaus County, California, has now submitted new paperwork opposing this motion.
The District Attorney’s office has responded to the defense’s request for DNA testing by addressing the 14 specific items mentioned in a comprehensive 300-page filing. In this filing, they explain why they believe these items have already been tested, litigated, are unrelated to the case, or do not meet the burden required for retesting.
Laci Peterson, a 27-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant, went missing on Christmas Eve in 2002. Her body was discovered in San Francisco Bay in April 2003.
In 2004, Scott Peterson, aged 51, was apprehended and faced charges of first-degree murder for the killing of his wife, along with second-degree murder for the death of their unborn son. Following his conviction, he received the death penalty in 2005. However, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
According to court documents filed in January, attorneys from the LA Innocence Project have argued that Scott Peterson’s state and federal constitutional rights were violated. They claim that there is newly discovered evidence that supports Peterson’s claim of actual innocence.
The LA Innocence Project is currently in the process of requesting DNA testing for over a dozen pieces of evidence, including those obtained from the burglary and the van fire. On May 29, there will be a discussion regarding a motion to seek a court order for the testing of the evidence to determine the presence of DNA.
Scott Peterson is currently incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison in San Mateo County, serving a life sentence.
Scott Peterson, who has consistently maintained his innocence, pleaded not guilty. However, his previous request for a new trial was denied in December 2022.
In court documents, it was revealed that the California Supreme Court overturned Scott Peterson’s death sentence in 2020. The reason behind this decision was the improper screening for bias against the death penalty during the penalty phase by his jury.
In December 2021, he received a life sentence without the chance of parole. Consequently, he was transferred from San Quentin State Prison to Mule Creek State Prison in October 2022, no longer being held on death row.
The LA Innocence Project, an organization that offers free legal assistance to individuals in Central and Southern California who may have been wrongly convicted, has announced that it is currently representing Scott Peterson. In a statement, they have stated that they are actively investigating his claim of actual innocence.
