Scott Peterson’s legal team, backed by the Los Angeles Innocence Project, has filed a sweeping petition claiming newly uncovered scientific and eyewitness evidence proves he did not murder his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son.
At a Glance
- LA Innocence Project files 400-page petition for retrial
- Eyewitnesses claim Laci was alive after Peterson left home
- Scientific evidence contradicts the original prosecution timeline
- Defense cites destroyed or ignored police evidence
- Peterson may take the stand for the first time
Defense Reignites Fight for Retrial
Convicted in 2004 of killing his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Scott Peterson is again fighting to clear his name. Backed by the Los Angeles Innocence Project, he has submitted a 400-page habeas corpus petition to the California Court of Appeal, citing new forensic and testimonial evidence that challenges the foundation of his conviction, as reported by KTVU.
Central to the petition are 17 witness accounts that reportedly place Laci alive and walking the couple’s dog after Scott had already left for a solo fishing trip on the morning of December 24, 2002. According to Fox News, these sightings contradict the prosecution’s timeline that underpinned the case against him.
Watch ABC News’ report on the incident at Scott Peterson continues fight for freedom with new petition.
Disputed Evidence and Police Oversight
The petition also claims Modesto police mishandled or dismissed critical leads, including a burglary that occurred across the street from the Peterson home the same day Laci vanished. According to the Davis Vanguard, multiple witnesses said Laci may have confronted the burglars—yet investigators ignored the timeline overlap.
Peterson’s legal team argues that once police targeted him, they ignored or destroyed exculpatory material. ABC News reports that surveillance footage and other physical evidence were excluded from trial or went unexamined due to this alleged bias.
Forensic Science Under Fire
The Innocence Project’s petition introduces scientific analysis that disputes the prosecution’s narrative on how and when the bodies were placed in the San Francisco Bay. According to ABC30, current forensic experts assert that water movement and decomposition evidence suggest the bodies could not have arrived at their found locations in the way previously alleged.
Peterson’s attorneys have also requested DNA testing on a bloodstained mattress from a torched van, a lead dismissed in the original investigation but now seen as potentially significant.
Legal Stakes and Next Moves
While a previous petition was rejected due to a filing error, this new version—submitted with LAIP’s backing—remains under review. According to CrimeOnline, defense attorney Michael Cardoza has hinted that Peterson himself may testify if a hearing is granted, marking his first direct appearance before the court in two decades.
Originally sentenced to death, Peterson’s punishment was commuted to life without parole in 2020. With this latest challenge, his legal team hopes to revive long-standing doubts in one of America’s most watched criminal cases.
