California prisoner who attacked Scott Peterson during pickleball game explains what happened
Full episode: Laci Peterson case continues to captivate
Laci Peterson's murder made national headlines back in 2002, even before her husband was convicted. Over 20 years later, as Scott Peterson maintains his innocence, the case continues to captivate Americans. In this LiveNOW & Then full episode, we look at how the media covered the case as it progressed.
IONE, Calif. - A fellow inmate at a California prison explained why he attacked Scott Peterson, who was convicted of killing his wife and unborn son.
In a phone interview with the San Francisco Chronicle from Mule Creek State Prison, Charles R. Miles said he didn't recognize Peterson and mistakenly thought he had been charging him with a weapon, when in reality, Peterson had just been holding a paddle and running after a runaway pickleball.
"It was God's plan for sure," Miles told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Todd Javernick, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told Fox News Digital that Miles attacked Peterson on March 9, prompting correctional officers to use "chemical agents and batons" to quell the fight.
Both Miles and Peterson were "medically evaluated, determined to have sustained minor injuries, and were returned to their respective housing," Javernick said.
Miles also received a "serious rule" violation.
Court documents show that Miles was convicted of a gang-related murder in 2011 and was sentenced to 58 years to life in prison.
Peterson is serving a life sentence for the 2002 murder of his wife Laci Peterson and the couple's unborn son.
He was originally sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court reduced that sentence to life without parole in 2020.
He was transferred to Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, Calif. from San Quentin State Prison in 2022.
SCOTT PETERSON FEELS RENEWED ‘HOPE’ AMID PRISON TRANSFER, CASE'S RESURGENCE: FAMILY
Laci and Scott Peterson (KTVU/file)
The Innocence Project, a nonprofit that represents convicted criminals, is working with Peterson to breathe new life into his case.
In October, a California judge granted Peterson the right to a post-conviction discovery period, required by state law for convicted felons serving sentences longer than 15 years.
At the time, Washington, D.C., homicide detective Ted Williams told Fox News Digital that he thought that rediscovery in the case would prove unfruitful.
Prosecutors used photos of Scott Peterson and Amber Frey in his trial for Laci's murder (KTVU/file)
"They’ve got the right man," he said. "Scott Peterson murdered his wife Laci and his son Conner," adding that Peterson "wanted to free himself of both so that he could carry on a relationship with Amber Frey."
Frey, Peterson's mistress, testified against him during his trial.