Laci Peterson : “Scott Peterson and Notorious Murder Cases Update”

It once seemed inconceivable that convicted murderers Scott Peterson and Alex Murdaugh could get another chance at freedom, but some shocking developments and legal wrangling have seen both return to the courtroom. And while “Serial” subject Adnan Syed in 2022 regained his freedom after decades behind bars, there is still a slight chance he could go back to prison. Two other high-profile defendants, Bryan Kohberger, accused in the 2022 University of Idaho killings, and Richard Allen, accused of killing two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have yet to be tried. But their cases remain in the limelight due to hundreds of legal filings, the bizarre antics of some attorneys, and the wild speculation by armchair sleuths on social media.

Here’s where these cases currently stand.

Defendant: Scott Peterson,51

Victims: Peterson’s wife, Laci, 27, and their unborn baby

The crime: Peterson is accused of killing his wife, who was eight months pregnant, on Dec. 23 or 24, 2002, in Modesto, California, and dumping her body in the San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve. The remains of Laci and her fetus were found separately on the shoreline in April 2003.

Trial: June-November 2004. A jury found Peterson guilty on Nov. 12, 2004, of two felony counts of murder with premeditation and special circumstances, and he was sentenced to death weeks later. His death sentence was overturned in 2020, and he was resentenced to life in prison without parole. In December 2022, a judge rejected his request for a new trial based on his allegations of juror bias.

Current status: Peterson made headlines again in January, when the Los Angeles Innocence Project (unaffiliated with the national Innocence Project) announced it was taking on his case. The nonprofit asserted that “newly discovered” evidence could support Peterson’s claims of innocence, and requested post-conviction discovery and DNA evidence. Peterson appeared in court Tuesday via Zoom from Mule Creek State Prison for a status conference, where his attorney and LAIP director Paula Mitchell requested that the judge order prosecutors to turn over evidence including police reports, interview notes, and audio and video recordings.

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In its initial filings, the LAIP requested that enhanced DNA testing be conducted on alleged bloodstains on a mattress in a burned-out van found about a mile from the Petersons’ home the day after Laci was reported missing. Peterson’s defenders believe that a burglary across the street from the Petersons’ Modesto house is connected to her death, but authorities have said the break-in happened after Laci disappeared.

Peterson is scheduled to appear in court again by Zoom on April 16, May 29 and July 15 for hearings on discovery and DNA testing, and a motion to seal court records.

Defendant: Bryan Kohberger, 29

Victims: Xana Kernodle, 20; Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Madison “Maddie” Mogen, 21

The crime: Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. He was arrested at his family home in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, 2022, before being extradited back to Idaho.

Current status: On Tuesday, the Idaho Supreme Court denied Kohberger’s pretrial appeal to dismiss his indictment by a grand jury in May 2023. But because grand jury proceedings are not held in open court, many details about the case remain unknown (and fodder for amateur sleuths and conspiracy theorists on TikTok and elsewhere). However, hundreds of court filings in the case, including the original probable cause affidavit, are available on the state of Idaho’s “cases of interest” hub.

The judge has not yet set a trial date, but it likely won’t be before 2025. In a