Scott Peterson, who was initially sentenced to death in 2005, was re-sentenced to life in jail for the murder of his pregnant wife almost two decades ago.
After Peterson’s 2004 conviction for the murder of his wife, Laci, on Christmas Eve in 2002, he was initially given the death penalty 16 years ago. But last year, his death penalty sentence was overturned when a court reduced it to life without parole, then he was moved off death row last week. His death sentence was overturned by the California Supreme Court as his trial judge had not included potential jurors who were opposed to the death penalty.
The Wednesday court procedure does not change his conviction for the murder of his wife, who was pregnant at the time of her death, reported TODAY.
Laci's mother Sharon Rocha said that she still feels the "grief every day, even after 19 years," according to New York Daily News. She slammed Peterson by saying that his "evil, self-centered, unforgivable selfish act ended two beautiful souls." According to her, there was no reason for him to murder them other than that he just didn’t want them anymore in his life.
She also called him “a coward” and said that she still has dreams about her daughter, who was 27 years old when she was murdered. Amy and Brent Rocha, the victim’s siblings, also got emotional while giving testimony.
According to Peterson’s lawyer, he didn't show remorse because he’s not responsible for the killings. The defense said that near the couple’s California home, there were burglars when Laci disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002, but those burglars were ruled out by investigators as suspects.
Peterson didn’t take the stand at his original trial, but he was willing to speak before Wednesday’s judgment. However, his request was denied by the court. Even his supporters in the court room were not allowed to speak on his behalf.
In 2002, Peterson dumped his wife's body in the Berkeley Marina and tried to cover up the murder by making it look like she went missing, prosecutors had said earlier, as reported by NBC News. More than three months after Laci was reported missing, her body washed ashore near San Francisco. Then he was put behind bars.
In the death of his unborn son, he was also charged with second-degree murder. A Fresno based massage therapist had said that she was dating him at the time of Laci's death, but she had been told that he had already lost his wife.
