Laci Peterson's Family Feels 'Relief' After Scott Peterson Denied a New Trial: 'Best Christmas Gift Ever'

Mar. 15, 2025

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The family of Laci Peterson is expressing relief that her husband — and convicted murderer —Scott Petersonwillnot be granted a new trial.

“It’s a tremendous relief to everyone who loved Laci,” a source who is in contact with her family tells PEOPLE. “Everyone was so worried that they were going to have to go through the pain of a trial again, and no one wanted to deal with that.”

In a 55-page decision issued on Tuesday, a San Mateo County Superior Court Judge denied Peterson’s bid for a new trial. He will remain in jail to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Laci Peterson was pregnant when she vanished on Christmas Eve in 2002. While Scott initially helped look for her, it soon came out that he had been having an affair. He soon became the prime suspect.

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Scott was convicted in 2005 of two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Laci andtheir unborn son, who was to be named Conner.

He was sentenced to death row, where he remained for about 15 years.

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But Peterson, now 50, scored two major legal victories in 2020. The first victory was in August, when his death penalty sentencewas overturned, meaning that he would face a new penalty phase trial. The second victory came in October, when the California Supreme Court ruled that a lower court should take asecond look at his caseto determine whether his guilty verdict should be overturned.

In court last year, Scott’s death sentence was officially vacated. He wasresentenced to life in prison.

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Defense attorneys pushed for a new trial, claiming that a juror in the case, Richelle Nice, lied during jury selection when asked if she had ever been a victim of a crime. Nice also neglected to mention that she previously had a fight with her ex-boyfriend that resulted in her arrest.

Peterson’s defense asserted that Nice intentionally lied on her jury questionnaire, and that she may have been a pro-prosecution stealth juror.

But in her ruling, Judge Anne-Christine Massullo decided that Nice’s misstatements were honest mistakes and denied a new trial.

Massullo’s ruling has heartened Laci’s family, who had been resigned to the prospect of a new trial.

“This is the best news we could’ve gotten,” says the family source. “It really felt like next year was going to be very difficult, reliving the whole thing yet again. Now that’s not going to happen. This was the best Christmas gift ever.”

source: people.com