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This summer, a compelling docuseries will delve into a contentious effort to establish Scott Peterson’s alleged innocence.
On Wednesday, A&E unveiled plans for a four-hour documentary titled “Scott Peterson: The New Evidence.” Brought to life by Left/Right productions, this two-part series will document the endeavors of the Los Angeles Innocence Project as they strive to overturn Peterson’s murder convictions, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It is crucial to note that the Los Angeles Innocence Project is not affiliated with the well-known Innocence Project, which is not involved in Peterson’s case.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project has put forth a theory involving a van, discovered on fire a day after a burglary near the Peterson home. They claim the van, located a mere mile from the residence, contained a mattress potentially linked to the murders. Their argument includes evidence suggesting the van was devoid of a mattress before it was stolen and prior to Laci Peterson’s tragic death.
Additionally, Scott Peterson’s defense team has posited that Laci Peterson, then 27, might have witnessed the burglary across the street, inadvertently leading to her subsequent abduction.
Laci Peterson vanished on Christmas Eve 2002 — a month before she was due to give birth. Prosecutors said Scott Peterson strangled or suffocated his pregnant wife before wrapping her in a tarp, fastening her to anchors, and dropping her in the San Francisco Bay.
Scott Peterson — who claimed he was fishing in Berkeley when his pregnant wife vanished — was ultimately arrested in San Diego County with $15,000 in cash in his possession.
Scott Peterson stood trial in 2004 and was sentenced to death the following year. However, the California Supreme Court overturned his death sentence in 2020 after jurors who disagreed with the death penalty but were willing to impose it were found to be unfairly dismissed from the case. There were also issues surrounding prejudicial misconduct after a domestic violence victim was put on the jury.
In 2021, Scott Peterson was re-sentenced to life in prison without parole for the slayings. Later that year, a judge denied his bid for a new trial.
“What happened on Christmas Eve 2002 remains fiercely debated — and this new filing argues new evidence proves it was impossible for Scott Peterson to have committed the crimes against his wife and unborn son,” teases the synopsis for the upcoming docuseries.
Meanwhile, Peterson remains housed at Mule Creek State Prison — where a fellow inmate attacked him last year during a game of pickleball. Last month, prosecutors told TMZ that they will not be pursuing criminal charges against Peterson’s alleged attacker.
[Feature Photo: Scott Peterson/Andy Alfaro/The Modesto Bee via AP, PoolCaleb Harris/CCPD]