Bombshell update in Scott Peterson's fight to overturn Laci murder conviction

A shocking update has been revealed in the case of Scott Peterson, who was convicted of brutally murdering his pregnant wife - and it could potentially let the infamous killer earn a retrial.

Peterson has spent the last two decades behind bars for butchering 27-year-old Laci and killing their unborn son, Conner, in 2002. The fertilizer salesman dumped her body in the San Francisco Bay after promising to run away with his mistress.

Now, the 51-year-old has been granted access to crucial evidence by a California judge in a bombshell ruling that could open the door to reevaluation of the case that has captured nationwide attention. 

Peterson is now allowed a discovery period on the basis of California Penal Code 1054.9 - which gives discovery rights to defendants who were convicted of serious or violent felonies and sentenced to 15 or more years in jail.

The code allows the defendant access to materials 'in possession of the prosecution and law enforcement authorities to which the same defendant would have been entitled at the time of trial.'

Whether or not Peterson, who is incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, will be granted a retrial depends on how the discovery process proceeds.

Peterson had been married to Laci for five years when she disappeared on December 24, 2002, after taking their dog for a walk.

The cause of death was never determined as Laci's corpse was in a bad state when it was found washed ashore on April 14, 2003, just a day before the fetus of their unborn son was discovered.

Peterson was also having an affair at the time of his wife's murder with now 49-year-old, Amber Frey, who helped police in the conviction of her then-boyfriend, adding to the convolution of the case. Peterson and Frey were pictured together at a Christmas party just 10 days before Laci's disappearance. 

The newest filings come just months after the Los Angeles Innocence Project took on Peterson's notorious case. 

The Los Angeles-based group suggests in court documents that Laci may have witnessed a Christmas Eve break-in across the street from the couple’s home in Modesto and been kidnapped and then killed by the burglars.

The group is seeking DNA tests on materials connected to the burglary and on tarps and a large plastic bag found at the waterfront near where the bodies washed up separately.

In addition, the group's attorneys are asking for police reports and audio and video recordings from interviews of suspects and witnesses connected to the burglary. 

The court filings claim the Modesto Police Department improperly withheld materials and was too hasty in declaring that the burglars had no connection to the killings. 

Peterson, who formerly worked as a fertilizer salesperson, is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

He still denies any involvement in Laci's disappearance or the death of her and their unborn child.