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Decision to be announced around 4 p.m.
Friday, November 12, 2004 Posted: 3:02 PM EST (2002 GMT)
REDWOOD CITY, California (CNN) -- The jury in the Scott Peterson double murder trial has reached a verdict, which is expected to be announced later today.
Peterson, 32, is accused of killing his 27-year-old wife Laci, and their unborn child, who was to be named Conner. Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant when she disappeared on or about Christmas Eve of 2002.
The verdict was expected to be read at 1 p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET).
Jurors had resumed deliberations Friday morning after taking a day off for the Veterans Day holiday.
The jury started deliberations over again, after two jurors were dismissed in the two days preceding the holiday. The new panel deliberated for just a few hours Wednesday before recessing and only hours on Friday morning.
On Tuesday, Judge Alfred Delucchi had dismissed juror No. 7, a woman who reportedly did her own research on the case. On Wednesday, the judge dismissed juror No. 5, a doctor and lawyer who was the panel's foreman. The reason for his dismissal was not given.
Juror No. 6, a firefighter, is the new foreman.
Prosecutors contend Peterson, 32, dumped his wife's body, weighted down with homemade cement anchors, in San Francisco Bay.
Her body, and that of the fetus, washed ashore in April 2003, near the place Peterson said he had launched his boat during a fishing trip on Christmas Eve.
If convicted of first-degree murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty, Peterson could be sentenced to death.
Jurors have the option of convicting Peterson on the lesser charge of second-degree murder if they decide the slaying was not premeditated. A conviction on that charge could mean a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
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