Scott Peterson case: Former juror discredits convicted killer's attempt to pin wife's murder on intruder
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Speaking out, a former juror in the Scott Peterson murder trial refuted the murderer's most recent attempt to pin the murder of his wife on neighboring burglars.
In 2004, Peterson was convicted by Mike Belmessieri and eleven other jurors of killing Laci Peterson, his wife who was eight months pregnant at the time.
Innocence Project will look into Scott Peterson's case
Laci's death may have been caused by a break-in that occurred close to the couple's Modesto, California, home around the time of Laci's disappearance, Mark Geragos, Peterson's attorney, claimed during the first trial.
The juror has since disclosed, nevertheless, that the police investigating the break-in in 2002 did not discover any link between the two offenses.
In an interview with NewsNation, the juror stated, "The Modesto [Police Department] had investigated that issue and cleared those individuals who were involved in that burglary."
In an effort to clear the convicted murderer, Scott Peterson's lawyers are currently requesting documents from the burglary investigation.
In particular, they are requesting items from a van that was set on fire in Modesto the day after Laci vanished, a missing watch recovered from the broken-in house, and records related to witness interviews.
Peterson's case will be taken up by the pro bono legal organization Los Angeles Innocence Project, which assists convicted individuals. This announcement was made earlier this week.
Scott Peterson's request for a fresh trial was turned down in 2022
Additionally, they filed a motion to have the evidence from the first trial tested for DNA. A month before his wife vanished, Peterson started seeing massage therapist Amber Frey, Radar reported.
Since then, he has repeatedly entered not guilty pleas to murder charges and has maintained his innocence. The 51-year-old is currently serving a life sentence despite the fact that his initial death sentence was reversed.
In court, he stated that on the morning of her disappearance, he had gone fishing at Berkeley Marina. Peterson's attorneys called attention to Richelle Nice, one of the jurors, in an attempt to get him a new trial.
They claimed she had lied about her personal life during the jury selection process and withheld important information. It was eventually discovered that Richelle had been the victim of domestic abuse and had requested a restraining order in 2000 because she was concerned for the safety of her unborn child.
Several of her responses to a juror questionnaire were found to be false, according to court documents, despite her claims to the contrary. They were judged not to have been biased against the defendant, though.
In 2022, Peterson's request for a fresh trial was turned down. But now that the Los Angeles Innocence Project is involved, the case is receiving more attention.
