Laci Peterson's Family 'Horrified' At Idea Scott Could Go Free: 'This Is A Nightmare'

A lot of folks want to see Scott Peterson freed from prison these days. But not the family of murder victim Laci Peterson! They still 100 percent believe he killed her, no matter what the Los Angeles Innocence Project says!

As Perezcious readers may know, Scott reported his wife missing just before Christmas in 2002. Laci had apparently disappeared from their home in Modesto, California, and the case became national news right away — largely because she was pregnant, just days away from giving birth to the couple’s first child. Sadly the search ended tragically — her body was found in the San Francisco Bay four months later. From the start, police were suspicious of Scott. The alarm bells continued to fire off for them when everyone learned he had been cheating on his pregnant wife. And Scott continued to make himself look bad by trying to run away to Mexico in disguise shortly after confirmation Laci was murdered.

In the end, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree murder — despite a lack of direct evidence tying him to the crime. For a long time, he insisted he was innocent. His alternate theory of the crime has stayed consistent… and only recently picked up traction. He thinks Laci witnessed a burglary at a house nearby and went to check it out. He believes she was caught by the burglars, who kidnapped her, murdered her, and weighed down her body in the bay.

No one believed this. But the Los Angeles Innocence Project did. They took on the case and have been investigating for over a year to prove his story. And now, they filed a petition with new evidence and witness statements (a lot of which focuses on the break-in) that they feel will exonerate Scott. And depending on what the judge decides after reviewing everything, he could be set free two decades later! An idea Laci’s family are “horrified” about, according to Dailymail.com on Monday.

A relative of Sharon Rocha, Laci’s mom, told the outlet that the family knows, without a doubt, that Scott killed her and wants him behind bars forever:

“This is a nightmare. This is something we put behind us 20 years ago, and now it’s back. We believed then and we believe now that Scott killed Laci and belongs in jail for the rest of his life.”

A recent victim impact statement from Sharon echoes these same feelings — that reopening the case, and thus, old wounds, is not something anyone wants. The mom wrote:

“It has been almost 22 years since I have seen or talked to my daughter. She was murdered by her husband. She was murdered by the man she loved with all her heart. Since his conviction in 2004, he has been in court numerous times trying to get his conviction overturned. Each attempt he makes for freedom feels like ripping the scab from the wound (family’s trauma). He continues to file claim after claim. Time after time. I believe this is not about proving his innocence, but instead about his relentless pursuit (to be freed) from prison. When will this end?”

Unfortunately, it may not be anytime soon. The Innocence Project seems determined to fight the case. John Sonego, the board chair of the LA Innocence Project, told the outlet:

“We are representing him because we believe he is innocent, based on the evidence. This is about the evidence, not about emotion. If we thought he was guilty, we wouldn’t represent him.”

At this time, it is unknown when the judge will respond to the new filing. Sonego doesn’t have any insight into the timeline to share, either. He just said:

“It could be days or it could be weeks. But the judge will hear this evidence and will make a decision.”

For now, everyone will have to wait to find out what happens next. Hopefully, not too long. What are your reactions? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via Peacock/YouTube , MEGA/WENN]