Nov. 25, 2025

"SCOTT & LACI PETERSON: THE BODIES, THE TRIAL & THE FIGHT FOR INNOCENCE - PART 2"

Show Notes
Transcript

Reid Carter concludes the Scott Peterson case. April 13, 2003—baby Conner's body washed ashore at Point Isabel, one mile from where Scott went fishing. April 14—Laci's body found nearby. Scott arrested April 18 near San Diego with blonde hair, $15,000 cash, survival gear. November 2004 trial—six months, no physical evidence, all circumstantial. Jury convicted him: first-degree murder for Laci, second-degree for Conner. March 2005—death penalty. August 2020—California Supreme Court overturned death sentence but upheld conviction. December 2021—re-sentenced to life without parole. January 2024—LA Innocence Project took his case, claims new evidence proves innocence.

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WEBVTT

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Callerogus Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Red Carter. Tuesday, November

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twenty sixth, twenty twenty five. Yesterday we covered the disappearance

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of Lacy Peterson on Christmas Eve two thousand and two,

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eight months pregnant, vanished from her Modesto home. Husband Scott

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claimed he went fishing ninety miles away at Berkeley Marina.

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Came home to empty house. But Scott had secrets an

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affair with Amber. Frey told her he was single, never

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been married. Told her December ninth, two weeks before Lacey disappeared,

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that he was a widower, that his wife was dead,

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that this would be his first Christmas without her. December thirtieth,

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Amber saw news coverage, realized Scott lied. Called Modesto police

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started recording their conversations for three months. Scott lied on

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those recorded calls. Told Amber he would in Paris celebrating

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New Year's Eve. He was at Lacey's candlelight vigil in Modesto,

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told her he was in Brussels. He was organizing search efforts.

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Twenty nine hours of recorded lies while his pregnant wife

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was missing. January twenty fourth, two thousand and three, Amber

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held a press conference revealed the affair. America turned on Scott.

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Public opinion shifted completely. He was guilty. Everyone knew it.

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March two thousand and three, case reclassified as homicide investigation.

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Lacey was dead, Scott was the prime suspect, but still

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no body, no physical evidence, no crime scene, no witnesses.

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Prosecutors believed they could convict him anyway. Circumstantial cases had

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succeeded before. They just needed the bodies, needed proof Lacy

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and Connor were dead. April thirteenth, two thousand and three,

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they got it. A couple walking their dog Point Isabel

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Regional Shoreline in Richmond, California found something on the beach,

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a fetus, male decomposed, no identification, but authorities had suspicions.

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The location was one mile from where Scott Peterson said

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he went fishing on December twenty fourth. The next day,

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April fourteenth, a second body washed ashore, adult female, severely decomposed,

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missing limbs, missing head, no identification. DNA testing confirmed the

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fetus was Connor Peterson. The adult female was Lacy Peterson.

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Both bodies found exactly where Scott said he was fishing

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Christmas Eve, the same Berkeley Marina area. The same stretch

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of San Francisco Bay. Coincidence or the smoking gun prosecutors needed.

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April eighteenth, two thousand and three, San Diego, near the

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Mexican border, police spotted Scott Peterson's truck at a golf

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course parking lot, pulled him over. Found Scott with blonde

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hair dyed from brown goady bleached, carrying fifteen thousand dollars cash,

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four cell phones, his brother's ID camping equipment, water purification tablets, viagra.

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Mapped to his parents' house in Salona Beach. Scott claimed

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he was golfing, but prosecutors saw something else, a man

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preparing to flee to Mexico. Scott Peterson was arrested, charged

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with two counts of murder, first degree murder of Lacy Peterson,

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second degree murder of Connor Peterson. I'm reed, Carter. This

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is Celebrity Trials today, Part two of Scott and Lacy Peterson,

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the bodies, the arrest, the six month trial that captivated America,

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the death penalty verdict, and twenty two years later, why

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the La Innocence Project believes the wrong man is in prison.

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This is Celebrity Trials. April thirteenth, two thousand and three,

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Sunday morning, Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, Richmond, California, north shore

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of San Francisco Bay. Couple walking their dog along the

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beach saw something in the debris, thought it was a

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doll at first, got closer, realized not a doll, a fetus.

