Scott Peterson Denied New Trial In Christmas Eve Murder Of His Pregnant Wife

On Christmas Eve 2002, 27-year-old Laci Peterson went missing from her Modesto, California home. Four months later, her dismembered body was found in the San Francisco Bay.

Laci Peterson [main] was 8 months pregnant when she was killed by her husband, Scott [inset].

On Christmas Eve 2002, 27-year-old Laci Peterson went missing from her Modesto, California home. Four months later, her dismembered body was found in the San Francisco Bay.

Photo by: Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Screenshot from ID's "Scott Peterson: An American Murder Mystery")

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Screenshot from ID's "Scott Peterson: An American Murder Mystery")

On Dec. 20, 2022, a San Mateo County Superior Court Judge denied Scott Peterson’s bid for a new trial. Scott has been in prison since 2004 for the 2002 murder of his pregnant wife, Laci.

The defense team had argued that juror misconduct may have denied Scott a fair trial. They claimed one of the jurors, Juror 7, had been untruthful and presented a conflict because she did not disclose that she was the victim of domestic violence when answering screening questions, according to NBC News.

In a court document, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo wrote that Juror 7’s responses "were the result of a combination of good faith misunderstanding of the questions and sloppiness in answering,” according to PEOPLE.

On Dec. 24, 2002, Laci Peterson, 27, vanished from the Modesto, California home she shared with Scott. She was eight months pregnant with their son at the time of her disappearance.

Scott had said he arrived home from fishing at Berkeley Marina and Laci was nowhere to be found. A search for Laci ensued, and while she was missing, a woman named Amber Frey came forward and revealed she was involved in an extra-marital affair with Scott, to which he later admitted. Frey also said Scott had told her his wife was dead before her body was found.

Four months later, Laci’s body was found washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay. Her body had been dismembered and stuffed into a weighted bag before being dumped into the San Francisco Bay.

On April 28, 2003, days after the remains of Laci and her unborn baby were found, Scott was arrested and charged with capital murder. In 2004, he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife and the second-degree murder of their unborn son. In 2005, Scott was sentenced to the death penalty but the California Supreme Court overturned his death sentence in August 2020, citing "significant errors" in jury selection.

He will remain in jail to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

For more on this case, stream Scott Peterson: An American Murder Mystery on discovery+.

Next Up

How The Tragic Murder Of Jasmine Fiore Changed Reality TV

On August 15, 2009, human remains found stuffed in a suitcase were identified as 28-year-old model Jasmine Fiore. Soon after, reality TV star Ryan Alexander Jenkins was charged with her murder.

5 Things To Know About Andrea Yates, The Mom Who Drowned Her 5 Kids In The Bathtub

On June 20, 2001, mother of five Andrea Yates drowned her children, who ranged in age from six months to seven years, in the bathtub at her home in Houston, Texas.

Missing Connecticut Mom Jennifer Dulos Officially Declared Dead As Trial Begins

Jennifer Dulos, a missing mother of five from New Canaan, Connecticut, was officially declared dead, and now her ex’s girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, is on trial in connection with her murder.

A Man’s Family Is Certain He Was Wrongly Convicted Of Murdering His Pregnant Wife In 1997

Rodney Patrick McNeal is in prison after authorities say he murdered his wife in a fit of rage in 1997. His family has been adamant about his innocence ever since.

The Shocking Kidnapping And Murder Of California Family Of Four And Other True Crime News

On Oct. 3, four members of a California family were kidnapped outside their business near Merced. Two days later, their bodies were found.

A Michigan Woman Feels Lucky To Be Alive After Her Ex-Husband Was Charged With Murder

After finding out what George Yzaguirre was capable of, Jennifer Meyers believes she could have been his next victim.

Connecticut Man Found Guilty Of His Wife’s 2015 Murder After Fitbit Data Contradicts His Alibi

Connie Dabate was shot dead just two months before her husband’s secret girlfriend was due to give birth.

Judge Accused Of Killing Wife Allegedly Texted Staff ‘I Just Shot My Wife. I Won’t Be In Tomorrow.”

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson allegedly texted staff only minutes after shooting his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, during a heated argument on Aug. 3, 2023.

Poison Specialist Accused Of Killing His Wife With Poison

A Minnesota poison expert has been charged with second-degree murder after he allegedly poisoned his wife with liquid colchicine.

Black Widow Killer: Pastor’s Wife On Death Row For Poisoning Boyfriend With Arsenic

Blanche Kiser Taylor Moore was convicted of murder after detectives connected her to a string of suspicious deaths.