Peterson’s life in jury’s hands

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Calling him “the worst kind of monster” and undeserving of sympathy, a prosecutor urged jurors to sentence Scott Peterson to death for murdering his pregnant wife before the panel began deciding his punishment Thursday.

“This is somebody who had everything and threw it away,” prosecutor Dave Harris said, pointing at Peterson as the convicted murderer sat stiffly at the defense table and intently watched the jury. “He had a plan and he executed it.”

Harris also reminded jurors that Thursday marked the two-year anniversary of Peterson’s “monstrous plan” to murder his wife, Laci.

“Two years ago today, the defendant, Scott Peterson, bought a boat,” Harris said. “He told (his mistress) Amber Frey his wife was ‘lost.’ “

But defense lawyer Pat Harris begged jurors to give Peterson the chance to “do some good for the rest of his life,” by sending him to prison instead of death row. “I wish there was a phrase that I could give you that could turn this around and make you believe there is good, there is real, real good in this person,” he said. “But I don’t have that phrase … that’s up to you to decide.

“So I’m going to ask you … I’m going to beg you, begging you to go back there and please spare his life,” he added.

Defense lawyer Mark Geragos told jurors he’s been “tormented” by the Peterson case. “You can’t find a more tortured, emotionally charged case than when something like this happens to, what I consider to be, two very fine families,” he said.