Convicted wife, child killer Scott Peterson gets break as state declines to seek death penalty in retrial

Convicted wife and child killer Scott Peterson will not face the death penalty in his retrial, according to media reports.

Peterson was previously sentenced to death for killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn child, Conor. However, the California Supreme Court overturned the death sentence and said there were errors in jury selection.

That sent the case back to a possible second trial, and court documents obtained by KCRA 3 say the district attorney’s office will not seek the death penalty.

"While the family of Laci and Conner believe there is no doubt that defendant is guilty of these crimes and that his conduct warrants the death penalty and defendant is deserving of the punishment of death, the family has decided this process is simply too painful to endure once again," court documents stated and KCRA 3 reported.

It will be up to a judge to decide if Peterson should get a new trial because of the problems in jury selection.

If there isn’t a new trial, Peterson will face life in prison without parole.

In late December 2002, Peterson reported his wife was missing from their Modesto, California home. Police investigated her disappearance, and the case was thrust into the national spotlight.

It wasn’t until April 2003 that the remains of Laci and Conor were found and police arrested Peterson. It was also reported that Scott Peterson had extramarital affairs and he gave inconsistent statements to officers.

A year later, Peterson went to trial with intense media coverage.

Peterson was found guilty of two counts of murder and sentenced to death. He is currently housed at San Quentin State Prison in California.