When I put up SII on December 26, 2003, I had hopes that truth and justice would prevail. If Scott was guilty, as millions thought he was, I wanted there to be real evidence, conclusive evidence.
I never saw such evidence. What was so convincing to so many millions of people just was not at all convincing to me. Scott Peterson was a total stranger to me. I had no vested interest in his innocence or his guilt. I just wanted evidence that he was indeed guilty. I am a proponent of the death penalty, and I am not a bit satisfied with the evidence that sent this man to death row. And I would not be satisfied with the evidence if he had gotten LWPP, or any other sentence.
But even beyond that, I've seen with my own eyes too many times -- that baby did not wash ashore. And that fact proves Scott Peterson is innocent.
It will be 7 years this Christmas Eve since Laci was abducted. Those who think Scott is guilty are confident they know what happened. Those of us who know he is innocent still search to find out the truth of what happened that day. Even though we may not be visible on public message boards like we were during the trial and the aftermath, does a day go by that we don't think about this case, don't wonder what in the world went wrong, what in the world can be done to correct this injustice?
I shall never forget what it was like standing outside that courthouse on November 12, 2004. I didn't get a seat in the courtroom that day, but I was right outside. It was surreal. The shouts and high-fives, the sign waving, the utter joy that these people felt.
There will yet be another day. A day when those same people who cheered at the verdict, not only those present at the courthouse but watching on television and listening on radio, all over the United States, and indeed, in many parts of the world -- a day when those same people will come face to face with the stark knowledge that an innocent man was convicted.
Hopefully, some of them will have the decency to hang their heads in shame.
But it will be a day of only muffled celebration, because with the joy of Scott's vindication will come the sorrow of Laci's friends and family (including Scott and his family) who must face yet another trial and having to learn the gruesome details of Laci's abduction and murder.
I have often said that the greatest injustice of a wrongful conviction is not to the innocent person convicted, but to the victim's family and dear friends who become so emotionally invested in the innocent person's conviction, only to be proven wrong. And then to have to go through it all over again. Some cannot get out of that emotional investment, and simply refuse to believe the convicted person is innocent, even when someone else is proven guilty. They rationalize that somehow, some way the innocent person convicted was involved.
It's much better to do it right the first time.
I know those of you who think Scott is guilty do believe it was done right the first time, but I don't. I've seen it with my own eyes too many times -- that baby did not wash ashore. That one fact proves Scott Peterson innocent.
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