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Scott Peterson: Death Penalty On Circumstantial Evidence

A Reflection

By HeetaPublished 4 years ago 7 min read
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Disclaimer

This is not an objective piece by any means. It's subjectively opinionated and objectively polite. Sources are listed down below for your perusal where you can make your own opinion. There are or might be differing facts regarding this case out there in the media. As such, this piece is entirely alleged.

Premise

Victim: Lacy Peterson, Conner Peterson

Perpetrator: Scott Peterson

Relationship: Married

Location: California, U. S. A

Time Frame: 2002-2005

Summary

Scott Peterson and Laci Peterson née Rocha were married in 1997 for five years. Laci first met Scott Peterson in 1994 at restaurant where her friend worked. After meeting him Laci had told her mother, Sharon Rocha that she had met the man she would marry. Laci worked at being the perfect housewife, while Scott was a salesman for farm equipment.

It was in 2002 during Christmas time when eight month pregnant Laci Peterson was reported missing. As per Scott, Laci's final chore on her morning to do list that day was to go take their dog on a walk. A golden retriever was found alone the next day by a neighbour, who returned it to the Petersons' backyard. Her decomposed body and that of her unborn son were found almost four months later in April.

Reflection

There is a lot of information that I have not mentioned above in the summary. Some of it is because I want to reflect on it down here. And some of it is because I personally don't think it really has anything to do with the case itself. For example, Scott Peterson is the seventh sibling after six other half siblings all from his parents' former relationships.

Let me start off by saying that in my mind, in my opinion Mr. Peterson is guilty. I don't know if I can claim my opinion to simply be an allegation when the state has made Scott Peterson guilty in fact, long before I even had an opinion about this.

Amber Frey:

Amber Frey met Scott Peterson through a friend on a blind date, I believe. The exact how and when of their meeting is not that important to me except the fact that the affair had not even been two months long prior to Laci's disappearance. The reason I mention this is because in my mind Amber Frey was not the motive for Scott Peterson. A catalyst perhaps but not the reason itself.

These are the standout points regarding Scott's affair with Amber:

  • He told her he was not married.
  • He also told her that it was fine that she had a daughter of her own. But he didn't want any children of his own.
  • He had told her that he had lost his wife just week(s) before Laci went missing.
  • He attended a Christmas party with her while leaving his own wife to attend a party on her own.
  • In my book, he flirted with Amber on a phone call right during the vigil for his missing wife

Note: Allegedly Peterson was prone to extra-marital affairs since the very beginning of his marriage. Perhaps since the beginning of his relationship with Laci Peterson.

Avoiding The Media:

Scott Peterson avoided the media as much as he could. I do not think he had just one reason. His primary reason in my opinion was that he was intelligent enough to know he could not pull off the emotive concerned husband act. His second reason was that he feared his image of the good man he had established would shatter (especially in the eyes of Amber Frey).

Evidence:

  • Amber Frey
  • Lack of Alibi
  • Scott Peterson lying about going to golf on the day his wife went missing
  • He sold Lacy's car and was in the process (I think) in selling their house.
  • Lacy Peterson and baby Conner's bodies being found in the bay Scott went fishing. Scott had actually gone fishing on the day Lacy went missing.
  • A strand of hair being found on the pliers on Scott's boat. Hair that was believed to be Lacy's but it could not be determined conclusively.
  • Scott was allegedly on the run the day he was apprehended. He'd changed his appearance, he was carrying $15,000 cash on hand, a gun, four cellphones, and he carried a lot of gear that showed someone who planned to go off the radar for a while. He was driving erratically that day and according him it was because he was avoiding the media. The police claim otherwise.

Not Guilty:

This is the one aspect that I have struggled with in this entire case. The assumption would be that the defendant would plead guilty just to avoid the capital punishment. Aside from any psychiatrical label, undeniably Scott Peterson is a selfish individual. So why not confess to save his own neck from the death penalty. Here are some theories:

1. Maybe, maybe, he is innocent and he's being framed. I would even argue he has an inkling as to who it is. (I cannot bring myself to believe this to be true but as they say anything is possible).

