Scott Peterson Juror Discredits Attempt to Blame Burglars for Wife’s Murder
A former juror in the Scott Peterson murder trial has spoken out, discrediting the killer’s latest attempt to blame his wife’s killing on nearby burglars.
In 2004, Mike Belmessieri and 11 other jurors found Scott guilty of murdering his then 8-month-pregnant wife, Laci Peterson.
During the initial trial, Scott’s attorney, Mark Geragos, claimed a burglary near the couple’s Modesto, California, residence around the time of Laci’s disappearance may have been connected to her death. However, the juror has now revealed that the cops who worked on the 2002 break-in case found no connection between the two crimes.
“The Modesto [Police Department] had investigated that issue and cleared those individuals who were involved in that burglary,” the juror said in an interview with NewsNation.
Scott’s attorneys are now requesting items from the burglary investigation to help exonerate the convicted killer. They are specifically asking for evidence recovered from the burglarized home, a missing watch that Laci wore, items from a van that was set ablaze in Modesto the day after she disappeared, and documents connected to witness interviews.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project, a pro bono legal organization that helps convicts, announced earlier this week that they will be taking up Scott’s case. They have also filed a motion requesting DNA testing of evidence from the original trial.
Scott, who began an affair with massage therapist Amber Frey a month before his wife disappeared, has consistently pleaded not guilty to murder and maintains his innocence. Although his original death sentence was overturned, the 51-year-old is currently serving a life sentence.
He testified in court that he had gone fishing at the Berkeley Marina the morning of her disappearance.
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In their efforts to secure a new trial for Scott, his attorneys brought attention to one of the jurors, Richelle Nice. They alleged she concealed vital information and had been untruthful about her personal life during the jury selection process.
It was later revealed that Richelle had been the victim of domestic violence and sought a restraining order in 2000 out of fear for her unborn child’s safety.
Despite assertions to the contrary, court documents noted that several of her answers in a juror questionnaire were found to be false. However, they were deemed not to be motivated by bias against the defendant.
Peterson’s request for a new trial was denied in 2022. However, with the involvement of the Los Angeles Innocence Project, there is new interest in the case.