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They called police. East Bay Regional Park Police responded, recovered

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the remains male fetus, full term or near full term,

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umbilical cord attached body wrapped in plastic sheeting with nylon tape.

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The location immediately raised suspicions. Point Isabel was approximately one

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mile from the Berkeley Marina boat launch where Scott Peterson

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claimed he launched his fourteen foot aluminum boat on December

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twenty fourth, same stretch of San Francisco Bay. Authorities sent

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the remains to the Contra Costa County Coroner's Office. DNA

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testing required no immediate identification, but the timing, location, description

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everything pointed to Connor Peterson. Tril fourteenth, Monday, one day

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after Connor's body was found. Another discovery a second body

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washed ashore about two miles north of where the fetus

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was found near Brooks Island. Adult female severely decomposed four

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months in the water. The body was missing its head, hands,

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and left leg. Torso was intact, right arm and right

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leg attached clothing mostly disintegrated, concrete like material attached to

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one leg, potentially cement anchor residue duct tape on the torso.

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Fetus no longer present. Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department recovered

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the remains, the size, location, timing almost certainly Lacy Peterson,

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but confirmation required DNA. April fifteenth, Modesto Police Chief Roy

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Wosden held press conference announced remains believed to be Lacy

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and Connor had been recovered. DNA testing underway results within days.

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Investigation now focused on Scott Peterson as sole suspect. Sharon Racha,

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Lacey's mother, released statement through police. If these are the

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bodies of Lacy and Connor, we can now lay them

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to rest and begin the grieving process. We asked for

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privacy during this difficult time. Scott Peterson's attorney, Kirk McAllister,

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claimed Scott was devastated by the news, said Scott hoped

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the bodies weren't Lacy and Connor, maintained his innocence, said

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he had nothing to do with their deaths. But prosecutors

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had been building their case for months. The affair, the lies,

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the behavior, the financial motive, the concrete anchors Scott made

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in his workshop weeks before Lacey disappeared, the boat he

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bought in December, the searches on his computer for San

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Francisco Bay currents and tides, all circumstantial but compelling. April seventeenth,

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DNA results confirmed the fetus was Connor Peterson. The adult

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female was Lacy Peterson. Both bodies found within two miles

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of the Berkeley Marina boat launch, where Scott said he

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went fishing. December twenty fourth, two thousand and two. Stanislaus

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County District Attorney James Brazlton filed charges two counts of

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murder first degree murder with special circumstances for Lacey, premeditated

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intentional killing, second degree murder for Connor unlawful killing of

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a fetus. Special circumstances made Scott eligible for the death

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penalty under California law if convicted, prosecutors would seek execution.

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Scott was scheduled to surrender April twenty first, but on

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April eighteenth, San Diego police spotted his Mercedes SUV at

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the Torrey Pines golf Course parking lot near La Joya,

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about twenty miles from the Mexican border, near Scott's parents' house.

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Officers approached, Scott was sitting in the vehicle alone. He

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looked different. His brown hair was dyed, blonde, goateee, bleached,

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wearing khaki pants and white shirt. But it was definitely

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Scott p. Peterson. Officers detained him. Searched the vehicle, found

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fifteen thousand dollars in cash, four cell phones, multiple credit cards,

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his brother's ID, camping gear, rope, water purification tablets, knives, tape,

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map to his father's house, Viagra receipts showing Scott had

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been at a store buying camping supplies earlier that day.

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Scott claimed he was just golfing, that's why he was

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at Torry Pines, But prosecutors saw a man about to flee, hair, dyed, cash,

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fake ID camping gear, twenty miles from Mexico. This wasn't golfing,

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This was preparation for escape. Scott was arrested no bond,

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held at San Diego County Jail, Extradited to Stanislaus County

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within days. Held at the county jail, in Modesto, charged

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with capital murder death penalty case. His defense attorneys immediately

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claimed the evidence was circumstantial. No physical evidence linking Scott

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the murders, no crime scene, no witnesses, no confession, no

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murder weapon, no proof of how Lacey died, no proof

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Scott killed her. All prosecutors had was location. Bodies found

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where Scott went fishing. But San Francisco Bay is massive,

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hundreds of square miles boats launched from Berkeley Marina constantly.

