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Scott Peterson pins hope for 'unlikely' appeal on duct tape DNA testing in pregnant wife's murder, expert says
Twenty years after he was convicted for the murder of his wife and unborn child, Scott Peterson hopes that further DNA testing of evidence could win him a retrial — but a former California prosecutor with knowledge of the case said his chances are “unlikely.”
In an order filed on July 24, a judge decided that a 15.5-inch piece of duct tape recovered from Laci Peterson’s pants at her autopsy on April 13, 2003, must undergo DNA testing.
Pure Gold Forensics, Inc. will conduct the test on the tape, along with more than a dozen physical pieces of evidence for which the judge granted testing. The order also states that “the DNA testing shall be conducted within 45 days of this order or as soon as practical.”
SCOTT PETERSON PROSECUTORS LAY OUT ‘OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE’ AGAINST KILLER’S NEW APPEAL IN 337-PAGE FILING
Convicted killer Scott Peterson appears in court on May 29. He is attempting to get a new trial. (KTVU)
The LA Innocence Project, which provides attorneys to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, announced earlier this year that it is picking up Peterson’s case. On Aug. 20, Peterson will speak out for the first time since his conviction in a new Peacock documentary, “Face to Face with Scott Peterson.”
Although Peterson’s attorneys have succeeded in having his death penalty overturned in favor of life imprisonment without parole, they have tried and failed multiple times to appeal his conviction.
Prosecutors disagreed with the latest appeal, taken up by the LA Innocence Project, and put together a 337-page court filing opposing his motion for DNA testing in May.
SCOTT PETERSON PROSECUTOR ASKS JUDGE TO SLAM DOOR ON KEY TO KILLER’S LATEST APPEAL
Prosecutors said police recovered Laci Peterson’s hair from the teeth of these needle-nosed pliers, which they found on her husband and convicted killer Scott Peterson’s boat. (Superior Court of California, San Mateo County)
Attorney Neama Rahmani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, said that although a judge has now signed off on the additional DNA testing, it is “unlikely” that the 51-year-old will get a new trial.
Rahmani explained that another person’s DNA would have to show up on the duct tape or other pieces of evidence.
Peterson’s sister-in-law Janey Peterson, who will be featured in the upcoming Peacock documentary, believes that Laci had a fatal run-in with burglars after she witnessed their crime across the street from her Modesto home and confronted them, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Laci vanished on Christmas Eve 2002, and her body washed up in the San Francisco Bay months later, not far from the body of her unborn son, Conner. Two strands of Laci’s hair collected from a pair of pliers on Peterson’s boat were a key piece of evidence used to convict him of her murder.
Police alleged Peterson used the boat to dispose of her body.
SCOTT PETERSON DEFENSE DROPS MOTION TO SEAL IN BID FOR NEW TRIAL AFTER PROSECUTORS NOTE FILES MOSTLY PUBLIC
Scott Peterson and Amber Frey pictured at a Christmas party on Dec. 14, 2002, before the murder of Laci Peterson and before Frey knew Scott was a married man. (Superior Court of California, San Mateo County)
Peterson had claimed that he was fishing in the bay on the day Laci went missing — not far from where her badly decomposed body washed up onshore.
“Peterson admitted to fishing [near] where the body was found — what are the chances unless he’s the unluckiest guy in the world?” Rahmani told Fox News Digital.
“You go fishing, Laci stumbles upon some burglars. They kill her, they somehow know where Scott Peterson is, they drive 100 miles away to dump the body where he happens to be fishing — anything is possible, but that strikes me as very unlikely,” he continued.
At the time Peterson’s wife disappeared, the then-30-year-old was carrying out an affair with massage therapist Amber Frey.
“A lot of it was ‘were his actions the actions of someone who lost his wife and unborn child,’” Rahmani recalled of the case. “The guy shows no remorse when she disappears, doesn’t help in the search, doesn’t participate in any of the visuals. He’s trying to get out of his marriage, he’s having an affair, he’s racked up debt — I feel that there is plenty of evidence that implicates Scott Peterson.”
Prosecutors said these photographs of a smiling Scott Peterson were taken during a vigil for Laci Peterson on New Year’s Eve in 2002. Jurors found at the end of his trial in 2004 that he killed her days later. She was more than 8 months pregnant with their son. (Superior Court of California, San Mateo County)
That said, Rahmani said that for the LA Innocence Project to be picking up Peterson’s case, they must “believe there is something here.”
The LA Innocence Project did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment, but provided the following statement earlier this year:
“The Los Angeles Innocence Project filed motions in January asking the Court to order further discovery of evidence and allow new DNA testing to support our investigation into Mr. Peterson’s claim of actual innocence… We have not commented on our motions, and we will continue to present our case in court — where it should be adjudicated.”
Rahmani also remarked that Peterson’s trial lawyers who defended his case “still believe he’s innocent.”
Scott Peterson was convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, inset.
“I’m not saying that it’s impossible that Scott Peterson was wrongfully convicted,” he conceded. “[But] there’s a ton of circumstantial evidence.”
