(KRON) — The Los Angeles Innocence Project has taken on the notorious case of Scott Peterson, his family told KRON4. He was convicted by a San Mateo County jury in 2004 of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son.
Peterson has maintained his innocence ever Laci vanished from their Modesto neighborhood on Christmas Eve two decades ago. Her body was later found in the San Francisco Bay near where her husband said he went fishing. Peterson was sentenced to death, and later resentenced to life in prison without parole.
For years, his defense attorneys have asserted that the wrong man is behind bars, Peterson was convicted by a biased jury, and there is enough new evidence to prove it.
Laci’s family and prosecutors said Peterson was a cheating, “evil” husband who wanted to get rid of his wife. After several hearings in 2022, a judge denied Peterson’s request for a new murder trial.
Peterson’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, told KRON4 that the case was revived this week by the Los Angeles Innocence Project. The legal group is dedicated to exonerating wrongly convicted inmates, freeing wrongly incarcerated inmates, and exposing systemic flaws in the criminal justice system.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project confirmed Thursday afternoon that it is representing Peterson and “investigating his claim of actual innocence.” LAIP attorneys filed a motion in San Mateo County court this week requesting post-conviction discovery evidence.
Peterson, 51, is currently incarcerated in Mule Creek State Prison.
This breaking news story will be updated.