Los Angeles Innocence Project Takes on Scott Peterson Case

January 18, 2024 @ 6:20 PM

The Los Angeles Innocence Project is taking on the case of Scott Peterson, who was convicted in 2004 of killing his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson.

Attorneys with the non-profit, who work to exonerate people who have been wrongly convicted, allege that Peterson’s state and federal constitutional rights were violated and that his claim of innocence is “supported by newly discovered evidence.”

“New evidence now supports Mr. Peterson’s longstanding claim of innocence and raises many questions into who abducted and killed Laci and Conner Peterson,” the filings state.

“[We are] thrilled to have the incredibly skilled attorneys at the LA Innocence project and their expertise becoming involved in the efforts to prove Scott’s innocence,” Peterson’s attorney, Pat Harris, said in a statement to ABC News.

Peterson, who was eight months pregnant, disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002. Her body was finally found in San Francisco Bay the following April.

Peterson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife and second-degree murder in the death of their unborn son. In 2005, he was sentenced to death. In 2020, that was commuted to life in prison without parole when a California Supreme Court ruled that the jury in Peterson’s case was not screened for bias against the death penalty.

The LA Innocence Project issued a statement on Thursday that they are “investigating [Peterson’s] claim of actual innocence,” adding “We have no further comment at this time.”

The high-profile Peterson case led to a number of TV movies and docuseries, including 2004’s “The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story,” in which he was played by Dean Cain.