Scott Peterson Who Killed Wife And Unborn Child, To Learn Retrial Fate As Court Date Set

Scott Peterson, who was convicted of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, will soon know whether he will be granted a new trial.

Fox News reported that a December court date has been set for a California judge to announce her decision regarding the trial. The hearing is set for Dec. 2 at the San Mateo County Superior Court where Peterson, now 50, is expected to join his lawyers and prosecutors. At the court, judge Anne-Christine Massullo will reportedly hand down her ruling regarding his motion for a new trial.

Last month, he was moved from San Quentin State Prison in California to Mule Creek State Prison. Recently he was photographed with a salt-and-pepper beard, a slight smirk and short haircut. Court TV reported that jurors imposed the death penalty after convicting him of the first-degree murder of his wife, and second-degree murder of the unborn son whom the couple planned to name Connor. Their decomposing bodies washed up on the shore of the San Francisco Bay four months after Laci, 27, went missing on Christmas Eve in 2002. At the time, she was eight months pregnant. She had been due to deliver Connor in February.

In 2020, Peterson's death sentence was overturned by the California Supreme Court. It happened after news that prospective jury candidates were improperly dismissed emerged. But the court maintained his conviction.

Regarding the potential for a retrial, Peterson, his lawyers and Stanislaus County prosecutors delivered their closing arguments for around five and a half hours at the San Mateo County Superior Court on Aug. 11.

Juror Richelle Nice was biased and lied in her questionnaire to get on the jury, according to defense attorneys. During jury selection, Nice had not shared that she had applied for a restraining order in 2000 while she was pregnant, said the defense attorneys. She told authorities at the time that she "fears for her unborn child." Peterson's attorney Cliff Gardner said during his arguments to the court at the time that Nice contradicted herself in multiple statements. She later changed her answers to certain questions regarding her personal experiences and feelings. He said that she was uncooperative and inconsistent.