The judge has not yet issued a ruling on the latest arguments. Peterson's sister-in-law, Janey, also spoke out on Wednesday , saying that new evidence excludes Scott Peterson from being the killer of Laci and Conner. But Laci's family steadfastly believes that Scott Peterson was solely responsible for her murder, and they oppose any attempt for him to get a new trial. Scott Peterson was convicted and put in jail. This case was solved. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?
It has taken such a toll on her. They are trying to focus on the Laci they knew and loved," says the insider, "rather than thinking about Scott. They've given him enough of their thoughts over the years.
They don't need to give him any more. The trial commences with the prosecution's opening statement , which asserts that Scott sought a responsibility-free life by killing his wife and soon-to-be-born son and dumping her weighted body in the bay.
The following day, Geragos contends that his client's "boorish" behavior is hardly proof of murder, and offers a preview of the medical evidence that points to the baby being born after Laci's reported disappearance. Two days after juror Justin Falconer is spotted speaking to Laci's brother outside the courtroom, Judge Alfred Delucchi dismisses the juror.
He also shoots down the defense's request for a mistrial due to unfavorable news reports, noting, "We have to live with the media. Taking the stand for the first of her seven days of testimony, Frey, represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, recalls the details of her fairytale first date with Scott.
She goes on to relate his claims of being a widower and numerous other lies, her accounts bolstered by the 12 hours of recorded phone calls played for the jury. Legal analysts later pinpoint this testimony as a huge momentum-shifter for the prosecution, to that point sputtering through a lack of firm evidence and its mishandling of procedural matters.
Following through on his opening promise, Geragos calls on a medical expert who testifies that Conner died no earlier than December 29, , indicating that Laci was still alive after being reported missing. But the appearance ends badly for the witness, who concedes that he relied on hearsay to pinpoint the date of a pregnancy test, and at one point asks the cross-examining prosecutor to "cut me some slack.
After five months and more than witnesses called to the stand, the jury is left to determine the fate of Scott. On November 9, juror Fran Gorman is dismissed for misconduct — later revealed to be for conducting separate research — and is replaced by alternate Richelle Nice, whose name would resurface in appeals down the road. The following day, foreman Gregory Jackson is also removed, reportedly at his own request after repeated clashes with his fellow jurors.
Despite the absence of a murder weapon or any physical evidence tying Scott to the deceased, he is found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Laci and second-degree murder for the death of Conner. The announcement sparks audible gasps in the courtroom, along with a roar of celebration from the crowd gathered outside. Following 11 hours of deliberations, the clerk announces to a quiet courtroom that the six-man, six-woman jury had unanimously voted to "fix the penalty at death.
Judge Delucchi sentences Scott to death by lethal injection, but his announcement is overshadowed by the emotion that erupts when Laci's family is given the opportunity to speak, with parents from both sides yelling and Laci's brother telling the convicted that he'd strongly considered shooting him. Scott, who sits stoically through the charged affair, declines to deliver a statement before being shipped off to San Quentin State Prison.
Shortly before a scheduled hearing on April 30, , it is announced that Sharon and Dennis Rocha had dropped the wrongful death claim against their former son-in-law. In a page document submitted to the California Supreme Court, Scott's lawyer revives the complaint that intensive publicity had eroded the possibility of his client receiving a fair trial.
She said that she believes the intense focus on his affair compromised the initial investigation into what happened to Laci Peterson. They couldn't tell you where it happened. Scott Peterson said that his wife was home at the time and multiple witnesses claim to have seen Laci Peterson walking the dog in the neighborhood. Investigators later caught the men who broke into the house and interviewed them.
The police determined that the men did not abduct Laci Peterson. Brocchini also said that the investigators found another local pregnant woman had walked her golden retriever on the same day Laci Peterson disappeared.
At first, Aponte said the inmate told them Laci Peterson had seen one of the burglars and that the burglar had threatened her. Aponte later backtracked on the details of the call. On Aug. Prosecutors plan to pursue the death penalty again. In October , the California Supreme Court announced that it was sending the case back to the San Mateo County Superior Court to determine if Peterson should receive a new trial based on possible jury misconduct.
0コメント