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Just because Scott was there December twenty fourth doesn't prove

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he dumped bodies there. Defense argued that someone else killed Lacey,

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that the real killer dumped her body in the bay

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to frame Scott. That Scott was an easy target because

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of the affair, the lies, the suspicious behavior, but he

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didn't kill anyone. Prosecutors countered Scott lied about everything, told

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Amber his wife was dead two weeks before she disappeared,

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bought a boat in December, his first boat ever, right

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before his pregnant wife vanished, made cement anchors in his warehouse,

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searched online for Berkeley Marina and San Francisco Bay tides.

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Told the police he went fishing Christmas eve the same

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area where bodies washed ashore. Four months later, and when

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bodies were finally found, Scott dyed his hair and headed

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toward Mexico with cash and camping gear. Not the behavior

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of an innocent man. Preliminary hearing scheduled for October two

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thousand and three. Trial date set for two thousand and four.

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Scott pleaded not guilty to both charges. The case that

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captivated America was heading to trial. The question could prosecutors

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convict Scott Peterson of murder without direct physical evidence, without

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a crime scene, without a murder weapon, without a single

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witness who saw Scott harm lacy. Circumstantial cases are always risky.

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Juries want smoking, guns, want DNA, want video, want confession.

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This case had none of that, but it had something else,

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a pattern of lies, a motive, a timeline, and two

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bodies that washed ashore exactly where the suspect said he

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was fishing. Sometimes circumstantial evidence is enough, the jury would decide.

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June first, two thousand and four, trial began. Not in modesto.

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Change of venue granted too much pre trial publicity In

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Stanislaus County. Surveys showed over ninety percent of potential jurors

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believed Scott was guilty, fair trial impossible there venue moved

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to San Mateo County, Redwood City, about one hundred miles

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north of Modesto, still Bay area, still saturated with publicity,

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but marginally better than Modesto. Judge Alfred de Luki presiding

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Alameda County judge assigned to the case. District Attorney James

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Brazlton prosecuting with Deputy d A. Rick Destasso and DA

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investigator Steve Jacobson. Defense team led by Mark Garagos, high

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profile Los Angeles attorney with Pat Harris and Matt Dalton.

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Jury selection took months. Hundreds of potential jurors questioned, most

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had heard of the case, most had opinions, but they

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found twelve eight men, four women, plus six alternates. The

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trial lasted six months, Testimony from over one hundred eighty witnesses,

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hundreds of exhibits, media circus outside the courthouse, daily Nancy

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Grace covering it obsessively, Court TV broadcasting portions America riveted.

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Opening statements laid out completely different narratives. Prosecution. Scott Peterson

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murdered his wife on or around December twenty fourth, two

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thousand and two. Loaded her body, waited with cement anchors

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into his boat, drove to Berkeley Marina, launched his boat

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into San Francisco Bay, dumped Lacey's body in the water,

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returned home, cleaned up, called Sharon at five seventeen PM,

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asking if Lacey was there, reported her missing at five

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forty seven peas all part of his plan motive. Scott

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wanted to be single, wanted to be with Amber Frey,

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wanted the bachelor lifestyle without the burden of a pregnant wife.

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Life insurance on Lacey worth two hundred and fifty thousand dollars,

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financial pressure, affair, unwanted pregnancy. He didn't want to be

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a father, told multiple people he dreaded fatherhood, told a

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friend he hoped for infertility when discussing having children. Prosecution

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didn't have a crime scene, didn't know exactly how Lacey died,

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No physical evidence of murder in the house, no blood,

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no signs of struggle. But they had the bodies, they

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had the location, they had the lies, they had the

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behavior defense. Scott Peterson is innocent. Someone else killed Lacey.

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Burglary occurred across the street from the Peterson home on

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December twenty sixth, two days after Lacey disappeared. Defense argued

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burglars broke in December twenty fourth, encountered Lassie, kidnapp or

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killed her, dumped her body to cover their crimes. Defense

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pointed to witnesses who claimed they saw Lacey walking Mackenzie

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in the neighborhood after Scott left for his fishing trip.