2. If you look at his childhood, he was spoiled and seems to have gotten away with a lot. Perhaps he still has the mindset that he will eventually get away with this. Though after being in prison for fifteen years, by this point one would think he would come to realize this is no longer a time out.

3. If he is narcissistic (I think he is, but I could be wrong) he would loose the little bit of sympathy that he does have from the people who believe in him. He might be one of those that need praise and admiration even at the expense of his own life. Confessing could cost him that.

4. He is banking on the fact that he got sentenced only with circumstantial evidence. He is hoping that a successful appeal will see him free from at least the death penalty.

5. If he is a psychopath which to me is even more likely than him being a sociopath (again I could be wrong, don't take my word for it). Granted that psychopaths and sociopaths do share similarities. Psychopathy just makes the most sense out of everything else. Charming, manipulative, narcissistic tendencies, lack of emotions, pretending to be emotional, successful, educated, and most of all he almost pulled off the perfect crime where he did not leave behind any evidence. And if you look at his family history it is kind of obvious that he was genetically predisposed not to have normative emotions because of both of his parents. And then their way of upbringing could have just further added to it. To his misfortune, nature literally delivered the bodies of Lacy Peterson and baby Conner.

Death Penalty:

I do not value lives of murderers, I said it. Chris Watts and the likes deserve it. Having said that, I am wary of the death penalty simply because of what if. What if that person is innocent? We as a society cannot make mistakes of putting innocent people on the death row. In my gut, instinctually Scott Peterson is the one. He did it. But it is all still circumstantial evidence, and I do not feel comfortable with someone being on the death row only on circumstantial evidence. Imprisoned? Sure. But death penalty? I do not know. Especially, when someone like Chris Watts who took even more lives gets to live.

This facet of this case haunts me even now. On one hand, his crime deserves it. But on the other, do we have the right to such a sentence without forensic evidence. It is very difficult to come to terms with.

Motive:

As I stated earlier, I do not believe Amber was the main reason behind Scott's motive. Logically their relationship was not that long enough for him to have fallen in love with Amber. Whatever definition of love a person like Scott would be capable of. If you ask me, if a person cannot love his or her own child, I don't think they are capable of loving anyone but themselves.

This man did not want to be a father. Lacy wanted to be a mother. As to why Scott did not want a child, one just has to look at his familial history. His father never cared for his children from his first marriage. His mother put up all of her previous children for adoption (I believe). His maternal grandmother put all of her children up for adoption. Generational cycle? Why not?

In short, Scott felt trapped and resentful towards Lacy because of the pregnancy that he perhaps thought was being forced on him. And unlike a normal functioning person who would have chose divorce, he did what he did.

The saddest part of this is that Scott could accept his lover's child, but he could not love his own. For that, I have no words.

Sources

Reading:

  • https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/15/us/scott-peterson-trial-fast-facts/index.html
  • https://www.insideedition.com/woman-who-dated-scott-peterson-before-he-murdered-laci-remembers-being-treated-like-a-queen-56921
  • https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/blogs/10-of-the-most-shocking-facts-from-the-scott-peterson-case
  • https://www.thecinemaholic.com/scott-peterson/
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/15/us/scott-peterson-trial-fast-facts/index.html

Video:

Documentaries and Interviews

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_2pS3P7bKk
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9YqnlQZXsY
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBjcZhZnmSw

The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fecqAqB_EWM

Dr. Phil

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKg18tgC-1I
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L85-_rYMBX4
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4FzLo2qzZY&t=8s
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0ygGRj4DTQ
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAGXhOuDCyQ

Reactions and Commentary

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTEc5mLq7ZUThe Death Of Laci
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIfdziRklk
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GX6LUOv0IU

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About the Creator

Heeta

Books are a passion. Fashion is a hobby. Sociology is my accomplishment. And thus, I bring you, a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. #Unedited #Freestyle #Wordvomit

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