Scott Peterson Blogs From His Website

Many remember Laci Peterson and her husband Scott Peterson, who was convicted in killing his wife and unborn son, Conner.  Peterson, at age 36, was sentenced to death by lethal injection in March of 2005.  The details of Laci’s death are speculation and theories put together by law enforcement, but Prosecution claimed Scott Peterson dumped his pregnant wife’s body in the San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve of 2002.  The State solicitors presented evidence that Peterson tied concrete weights to his wife’s limbs before boating out into the Bay and pushing her body over the side into the water.

 Since his sentencing, Peterson has spent the last four years in San Quentin prison in California.  His life in prison hasn’t changed much except he was moved to a cell with a sliver of a window with a view of the bay; the same one where he dumped his family.

The above photo is the latest mug shot – taken in June of 2007 – where his hair was clipped short by fellow inmates.  Under his smirky face is a placard with his inmate number and the word: “Condemned.” 

 He can’t do much in his 4-by-9 foot cell on San Quentin’s death row, and has little choices, but he can decide how to decorate his wall.  In his cell, Peterson has only one photo hanging across from his bunk…a smiling shot of Peterson and his wife, Laci.  Other inmates plaster their cells with a collage of various photos and images.  However minor that seems, it’s more than Laci has.

 Predictions that Peterson would be ostracized because of his son’s death, have not occurred.  Peterson gets along well with fellow inmates.  He seems to have a group of guys he hangs with, but none who have the notoriety of Peterson.  He spends five hours a day shooting hoops, doing pull-ups and playing cards with other inmates.  Corrections officers seem to think the inmates perceive Peterson’s crime as just killing his pregnant wife and don’t consider the death of his son in their perception.

Peterson still receives regular visits from family and friends.  He continues to receive letters from female fans who send money for his commissary account.  According to San Quentin officials, Peterson has a significant amount of money in his account from people all over the world.  He’s allowed to spend $180 a month on items such as soda, candy, cookies, toothpaste and deodorant.  Sound like another person awaiting her trial in Orange County Florida jail?

Although confined behind the walls of prison, Peterson is able to reach out to the world through blogging on a Web site set up by his family.  He is not allowed direct online connection to the internet, but he sends his comments to his family who post for him.  Peterson claims he is the victim of a poorly managed police investigation.  On March 16, 2005, Scott Peterson was sentenced to death and the judge stated the murder of Laci was “cruel, uncaring, heartless, and callous.”  In addition to protesting his innocence, Peterson writes about others’ convictions.  Peterson’s last post is on the recent arrest of the man suspected of killing Chandra Levy.  Levy’s mother lives in Modesto, where the Petersons once lived.

Peterson’s Web page includes photos of him hugging his wife Laci and blog posts of his innocence.  His personal Web site is maintained by his family who receives letters from Scott with his blog posts.  They are in full support of Scott’s innocence and have an extensive coverage of the events leading up to Laci’s murder, along with all the court documents and transcripts.  Oh, and they have a donate option if you would like to support his appeal.  If you are interested in the case, it is an interesting read. ( http://www.scottpetersonappeal.org/ )

Laci’s family has been deprived of the joys of being grandparents and an ongoing relationship with their daughter.  Not only do they deal with the fact their daughter is dead but with a horrendous crime by someone they all trusted and loved.  Deception by love and trust at it’s finest, and Peterson continues to deceive people through his blog posts and pen-pal writings.  Seems to me that once behind bars, convicted of a crime and sentenced to death, the public should not hear from an inmate.  We should be sealed off from his psychopathic mind and deviant gibberish.

Peterson is not the only inmate in California’s prisons using the internet to state their case and connect with the outside world.  How does this happen whereby inmates are allowed to state their case, connect with people, and solicit donations for appeal?  Supporters of California’s inmates set up these Web sites for pen-pal postings, inmate writings, artwork, and photos.  Most inmates use the nonprofit Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty which creates personal Web pages for death row inmates.  Inmates are using modern technology to plea their cases in the court of public opinion. 

The American Civil Liberties Union defends such Web sites calling it freedom of speech.  I thought once convicted, prisoners ultimately lost their freedom, but as we recently heard from Linda Kinney-Baden on Geraldo, inmates still have rights.  I’ve got some learning ahead of me.  Fortunately, I did learn that Florida and Michigan recently adopted laws barring inmates from soliciting pen pals on the Internet.

Essentially, Scott Peterson, although sitting on death row, enjoys somewhat of notoriety with fan mail, heavily-ladened commissary account, online blogging, prison friendship, and lots of support for his innocence.  Those who thought once Peterson was convicted and sent to prison would disappear were wrong.  He continues to enjoy the freedom to reach out on his take of world events and his innocence, and routinely receives offers of marriage.  His life goes on, although behind San Quentin walls, when his wife and son do not.