Scott Peterson resentenced to life in prison without parole

A 2005 file photo of Scott Peterson being transported to San Quentin Prison.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

published 9 December 2021

A judge on Wednesday resentenced Scott Peterson to life in prison without the possibility of parole, more than 15 years after he was found guilty of murdering his wife and unborn son and sentenced to death.

Peterson, 49, was convicted in 2004 of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, in 2002. In August 2020, his death sentence was reversed by the California Supreme Court after it was determined that potential jury members for his trial were wrongfully dismissed after indicating objections to the death penalty.

Several of Laci Peterson's relatives were in the courtroom on Wednesday, including her mother, Sharon Rocha. She addressed Scott Peterson, saying, "You didn't want the responsibility of being a father. You're a coward." Conner, she added, "would have been 18 years old by now. Ten months ago, you would have been free of child support and not have to worry about being responsible for a child. Laci and Conner will always be dead, and you will always be their murderer."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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