Scott Peterson, who killed his wife who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death in 2002, will remain in prison as he was recently denied bail ahead of a hearing in December where he will be re-sentenced.
Last 15 years, he spent being on San Quentin’s death row, but the California Supreme Court overturned his sentence in 2020, and prosecutors decided they don't want to seek his execution anymore.
In September, Latin Times reported that Peterson needed to be re-sentenced, a California judge had ruled saying that he can’t be an inmate without a sentence.
He is now expected to be taken to the San Mateo County courthouse on Dec. 8 for re-sentencing to life without the possibility of parole, reported Fox News.
Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said Wednesday that family members of Peterson's wife, Laci, plan to appear or give statements to the court at the December hearing. Peterson’s lawyers are expecting their client's supporters to appear at the court as well.
Prosecutors and his lawyers also argued Wednesday over whether attorneys with Habeas Corpus Resource Center could continue as his counsel for his new trial. Prosecutors said Wednesday that since he is not facing death anymore, his appellate lawyers should not represent him as they only handle cases related to death penalty. His lawyers have been asked to speak to him to determine if he would agree to sign a "waiver of irregularities" that could let them to stay on as his counsel, then the waiver issue will be discussed on Nov. 10.
Laci was 27 years old at the time of her death, and went missing around Christmas nearly two decades ago. Her husband was arrested in 2003 after the bodies of Laci and an infant with its umbilical cord attached were found by some people in the San Francisco Bay. Peterson took her out on his boat then after strangling her, he put her body in a tarp, attached weights and threw it in the bay, said police.
Going by Amber Frey's statement to police, Peterson had been cheating on Laci with her. At a trial, the woman testified against him, and he was convicted of first-degree murder for murdering Laci and second-degree murder for killing their child who was yet to arrive in this world. All this while, he has maintained that he is innocent.
