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Laci Peterson’s Mourning Family ‘Devastated’ by Scott’s Death Sentence Being Overturned
Laci Peterson’s family is “devastated” after Scott Peterson’s death sentence conviction was reversed by the California Supreme Court, an insider exclusively tells In Touch. It was not the “outcome” they wanted after tragically losing Laci and her unborn child more than 17 years ago.
“The Rocha family doesn’t want to relive anything that has to do with Scott,” the source exclusively tells In Touch following news the ruling was overturned because it was determined there were “a series of significant errors” made during the jury selection.
Instead of dwelling on the latest development in the case, her loved ones and friends are focused on “keeping [Laci’s] memory alive,” the insider adds.
In a shocking turn of events, a decision was written by Justice Leondra Kruger and released on August 24, arguing the trial judge wrongly discharged prospective jurors who expressed opposition to capital punishment back in 2004, because they ultimately could have decided either way. This development came years after Scott, 47, was convicted of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son in 2002.
Laci was pregnant when she disappeared on Christmas Eve, and their remains were sadly found the following year in the San Francisco Bay. She was only 27.
Following the sentence reversal, Scott’s lawyer, Cliff Gardner, revealed he and his client were “grateful” for the California Supreme Court’s “unanimous recognition that if the state wishes to put someone on death, it must proceed to trial only with a fairly selected jury,” he wrote in a statement to In Touch.
“Prosecutors may not rely on a jury specifically organized by the state to return a verdict of death,” he continued. “While we are disappointed that such a biased jury selection results in a reversal of only the death sentence, we look forward to the court’s review of the new forensic and eyewitness evidence of innocence presented in Mr. Peterson’s separate and still pending state habeas petition.”
Scott’s sister, Anne Bird, also spoke out amid the revelation. “I’m against the death penalty, but I do think he’s exactly where he should be,” she said during an August 25 interview on Today. “I lost my sister-in-law and my unborn nephew Connor, and I believe he should remain in prison for the rest of his life without parole.”
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