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If true, Lacey was alive when Scott was already gone,

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couldn't have killed her if he was ninety miles away.

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Defense emphasized the lack of physical evidence. No crime scene

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in the house, no blood, no body fluids, no signs

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of violence. If Scott killed Lacey in that house, where's

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the evidence. If he transported her body in his truck

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or boat, where's the trace evidence nothing. Defense argued the

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affair was irrelevant. Men cheat doesn't make them murderers. Scott

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made terrible decisions, lied to his girlfriend, lied to police

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about the affair, But lying about infidelity doesn't equal murdering

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your wife. The trial became a battle of circumstantial evidence

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versus reasonable doubt. Prosecution called Amber Fray early star witness.

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She testified for eight days. Played excerpts from the twenty

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nine hours of recorded calls. Jury heard Scott's lies, directly

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heard him tell Amber he was in Paris for New

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Year's Eve when he was at Lacey's vigil, heard him

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say he was traveling Europe when he was in Modesto

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coordinating search efforts. Amber was credible, sympathetic, came across as

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an innocent victim manipulated by Scott. She didn't know he

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was married, cooperated with police immediately upon learning, agreed to

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record every conversation, did her civic duty. Sharon Roache testified

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Lacey's mother, emotional described Lacey's excitement about the baby. Showed

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the jury photos of Lacey's nursery, the crib, the decorations,

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Lacey's plans for Connor made Lacey reel, made her human,

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not just a victim in a trial, a daughter who

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was loved. Prosecution presented Scott's behavior after Lacey disappeared, the

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affair continuing, Scott calling Amber while searching for Lacey, Scott

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not crying at press conferences, Scott selling Lacey's car two

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weeks after she vanished, Scott not cooperating fully with police,

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refusing polygraph, changing his story multiple times about what he did.

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December twenty fourth, Prosecution showed the concrete anchors Scott made

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in his warehouse in December. Showed the boat he bought

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mid December, first boat he'd ever owned. Showed his computer

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searches for Berkeley Marina, San Francisco Bay currents, water depth charts,

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showed the life insurance policy on Lacey. All circumstantial. All

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could be explained separately, but together pattern. Defense called witnesses

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who claimed they saw Lacey alive after Scott left, walking

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Mackenzie wearing the clothes Sharon Roacha said she was wearing

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after ten thirty am, after Scott allegedly left for fishing.

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If true, devastating to prosecution, Scott couldn't have killed Lacey

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if she was alive after he left reasonable doubt, But

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prosecution cross examined these witnesses brutally timeline inconsistencies, description inconsistencies,

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most based on vague memories months after the fact, not concrete,

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not reliable. Defense called experts on San Francisco Bay currents

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and tides. Argued the body's location didn't prove Scott dumped

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them there. Argued ocean currents could have carried bodies from

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elsewhere to Point Isabel, that dumping a body at Berkeley

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Marina wouldn't necessarily result in it washing ashore at Point Isabel.

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Months later, prosecution countered with their own oceanography experts showed

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computer models of where a body dumped at Berkeley Marina

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in late December would likely surface by April Point Isabel area,

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exactly where Lacey and Connor were found. The physical evidence

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was minimal, but compelling. Concrete material found on Lacey's legs

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similar to cement Scott used for his anchors, though not

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conclusive match. Duct tape on Lacey's torso similar to duct

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tape in Scott's warehouse and boat, though not conclusive match.

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Single strand of Lacey's hair found in pliers on Scott's

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boat suggested Lacey had been on that boat. Scott claimed

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Lacey had never been on the boat. If true, how

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did her hair get there? Defense argued contamination, cross contamination

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during evidence collection, crime scene handling issues not reliable. Scott

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Peterson never testified fifth amendment, didn't have to, but jury's

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notice jurors want to hear the defendant's story, want to

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judge credibility. Scott stayed silent his demeanor throughout the trial calm, emotionless,

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no tears, no outbursts, no visible distress, smiled, occasionally, chatted

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with his attorneys, appeared confident, unbothered. Jurors noticed. After trial,

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multiple jurors cited Scott's demeanor as a factor in their verdict.

