Scott Peterson resentenced to life in prison for killing wife and unborn child

‘Even though the death penalty has been lifted you will still be punished in this life and after,’ wife’s sister says

Convicted murderer Scott Peterson is escorted by San Mateo County Sheriff deputies as he is walked from the jail to an awaiting van, March 17, 2005 in Redwood City, California (REUTERS)

A man convicted of the 2002 murder of his pregnant wife has been resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Scott Peterson was also sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years in prison for the killing of the couple’s unborn baby, Conner.

The 49-year-old has been on death row in California for more than 15 years, but the state Supreme Court overturned the sentence last year after it was revealed that jurors who personally disagreed with the existence of the death penalty had been dismissed from serving in the case, KCRA reported.

“I’ve seen no sorrow or no remorse from you at all,” his wife Laci Peterson’s mother, Sharon Rocha, said in court. “I know you’re going to say you have no remorse because you’re innocent, but you haven’t shown any grief or sorrow for either of them.”

“I still feel the grief every day after 19 years,” she added. “No matter what happens, no matter what transpires in the future there are two things that will never change, Laci and Conner will always be dead and you will always be their murderer.”

Brent Rocha, the brother of Ms Peterson, said the family had been “devastated and traumatised”, NBC News reported.

“You have broken all of our hearts by taking Laci and Conner’s life,” Ms Peterson’s sister Amy Rocha said. “I am heartbroken that she never got to meet my family, her family ... There have been so many special occasions that Laci and Conner should have been here for. It makes me sick being here today in front of you again.”

“Even though the death penalty has been lifted you will still be punished in this life and after,” she added.

Ms Peterson, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death, was killed in December 2002, five years after being married. According to prosecutors, Peterson dumped her body in the Berkeley Marina on Christmas Eve. They allege he then tried to make it seem as if she was missing, but her body later washed ashore.

He was convicted in 2004 and sentenced in 2005.

He has attempted to have the conviction overturned. His legal team has claimed that one of the jurors, known as Juror 7, had hidden parts of her personal life that would have revealed a conflict.

Richelle Nice has been accused of “prejudicial misconduct” for not saying she was a victim of domestic abuse. She had also sought a restraining order in 2000 because she was scared that her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend would try to harm her unborn child.

Ms Nice has denied allegations that her life experiences affected her jury service.

A lawyer for Peterson has said that if he’s granted a new trial, new evidence will be presented that supports their claim that Ms Peterson was killed when she got caught up in a burglary.

KCRA reported that a hearing has been scheduled for late February for the allegations of juror misconduct.