Peterson might well have spent the rest of his life in prison, but for the case of Greg Taylor. Taylor was convicted of murder in 1993 and sentenced to life in prison, based on the testimony of a blood analyst who testifed that a spot of blood found in the defendant's vehicle belonged to the victim. A North Carolina innocence project invetigated the case, and in 2010 a three-judge panel exonerated the defendant, based on new testing which found that the blood was not even human blood! This evidence was apparently available before the trial but was supressed by the state.
The blood analyst who worked the Taylor case was the same one involved in the Peterson case, a bum named Duane Deaver. Investigation into all of Deaver's cases found that he had suppresed tests which didn't support the state's theory in 230 cases! His testimony in the Peterson case was re-examined and found to be false. The North Caarolina Attorney General who invetigated Deaver was Roy Cooper, the same Roy Cooper who has since served two terms as governor and is now running as a Democrat for the Senate.
Peterson's original attorney agreed to work pro bono on the Motion for a new trial, but after that he told Peterson that he couldn't go through another trial. A new attorney, appointed this time as Peterson was now indigent, worked the case. The main thing she did during her representation was to file and argue a Motion to Dismiss the case based on due process violations. The main thrust of this argument was that the state lab had never done any testing on the fluids found on Kathleen Peterson's body. The state came up with its theory of MIchael Peterson's guilt early on, and simply refused to do any investigation into alternative theories, such as a third-party intruder being the perpetrator. Despite the compoelling arugment, this Motion was denied.
Peterson's new defense team was preparing for a retrial when a new DA raised the possibility of a plea deal. Peterson's original attorney got involved again at this point, and worked out an Alford plea, which is where the defendant pleads guilty without admitting guilt. Peterson was sentenced to time served for his plea to voluntary manslaughter, and that was the end of the case.
I have to mention the ugly, hate-filled participation of Katheen's sister Candace. Never have I seen a person so consumed with hate. She talked at every court appearance, as she was entitled to do under the "victim's rights" laws which are so prevalent today. She treated the prosecutors as her own personal attorneys, which of course is false, as the DA represents the entire public, not any individual.