Rahmani also said that the upcoming Peacock documentary could sway public opinion in Peterson’s favor.
“PR matters a lot,” he said. “Scott Peterson, for a while, was one of the most hated men in this country… [But] public opinion can make a difference one way or another — [the documentary] could sway things potentially in his favor.”
“R. Kelly went down because of a documentary, Britney Spears came out of a conservatorship because of a documentary,” Rahmani continued. “The court of public opinion matters a lot. Every prosecutor in this country is elected or appointed by someone who was elected.”
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Welcome to the NFL, rookies.
The Denver Broncos are set to hold a rookie minicamp from May 8-10, with players expected to report to the team’s facility today (May 7). One of the key players to watch will be running back Jonah Coleman, the club’s fourth-round pick in last month’s NFL draft.
“Ultimately, to be a Bronco is the best thing in the world,” Coleman told the Big Ten Network during a sideline interview at Washington’s spring game last week.
Coleman figures to begin his pro career as a third-string running back behind J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, but he could quickly win playing time as a capable blocker and receiver.
Broncos offseason schedule
- Offseason program started: May 4
- Rookie minicamp: May 8-10
- OTAs: June 2-4; June 9-11
- Mandatory minicamp: June 16-18
With rookies reporting to the facility, we should get jersey number news soon. Denver’s draft class, undrafted free agent signings and several expected tryout players will participate in the rookie minicamp this weekend.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
GRAHAM, Wash. – As Washington faces a spring with severely low snowpack, fire districts across the state are ramping up preparations for Wildfire Awareness Month. At Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, some of the most effective team members are focusing on prevention, through meal time.
Station 96, now affectionately nicknamed “The Goat House,” deployed a herd of goats to serve as official “fuel mitigation specialists.” These four-legged lawnmowers are tasked with clearing thick vegetation and maintaining the retention pond area around the station to ensure dry brush doesn’t become fuel for a potential fire.
The ‘G.O.A.T.’ of mitigation
While they may not look like your typical firefighters—and they certainly lack a sense of professional decorum—officials say the herd is setting a regional standard for wildfire prevention.
“They are the GOAT of […] fuel mitigation,” joked Wildfire Coordinator Jake Weigley.
The strategy is as practical as it is adorable. By having the goats graze the land, the department avoids spending crew downtime on weed whackers. This keeps firefighters ready for what they do best: responding to emergencies.
“It does save the taxpayers money, because our crews are able to focus on training and responding to calls,” Weigley said.
The “GoatFundMe’ account
Despite their official titles, these specialists aren’t on the public payroll. Their snacks, veterinary care, and general upkeep are funded internally through a “GoatFundMe” account, which is supported entirely by voluntary contributions from fire department and county employees.
The department hopes these stubborn workers will inspire residents to take notes on their own “defensible space” at home. Much like the goats clearing the field, fire officials recommend homeowners hardscape and remove any fuels that could carry a fire toward buildings.
A heightened season of awareness
The timing is critical. Following a winter with low precipitation, officials are on high alert for the upcoming fire season, though the full severity remains a question mark until the summer heat truly hits.
“We’re in a heightened level of awareness based on our snowpack and precipitation over the winter,” Weigley said. “But until fire season really gets started, we won’t know how severe it will be.”
Residents interested in meeting the herd can monitor the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue Facebook page for upcoming station events and community open houses. They ask to protect the goat’s health, you do not feed them.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting from FOX 13 Seattle reporter Taylor Winkel.
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Arts leaders packed City Hall Wednesday, urging city leaders to reconsider proposed cuts that would eliminate nearly $11.8 million in arts and culture funding from San Diego’s budget.
Representatives from some of San Diego’s most well-known cultural institutions, including the Mingei International Museum, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the Fleet Science Center, voiced their concerns at a budget review committee meeting.
Debby Buchholz, managing director of the La Jolla Playhouse, said: “The idea that America’s finest city would spend no money on arts and culture is reprehensible, frankly.”
Advocates argued the cut represents a fraction of the city’s overall spending.
“$11.5 million dollars in a $6.5 billion budget is not even a drop; it’s less than a quarter of 1% of the total budget,” Buchholz added.
Arts advocates warned the impact would be immediate, with potential layoffs, program cuts, and even closures.
Jessica Hanson York, executive director of the Mingei International Museum, said, “We are huge employers of people who are making a living as creatives in this community and we want our artists and creative contributors to be able to stay here, and it doesn’t help when we don’t have the support to keep them employed.”
During the meeting, Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee questioned the mayor’s office about whether an economic impact analysis had been completed.
Kent Lee asked “Was an economic impact analysis completed in regards to arts and culture?”
The mayor’s office responded that no such analysis had been conducted.
Lee also pressed the mayor’s office on whether and when arts and culture funding might be restored.
The mayor’s office responded saying, “That’s a difficult question to answer I think there is a lot of desire to bring these funds back we are going to work hard to bring these funds back we recognize the impacts. I don’t have a specific plan for you today.”
Arts advocates say they want to see no cuts made to their funding. The full City Council will have the final say on the budget in the coming weeks.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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