The Case Of Laci Peterson And The Death Penalty

Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant when her husband Scott Peterson reported her missing in December. It was not until April that her husband was arrested and held for two counts of murder. It was rumored that Mr. Peterson was having an affair with his massage therapist. Attorneys mentioned that it was a possibility that Laci was kidnapped and murdered by a satanic cult. Investigators do not believe this theory. Laci’s body was mutilated. She was strangled and had four cement blocks tied to her hands and feet as her husband tossed her over the boat into the San Francisco Bay Christmas morning of 2002. The fetus, a boy which they planned to name Conner, had plastic tape tied around his neck and the right side of his body was mutilated as well. Laci’s head and various other parts of her body were missing. When asked why he did it Peterson replied …show more content…
Others believe the death penalty has the potential to kill an innocent person that was wrongly convicted of a crime. Some of the questions include “What happens when the mistake is discovered after a man has been executed for a crime he did not commit? What do we say to his widow and children? Do we erect an apologetic tombstone over his grave?” (Meehan). Those who oppose the death penalty say that it gives the criminals attention that they most definitely do not deserve. Evidence shows that the death penalty may encourage more murders and or rapes simply because they are attracted to the attention they receive from the media, they feel almost famous. “The death penalty involves medical doctors, who are sworn to preserve life, in the act of killing” (Meehan). However, for the following reasons the use of the death penalty for those who commit murder in the first and second degree along with those who take part in the