How Scott Peterson's Son's Remains Could Prove Scott Innocent | Crime Alert 5PM 04.30.25

Scott Peterson’s defense team pushes for a new trial, claiming suppressed evidence and flawed science led to his 2004 conviction. Experts claim son Conner Peterson likely died well after Peterson’s fishing trip. Crime Online's Drew Nelson, Dave Mack, Holden Zapple, and Sydney Sumner report. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime a art hourly update breaking crime news.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Now, Scott Peterson's defense team is pushing for a new trial,
claiming suppressed evidence and flawed science led to his two
thousand and four conviction. The Los Angeles Innocence Project filing
a four hundred page petition to overturn Peterson's conviction with
crime Onlines Dave mack, Holden Zapple and Sidney Sumner I'm
Drew Nelson.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
In their filing, attorneys with the LA Nison's Project claimed
the prosecution had no direct physical or forensic evidence supporting
any part of their theory or otherwise implicating Peterson. The
attorneys say the new evidence found in their discovery period
undermines the prosecution's entire case against Peterson and shows that
the jury relied on false evidence, including false scientific evidence,

(00:43):
to convict him.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Experts believed the court may require the prosecution to respond
and could set a hearing. Prosecutors argued that Peterson killed
his wife, Lacey and dumped her body during a fishing
trip December twenty fourth of two thousand and two. Peterson
says Lacey was alive when he left home that morning,
which Martha Stewart and planning to walk their dog. LAIP
attorneys say the case was built on quote no direct

(01:06):
physical or forensic evidence.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
La Innocent's Project attorneys claim police knew of several witnesses
who saw Lacey walking the dog Christmas Eve morning, but
on the stand, investigators testified there were no credible witnesses
to Lacey's walk. Neighbors Vivian and Bill Mitchell have long
claimed they saw Lacey with Mackenzie at ten point fifteen. However,
Karen Servis testified she put Mackenzie in the backyard just

(01:29):
three minutes later, based on timestamp receipts from Errands, she
ran after finding him alone.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
The petition also revisits a burglary across the street from
the Peterson home. Jurors were told it happened December twenty sixth.
Defense attorneys now say it occurred on the twenty fourth,
and that police destroyed taped interviews with the burglars. They
claim a prison guard overheard one suspect say Lacey saw
them during the break in. Attorneys tie a burned orange
van near the airport to the same burglary, and say

(01:56):
a stained mattress inside tested positive for blood. A judge
limited further DNA testing to a strip of duct tape
found on Lacey's leg. It had human DNA, but not
enough to match at the time. The defense also attacks
the prosecution's timeline, using updated fetal growth research. Experts now
say Connor likely died between December twenty eighth and January fifth,

(02:18):
well after Peterson's fishing trip. One expert admitted in twenty
twenty four that newer methods would have placed Connor's death
around January. Second pathology evidence is also in question. Peterson's
team argues that Connor died with Lacey. His umbilical cord
was torn, not cut or clamped, suggesting he was not
born alive. New title analysis says Lacy and Connor's bodies

(02:40):
could not have floated from the Berkeley Marina. The defense
expert places the dumping site miles away near the Albany Bold.

Speaker 5 (02:47):
Defense attorneys also want to present an analysis by a
forensic document examiner who claims it's Lacy Peterson's handwriting and
notes on the cost of anchors, indicating Scott Peterson did
not buy his boat in secret as part of a
plan to kill his wife. Finally, the lawyer say a
pawnshop owner will testify that he was contacted by the
police about a Croton watch pawned by an associate of

(03:10):
one of the Medina burglars on December thirty first, just
seven days after Lacy was reported missing. On the stand,
investigators testified they never located Lacey's Croton watch.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
For more on this case, join Nancy Tonight for crime
stories on Merritt Street Media six nine at midnight Eastern.
Check your local listings four Channel Assignment, or follow crime
stories with Nancy Grace on your favorite podcast app. More
crime and justice news After this, A teenage girl vanishes

(03:43):
while walking one block home in northern California, and years later,
the case remains unsolved, with two arrests but no charges.
Fifteen year old Hannah Zachacliny was last seen the night
of June fourth, of nineteen ninety seven in McLeod, California.
She had just left her ex boyfriend's home around ten pm.
She lived one block away on Minnesota Avenue, but never
made it home. At first, police thought she may have

(04:05):
run away. Her parents had recently divorced. She was upset
about the breakup with her boyfriend and the fact that
his family was moving, but as time passed, police changed
their minds. She had left her purse, money, and her
prize bass guitar, along with other belongings behind. She had
not fought with her family. Her mother insisted she would
not have left on her own. The last known people
to see her were ed Henline Senior and his wife.

(04:27):
They lived on the same street. Their home, known locally
as the party House, was also linked to another missing person.
Twenty seven year old Karen Merrow, disappeared just four months earlier.
She had lived in the Headlines home and was dating
ed Henline Junior. Both women were last seen at the
same address. Police long suspected the head Lines were involved
in both cases. In nineteen ninety eight, the elder hen

(04:49):
Lines were arrested for welfare fraud after cashing Karen Merrow's
disability checks. Still no physical evidence tied them to the disappearances.
Years passed. Then in twenty twelve, police reopen Hannah's case
based on new leads. They arrested Headline Senior and Junior
for conspiracy, but in May of twenty thirteen, the charges
were dropped. The district attorney said the case lacked the

(05:11):
so called smoking gun they needed to convict detectives believe
both women are dead. They say people in McLeod likely
know what happened. Anda Zakaglini was white with brown eyes
and dyed black hair, blue jeans, black vans, and a
green and white checkered shirt with daisy buttons. When she
disappeared five point five one twenty, her front tooth was chipped.
Today she would be forty three. Anyone with information can

(05:34):
call the Sisq County Sheriff's Office at five three zero
eight four one twenty nine hundred For the latest crime
and justice news. Follow crime Alerts hourly update on your
favorite podcast app with his crime alert, I'm Drew Nelson.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
How could a beautiful, young first grade teacher be stabbed
twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes,
that was the medical examiner's official ruling after a closed
door meeting. He first named it a homicide. Why what
Happened to Ellen Greenberg a huge American miscarriage of justice.

(06:19):
For an in depth look at the facts, see what
Happened to Ellen on Amazon. All proceeds to the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children.