Scott Peterson's Mother Dies of Cancer at 70 Still Believing Son's Innocence
Convicted murderer Scott Peterson's mother, Jackie Peterson, died earlier this month at the age of 70. Sources say that Jackie never stopped believing in her son's innocence but was unable to visit him in prison before dying.
"Jackie's death has not been announced publicly," a source told Radar Online. "The family does not want the notoriety that will come with it."
She was seen throughout Scott's trial, often wearing oxygen and fully supported her son, who was charged with the murders of his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner on Christmas Eve in 2002. The trial brought a lot of publicity to the Peterson family, publicity that Peterson's attorney maintained cost his client a fair trial.
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"Before hearing even a single witness, nearly half of all prospective jurors admitted they had already decided Mr. Peterson was guilty of capital murder," Cliff Gardner noted in his appeal. "The publicity continued throughout the trial. A mob estimated at more than 1,000 people gathered at the courthouse to await the guilt phase verdict. After the guilty verdict was announced, the 12 jurors departing to await the beginning of the penalty phase – and decide whether Mr. Peterson would live or die – were met with wild applause and cheering."
Scott was sentenced to death and remains behind bars as San Quinten State Prison in California. He is currently housed in the East Block Condemned Row II, where he awaits the death penalty, which may or may not actually happen. According to reports, there are 725 inmates on Death Row but no one has been executed in California since 2006.
Scott has maintained his innocence and claims not to know what happened to his pregnant wife on the morning of her murder. He told authorities that he was out fishing when she disappeared. Prosecutors argued, however, that Scott strangled Laci, and then dumped her body in the San Francisco Bay.