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His lack of emotion, his indifference not definitive proof of guilt,

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but unsettling. Closing arguments. Prosecution Scott Peterson planned to murder

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his wife, made concrete anchors, bought a boat, researched the bay.

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On Christmas Eve, he killed Lacey, loaded her body in

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his truck, drove to Berkeley Marina, dumped her weighted body

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in the water, went home and reported her missing. Hours later.

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He told his girlfriend his wife was dead before she

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actually disappeared. Bodies found where he was fishing. He dyed

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his hair and fled toward Mexico when bodies were discovered.

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He is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt defense. No physical

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evidence of murder, no crime scene, no witnesses, no cause

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of death. Bodies were too decomposed to determine how Lacey died.

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Prosecution can't prove Scott killed Lacey because they can't prove

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how anyone killed Lacey burglars across the street. Witnesses saw

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Lacey alive after Scott left. Reasonable doubt exists. You cannot

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convict based on suspicious behavior and circumstantial evidence. November three,

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two thousand and four, jury began deliberations seven days fifty

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six hours of deliberations over seven calendar days. November tenth,

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drama Jurer number five, Justin Falconer, was dismissed by Judge

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Deluky for misconduct. Allegedly had been conducting his own investigation

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discussing case with outsiders. Replaced with alternate juror Richelle Nice,

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later nicknamed Strawberry Shortcake by media because of her hair color.

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Deliberations restarted with new juror another twenty two hours November twelfth,

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two thousand and four, Friday. After eighty hours total deliberation,

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the jury sent a note to Judge de Luky they

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had reached verdicts on both counts. Courtroom packed, media frenzy, outside,

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crowd's gas, Lacey's family on one side, Scott's family on

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the other. The clerk read the verdict. Count one, first

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degree murder of Lacy Denise Peterson. How do you find

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the defendant? We the Jury in the above entitled cause

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find the defendant, Scott Lee Peterson guilty of the crime

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of murder of Lacy Denise Peterson in violation of Penal

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Code Section one hundred eighty seven a a felony as

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charged in Count one of the information. And further find

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the degree of the murder to be that of the

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first degree guilty first degree murder, premeditated intentional special circumstances,

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Count two, second degree murder of Connor Peterson. We the

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jury in the above entitled cause find the defendant, Scott

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Lee Peterson guilty of the crime of murder of baby

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Connor Peterson guilty, second degree murder. The courtroom erupted. Lacey's

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family sobbed. Sharon Roacha collapsed into Ron Grantinsky's arms. Brent

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roach A, Lacey's brother, cried openly. Scott Peterson showed no

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visible emotion, stared straight ahead, blinked, no tears, no reaction.

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Outside crowds cheered, hundreds of people who'd followed the case

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for two years, celebrating the verdict. Justice for Lacey, Justice

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for Connor. Scott's family sat stonefaced. His mother Jackie wept quietly.

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His father Lee stared at the floor. The penalty phase

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would begin in two weeks. The same jury would decide

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life without parole or death penalty. Scott Peterson had been

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convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and unborn son. Now

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twelve jurors would decide if he should die for it.

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We'll be right back with the penalty phase, the death sentence,

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and twenty years later, why Scott Peterson's death penalty was overturned,

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and why the la Innocence Project believes he's innocent. November thirtieth,

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two thousand and four, penalty phase began. Prosecution presented victim

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impact statements. Sharon Roacha took the stand sobbed through her testimony.

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Described Lacey as a loving daughter, described the pain of

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losing her described never meeting her grandson Connor, described the

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whole in her family that would never be filled. Lacey

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was the light of my life, Sharon said. She brought

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joy to everyone she met, and Scott took that away.

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He took my daughter, he took my grandson, He destroyed

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our family. Brent Roacha, Lacey's brother, testified, described growing up

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with Lacey, her dreams, her plans, her excitement about being

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a mother, Scott took everything from us. He took Lacey,

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he took Connor, he took our future. He deserves death.

