The Scott Peterson case: New evidence?
What begins as a college romance ends in murder and mystery.
1994 – Scott Peterson and Laci Rocha met in 1994 while both were in college at California Polytechnic State University. They married two years later. In 2002, Lucky became pregnant. The two live in Modesto, California, where they plan to raise their unborn son, Connor.
Lacey Peterson is missing
December 24, 2002 – Scott Peterson said he left his pregnant wife alone on Christmas Eve morning to go fishing at the Berkeley Pier, about 90 miles away. He said Luckey planned to walk the couple’s dog, Mackenzie, and mop the kitchen floor. When Scott returned home a few hours later, he said he found Mackenzie there alone, still wearing a leash, but no sign of Lucky. That night, Lucky’s stepfather called the police to report her missing.
Looking for Lucky
Family, friends and volunteers launched a massive search for Lachie Peterson.
Scott Peterson was interviewed by police in the early hours of Christmas Day. Now-retired Modesto Police Detective Jon Buehler said Scott didn’t seem as interested as one might think. “Often, the victim who is left behind will have a lot of questions for us … and we won’t get any answers from him,” Buller told “48 Hours.”
Amber Frey
December 30, 2002 – Less than a week after Laci Peterson went missing, Modesto detectives arrived to investigate an intriguing lead: A Fresno massage therapist named Amber Frey revealed that she had been having sex with St. Kurt Peterson has been dating for over a month. She told police that Peterson lied to her and said he was single.
secret recording
Former detective Buhler noted, “Her memory was amazing. It was almost like a script for a Hallmark TV show or something.” Amber Frey recalled every detail of their romantic date, even their outfits . Hoping for clues that might lead to the missing woman, detectives asked Frey to record a phone call between her and Scott Peterson, and Frey agreed.
Love affair exposed
January 24, 2003 – A month after Laci Peterson disappeared, Amber Frey publicly revealed her romance with Scott Peterson in an explosive press conference. “I’m so sorry to Lucky’s family and the pain this has caused them,” she said. “I also pray for her safe return.”
Before Frey went public, Peterson told her in a recorded phone call that he was in Paris, but he was actually in Modesto while the search for Lachey continued. Eventually Scott admitted to her: “I lied to you and said I’d been traveling.” Those recorded calls later became part of the severe case against Peterson.
body found
April 13-14, 2003 – Two bodies were found along the shores of San Francisco Bay. They were later identified as Laci Peterson and her unborn child. The two bodies were found about a mile apart.
Scott Peterson arrested
April 18, 2003 – Authorities caught Scott Peterson at a golf course in San Diego and arrested him. Authorities found a wad of cash, his brother’s ID and multiple cellphones in the car. Days later, Peterson pleaded not guilty to two counts of capital murder.
trial and error
June 1, 2004 – Scott Peterson’s trial begins in San Mateo County, California. Due to massive publicity, the trial was moved from Modesto to Redwood City in San Mateo County. The decision was made because the judge believed it would be difficult for Peterson to get a fair trial so close to home, where emotions run high.
Highly suspicious
August 10, 2004 – In what many saw as a major turning point in the trial, Amber Frey took the stand for the first time to tell the jury about her relationship with Scott Peterson, the man she was secretly married to, and how he All the lies told to her. Frey portrays a dishonest man who can tell lies with ease that damages his credibility.
Jurors heard the lies firsthand in recordings of Frey’s phone calls.
Justice for Lucky and Connor
November 12, 2004 – Scott Peterson was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife Laci and second-degree murder in the death of his unborn son Connor. The crowd outside cheered.
Juror Peterson
March 16, 2005 – Four months after his conviction, Scott Peterson was sentenced to death. During the press conference, Juror No. 7 Richelle Nice (pictured) called Peterson a “jerk” and commented “San Quentin is your new home,” referring to where he will The prison where he served his sentence. Nice was nicknamed “Strawberry Shortcake” during the trial because of her hair color.
Death sentence overturned
August 24, 2020 – After two appeals, Scott Peterson’s death sentence overturned The California Supreme Court ruled that the trial judge made an error in selecting the jury. Peterson’s supporters say the error resulted in a jury packed with pro-death penalty jurors. Peterson, pictured here in 2018, will now face only the sentencing phase of a new trial.
The court upheld his murder conviction.
Juror No. 7
October 14, 2020 – The California Supreme Court ordered a lower court to reexamine Peterson’s murder conviction and decide whether he should receive a new trial. Supporters of Scott Peterson say it all comes down to the actions of the juror nicknamed “Strawberry Shortcake” – Richelle Nice, 2005 .
During the jury selection process, prospective jurors fill out a questionnaire asking whether they have been involved in proceedings in the past and whether they have been victims of crime. Good check no. Peterson’s current attorney, Pat Harris, told 48 Hours: “It’s clear…she lied to our faces about her situation.” In fact, Ness has been involved in two domestic disputes in the past. . But prosecutors said Ness didn’t lie when she filled out the questionnaire, she just didn’t think her past experiences were relevant to the issues and she didn’t think she was a victim. Lower courts will now consider whether Peterson will get a full retrial. Richelle Ness declined to be interviewed by 48 Hours.
New evidence?
March 7, 2021 – CBS News’ Jonathan Vigliotti talks to Scott Peterson’s sister-in-law Jenny Peterson in her “war room” about the evidence she claims proves his innocence. She claims witnesses saw Lacy walking in the neighborhood near Peterson’s home back Scott said when he went fishing. If this were true, there would be no way Scott could have killed Lucky.
Scott Peterson’s attorney explained that “there was a lot of criticism because we didn’t call some of the witnesses who saw Lucky that day,” and that the thought process at the time was that “many of the witnesses who saw her didn’t do that great. —memory or confrontation—contradict each other.”
Retired detective Jon Buehler said no witnesses saw Luckey alive that morning. He said there were other pregnant young women nearby who looked similar to Laci, and “it could be easy for someone to mistake one of the three girls for Laci.” Still, Jenny Peterson insisted that Scot Te is innocent.
burglary
Perhaps more important to the new defense case is what Jenny Peterson believes actually happened to Lucky. She noted that she believed a burglary had occurred on the same day Lucky disappeared, across the street from Peterson’s home. Supporters of Scott Peterson speculate that Luckey confronted the burglars, which ended badly. But police soon arrested the thieves, Steven Todd and Donald Pearce, pictured in a 2003 Modesto Police Department news release.
waiting for decision
April 27, 2021 – Scott Peterson appeared remotely for a status hearing in his new death penalty trial.
December 8, 2021: Scott Peterson is resented He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the deaths of his wife and unborn child.
2024: The Los Angeles Innocence Project took over Peterson’s fight for a new trial. A California judge has since given his defense team access to previously undisclosed evidence and allowed for additional DNA testing.
Peterson and his supporters insist the wrong people were jailed for the deaths of Lachey and Connor. Detective Buller said, “Well, I guess that’s possible. But you know, there are still people who believe the Earth is flat, too.”
