Kriti Mehrotra
With A&E’s ‘Scott Peterson: The New Evidence’ revisiting the 2002 Christmas Eve killing of Laci Peterson and Conner, her unborn son, we get a fresh insight into the polarizing case. The titular individual has long been convicted of the offense against his wife and son, but this documentary series shines a light on the defense’s claims of potential new evidence. Amongst them are alternative theories, eyewitness accounts, and sworn statements, particularly focusing on the Medina Burglary Case that transpired around the same time as the double murder.
The Medina Burglary Happened Around the Same Time as Laci Peterson’s Case
On the morning of December 24, 2002, Laci Denise Petterson vanished from her suburban Covena Avenue home in Modesto, California. According to records, her neighbors from right across the street had left mere hours prior for a short trip to Los Angeles to visit family for the Holiday, returning two days later on December 26. Susan and Rudy Medina had no idea they would come back to their street filled with officials and reporters because of the disappearance of the 8-month pregnant woman, and to their home in disarray because of a robbery.
As per reports, a lot of the personal belongings of the Medinas were stolen, including a couple of weapons, a Gucci watch, a safe, jewelry worth over $50,000, some power tools, and much more. The couple quickly reported the issue to authorities, but the burglary wasn’t immediately linked to Laci’s disappearance in any capacity, despite them happening in such close proximity around the same time. Roughly a week later, on January 2, 2003, a tip led local police to arrest Steven Wayne Todd and Donald Glenn Pearce at 1406 Tenaya Drive, where they also found many of the stolen items.
According to police records, when Steven was questioned about the robbery within hours, he came across cooperative and claimed he’d carried it out alongside his accomplices on December 27, 2002. However, when this proved untrue because the Medinas were already at home by then, he changed his narrative to assuredly declare that it happened between 3 am and 7 am on December 26. He was also briefly asked about Laci owing to the circumstances, but the matter was dropped after he stated neither he nor his accomplices had anything to do with her disappearance and presumed death.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project Alleges the Medina Burglary Could be Related to Laci’s Case
Steven Wayne Todd and Donald Glenn Pearce eventually pleaded guilty in connection with the robbery and were sentenced accordingly, with the former receiving a year and the latter 180 days. Around two months later, in April 2003, Laci and Conner’s remains were discovered washed ashore along the San Francisco Bay in separate areas – the fetus was found before his 27-year-old mother. Scott Peterson was arrested for the double homicides shortly after, with prosecutors claiming he killed them in the hopes of starting anew with the woman he had been having an affair with, Amber Frey.
According to the Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP), though, there is an alternate theory based on new/previously neglected evidence – Laci was killed while trying to stop the Medina Burglary. As per a massive 700-page appeal they filed in August 2025, at least 15 individuals who claimed they saw Laci walking the family dog after Scott left home on the fateful day. Moreover, they claim there were at least 9 more eyewitnesses who connected Laci to the Medina Burglary in some way, alleging it occurred on December 24, not December 26, 2002. The filing also alleges that most of these eyewitnesses were never properly interviewed by the police before or after Scott’s arrest, indicating that proper procedures were not followed.
The appeal even states that not only did two neighbors declare they believed strange men were casing their homes on December 23, but many also saw a large van parked outside the Medina home on the late morning of December 24. Laci’s loved ones have also long claimed that she was on the neighborhood watch, and was someone who always said something if she saw something. Thus, the LAIP’s petition explores an alternative theory that she may have tried to stop the robbery and had been abducted as a result. According to the filing, several eyewitnesses saw the van and 3-4 men lurking around it right outside 516 Covena Avenue, and it was initially allegedly suspected that only 2 of the 4 burglars were arrested. However, it is essential to note that the authorities previously ruled out any connection between the burglary and her disappearance.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project Continues to Fight for Scott Peterson
As per the appeal of the LAIP, a credible eyewitness saw a heavily pregnant woman who looked like Laci being pushed into a van by an older man a few blocks away from her home. They specify him as highly credible since he was a reserve police officer at the time. He allegedly claimed he saw the incident at around 11-11:15 am, which fits the timeline if all the eyewitness accounts are considered. The appeal also states that a van was found burnt in the nearby airport district the next day, in the back of which was a mattress that seemed stained with blood. The fire marshal who investigated this concluded the fire was the result of arson.
Therefore, even though an initial analysis in 2002 indicated the stain on the mattress was not blood, the LAIP is fighting to have it tested for additional DNA evidence. That’s because they believe the van it came from was the one used in the Medina burglary, and the one an eyewitness claimed he saw Laci being pushed into by force on the morning she disappeared. As if that wasn’t enough, the appeal further questioned why much of the significant evidence related to the burglary and the fire was disposed of soon after the recovery of Laci and Conner’s remains.
Laci and Conner’s remains were found washed ashore in April 2003. The LAIP petition alleges that after an early May 2003 meeting involving several officials, evidence from the cases they deemed not connected to the double murders was destroyed. Among them were the safe, the van, investigative notes, and additional physical items that could have been considered crucial in the long run. Reportedly, some parts of the stained mattress were not destroyed, so the LAIP continues to petition for it to be independently DNA-tested at an accredited facility. It’s imperative to note that the San Mateo County Superior Court dismissed the LAIP’s filing on April 27, 2026, but the organization remains committed to Scott’s defense. His lawyers are now also working on another appeal to help his fight for a retrial.
Read More: What Was Scott Peterson’s Profession Before His Arrest?
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