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Other family members testified, friends testified, painting a picture of

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Lacey's life, what she meant to people, what was lost

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when Scott killed her. Defense presented mitigation evidence. Called Scott's

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family his mother, his father, his siblings, described Scott as

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a good son, a loving brother. Argued he didn't deserve death.

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Argued life without parole was sufficient punishment. Defense called friends

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who described Scott as nonviolent, as someone who made a

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terrible mistake but wasn't a monster. Argued the death penalty

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was too extreme. December thirteenth, two thousand and four, jury

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reached decision on penalty unanimous death. Judge Deluky scheduled formal

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sentencing for March two thousand and five. March sixteenth, two

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thousand and five, sentencing day, Scott was brought into court

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in chains, orange jumpsuit, shackled, surrounded by guards. Sharon Roacha

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addressed the court. Lacey loved Scott, She trusted him, and

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he betrayed that trust in the most horrific way possible.

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He deserves death. Lacey's friends addressed the court described the

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pain of losing her, described the brutality of what Scott did,

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asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence. Scott's family

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pleaded for mercy. His mother begged the judge not to

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sentence her son to death. Please don't take my son

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from me, but Scott Scott said nothing, exercised his right

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to remain silent, offered no apology, no explanation, no remorse.

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Judge de Luky followed the jury's recommendation, sentenced Scott to

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death by lethal injection, ordered him to pay ten thousand

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dollars towards Lacey's funeral costs. Deluki described the murder as cruel, uncaring, artless,

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and callous. Scott was transferred to San Quentin State Prison,

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California's only death row for men. Would spend twenty three

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hours a day in a cell, one hour for exercise,

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waiting for appeals, waiting for execution, but California hasn't executed

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anyone since two thousand and six. Death row inmates spend

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decades appealing. Many die of natural causes before execution. Scott's

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death sentence was essentially life imprisonment, with extra legal procedures.

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His appellate attorney Cliff Gardner immediately filed appeals. Argued multiple

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errors during trial, jury selection issues, pre trial publicity, juror misconduct,

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insufficient evidence, claimed Scott didn't receive a fair trial. Years passed,

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appeals moved slowly through the system. August twenty fourth, twenty

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twenty sixteen, years after conviction, California Supreme Court issued ruling

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upheld Scott's murder convictions. Rejected claims that pre trial publicity

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denied him a fair trial, rejected claims that evidence was insufficient,

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found Scott was fairly convicted of murdering Lacy and Connor,

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but and this is important, overturned his death sentence. The

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court found that Judge de Luki made clear and significant

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errors in jury selection during the penalty phase. Specifically, de

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Luki dismissed prospective jurors who expressed opposition to the death

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penalty without determining if they could set aside their personal

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views and follow the law. Supreme Court precedent since nineteen

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sixty eight says you cannot dismiss jurors merely for opposing

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the death penalty. You can only dismiss them if their

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views prevent them from following the law Deluki didn't make

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that determination, just dismissed anyone who said they opposed capital punishment.

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Result death penalty reversed, murder conviction upheld. Stanislaus County prosecutors

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had two options, retry the penalty phase and seek death again,

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or accept life without parole. June twenty twenty one, prosecutors

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announced they wouldn't retry the penalty phase too expensive, two

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time consuming, Lacy's family had been through enough they'd accept

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life without parole. December eighth, twenty twenty one, Scott was

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formally resentenced life in prison without possibility of parole, removed

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from death row, transferred to general population at Mule Creek

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State Prison. But the appeals weren't over. Scott's defense team

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filed new motion arguing juror misconduct, specifically juror Richelle Nice

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Strawberry Shortcake. During jury selection, Nice filled out a questionnaire.

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One question, have you ever been involved in a lawsuit?

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Nice answered no? Another question, have you ever been a

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victim of a crime? Nice answered no, But defense investigators

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discovered Nice had been involved in two domestic violence incidents

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years before the trial, had restraining orders filed had been

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allegedly threatened by her boyfriend's ex girlfriend while pregnant. None

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of this disclosed during jury selection. Defense argued Nice lied

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to get on the jury, that she was biased against

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Scott because of her own experiences, that she wanted to

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