Scott Peterson, the convicted murderer serving life without parole, was reportedly attacked this week while playing pickleball in prison. TMZ broke the news, alleging a fellow inmate assaulted Peterson, 51, in the yard near his housing unit at Mule Creek State Prison. Sources tie the incident to a dispute over the game.
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Prison officials confirmed the clash to PEOPLE. They say Peterson sustained minor injuries during an altercation with another inmate on Sunday, March 9. Details remain scarce, but the report underscores ongoing tensions behind bars for the high-profile killer.
Peterson's name still stirs memories of a grim saga. His wife, Laci Peterson, 27, vanished on Christmas Eve 2002, eight months pregnant with their son, Conner. Peterson initially joined the search effort. Suspicion soon mounted when his affair came to light, casting him as the prime suspect.
The case broke wide open four months later. Laci's remains washed up in San Francisco Bay, just a mile from where Conner's body was found. Police nabbed Peterson shortly after. At the time, he sported bleached blond hair and carried $15,000 in cash, Viagra, camping gear, and four cell phones in his car. Authorities claimed he was 30 miles from the Mexican border, poised to flee.
Peterson Sentence Stands
Conviction came swiftly. In 2004, a jury found Peterson guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. He landed on death row in 2005, but a resentencing flipped that to life without parole. The case drew renewed attention recently when the L.A. Innocence Project stepped in. They argue Peterson's constitutional rights were trampled, per ABC News.
He broke his silence in 2024. He spoke out in Face to Face with Scott Peterson, a three-part Peacock docuseries, denying any role in Laci and Conner's deaths. The claims reignited debate, but his sentence stands firm.
Sunday's alleged attack marks a new chapter in Peterson's prison life. Officials have not released the other inmate's identity or exact details of the scuffle. For now, the pickleball incident leaves him nursing minor wounds -- and his notoriety as intact as ever.
