(NewsNation) — Traces of human blood discovered in a burnt van could bring Scott Peterson’s murder conviction into question as the case is reexamined by the Los Angeles Innocence Project.
Peterson was convicted for the murders of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child two decades ago. He was the prime suspect in the investigation, but he and his family have maintained his innocence since the beginning.
After the LA Innocence Project began looking into his case, new evidence came to light about an orange van spotted near the Petersons’ home at the time. The team has requested courts to allow DNA testing of cloth from a mattress found in the van as well as testing of the fuel containers that they say helped accelerate the arson fire that torched the van.
The van in question was found burnt just over a mile from the Petersons’ home the morning after Laci Peterson vanished in 2002.
Peterson’s defense has maintained a burglary that happened across the street from the home around the same time is connected to Laci Peterson’s disappearance.
Investigators maintain Scott Peterson dumped his wife’s body during a fishing trip before it was found on the San Francisco shoreline. But his family says the burglars are the ones who placed her there, knowing the fishing trip was Scott Peterson’s only alibi.
In response to the request, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s office said, “Mr. Peterson, like all individuals convicted of crimes, is afforded the legal right to appeal his conviction with the representation of his choosing.”