Focus Shifts to Families After Peterson Verdict

As the trial of Scott Peterson moves to the penalty phase, after his first-degree murder conviction for killing his pregnant wife Laci, the focus will be on those who will take the stand to testify. Who wants him dead? Who wants him to live?

The media focus has turned to the friends and family of Scott and Laci Peterson, now that the jury must decide life and death for a convicted murderer. Here are some of the press reports since the verdict:

Amber: Please Let Killer Live
A regretful Amber Frey wept when she heard her ex-lover Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and unborn child — because she doesn't want him to die.

California Crime Becomes a Nationwide Fixation
As Peterson's defense team battles to save the former fertilizer salesman's life, the media's focus shifts to the couple's family and friends.

Family Prepares for Next Ordeal
After hearing the verdict they had longed to hear for nearly two years, Laci Peterson's family returned to their Modesto home and spent Saturday resting and readying themselves for what many believe will be their most difficult days in court: Scott Peterson's penalty phase.

Laci's Mom Likely to Testify
While the first part of the trial focused on evidence, the penalty phase, starting Nov. 22, will be filled with raw emotion as rules of evidence that prohibit inflaming jurors are cast aside.

Scott's Life Up to These 12
The Peterson jurors are predominantly white and blue-collar, dress neatly and, with one exception, would be unremarkable if you passed them on the street outside the courthouse.

The Media on Trial

A Postmodern Trial
From the moment last April when Scott Peterson was taken into custody on charges that he murdered his pregnant wife, legal analysts feared that the overwhelming media coverage would shape the final verdict. Now, it is becoming clear that it almost certainly did - but in a way that few expected.

Court TV Has Been Screaming The Verdict For Months
It's shades of the coliseum again. 82-percent of American TV watchers signaled with their thumbs down. The prisoner is a dead man. Off with his head.

Why We Watched
There were no celebrities, no wealth, and not much glamour. So why did the Peterson murder case rivet the country?

Background:
Will Scott Peterson Get the Death Penalty?
The Scott Peterson Trial
More Headline Cases