2008 Woodie Awards
The Jury Speaks: Scott Peterson Convicted of Murder
A jury convicted Scott Peterson on two counts of murder for the death of his wife and her unborn son.
Brittany Lee
Issue date: 11/19/04 Section: News
On Friday, November 12, a jury convicted Scott Peterson of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci. The trial, which became a media sensation, lasted five months. Now that the verdict has been reached, it must still be decided whether Peterson will pay for murder with the death penalty. Peterson, 32, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder for killing his wife and second-degree murder for the death of the son she was carrying. Prosecutors in the trial set forth to prove the murders were part of a plot to escape marriage and fatherhood, substantiated by Peterson's infidelity.
As the long awaited verdict was delivered, witnesses caught the stone cold stare of Scott Peterson, eyeing the jury members as they were polled on their decisions. Amidst the crowd cheers broke out supporting Laci's family, while boos resonated towards Scott and his relations. The verdict came after seven days of deliberation, in which two jurors were removed for untold reasons, and twice the jury was ordered to start deliberations over.
The case is not over yet, as the jury of six men and six women must now return on November 22 to hear testimony on whether Peterson should receive the death penalty by lethal injection or endure life in prison with no chance of parole. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and family members involved in the trial are under a gag order until a punishment is determined, preventing them from commenting on any aspect of the trial.
The saga of Laci Peterson began close to two years ago, when the eight months pregnant substitute schoolteacher vanished without a trace around Christmas Eve. Four months later Laci's decapitated body and the remains of her unborn son were found about 90 miles from the Peterson's home, in an area near where Scott claimed he was fishing alone the day Laci vanished. Later, 400 miles from home with $15,000 in cash and a new bleached blonde goatee that altered his appearance, Scott was found and arrested.
Prosecutors in the trial presented 174 witnesses and a multitude of evidence. Mixed forms of evidence, from tapes to actual testimonies, depicted Peterson as a cheating husband and a liar. Rick Distaso, prosecutor for the trial, told the jury that Peterson either strangled or smothered his wife and then dumped her body from a boat to cover traces. Distaso expresses what he believes to be the motive, "He wants to live the rich, successful, bachelor life... He didn't want to be tied to Laci for the rest of his life. So he killed her."
As the long awaited verdict was delivered, witnesses caught the stone cold stare of Scott Peterson, eyeing the jury members as they were polled on their decisions. Amidst the crowd cheers broke out supporting Laci's family, while boos resonated towards Scott and his relations. The verdict came after seven days of deliberation, in which two jurors were removed for untold reasons, and twice the jury was ordered to start deliberations over.
The case is not over yet, as the jury of six men and six women must now return on November 22 to hear testimony on whether Peterson should receive the death penalty by lethal injection or endure life in prison with no chance of parole. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and family members involved in the trial are under a gag order until a punishment is determined, preventing them from commenting on any aspect of the trial.
The saga of Laci Peterson began close to two years ago, when the eight months pregnant substitute schoolteacher vanished without a trace around Christmas Eve. Four months later Laci's decapitated body and the remains of her unborn son were found about 90 miles from the Peterson's home, in an area near where Scott claimed he was fishing alone the day Laci vanished. Later, 400 miles from home with $15,000 in cash and a new bleached blonde goatee that altered his appearance, Scott was found and arrested.
Prosecutors in the trial presented 174 witnesses and a multitude of evidence. Mixed forms of evidence, from tapes to actual testimonies, depicted Peterson as a cheating husband and a liar. Rick Distaso, prosecutor for the trial, told the jury that Peterson either strangled or smothered his wife and then dumped her body from a boat to cover traces. Distaso expresses what he believes to be the motive, "He wants to live the rich, successful, bachelor life... He didn't want to be tied to Laci for the rest of his life. So he killed her."