LOS ANGELES, CA – Scott Peterson, who was convicted almost two decades ago of murdering his wife and unborn child in a highly publicized trial, is now being represented by the Los Angeles Innocence Project. Known for its work in freeing individuals believed to have been wrongly convicted and incarcerated, the project is now investigating Peterson’s claim of innocence with an emphasis on using forensic and scientific data.
Pat Harris, Peterson’s attorney, expressed his excitement over the involvement of the L.A. Innocence Project in proving Peterson’s innocence. The organization confirmed its representation of Peterson but declined to provide further comment on the case.
The Peterson case, which caused a media firestorm in the early 2000s, involved the disappearance of Laci Peterson, who was pregnant at the time, from the couple’s Modesto home on Christmas Eve in 2002. Her body washed up on the shores of San Francisco Bay the following spring.
A significant development in the case came in 2020 when the California Supreme Court overturned Peterson’s death sentence due to the removal of prospective jurors who opposed capital punishment but were willing to impose it. As a result, he was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2021 and subsequently moved off death row the following year.
The Innocence Project’s involvement marks a turning point in Peterson’s legal battle, shedding light on potential new evidence and bringing hope for a possible reconsideration of his conviction in a case that captivated the nation.