Inmate Who Beat Scott Peterson Speaks Out About Prison Fight

Scott Peterson, serving life without parole for the 2002 murder of his pregnant wife Laci Peterson and their unborn son Conner, was attacked by fellow inmate Charles Miles, 39, on March 9, 2025, during recreational time at Mule Creek State Prison. The altercation began when Peterson was retrieving a wayward pickleball and approached Miles on a nearby path. Miles said he believed Peterson was charging at him with a weapon; that “weapon” was a pickleball paddle. When a cellmate shouted “Hey! There’s the baby killer!”, Miles told Court TV he felt a “primal urge.” “I beat the hell out of him. I beat him down to the ground,” he said. Prison staff responded with chemical agents and batons. Both men sustained minor injuries and were returned to their cells. Miles was issued a serious rule violation.

After the Fight

Peterson and Miles were subsequently housed in separate cells just two apart. With no other inmates nearby, the two men ended up talking for two hours. Miles said Peterson insisted on his innocence throughout the conversation, and that the exchange was civil - ending in a handshake. Miles nonetheless maintained his initial reaction was justified, telling the San Francisco Chronicle: “It was God’s plan for sure.” He added that the day before the attack he had prayed at that exact spot on the prison track, asking God to use him “as a vessel of your will.”

Peterson’s Current Legal Efforts

Peterson was originally sentenced to death in 2004; that sentence was reduced to life without parole in 2020. He was transferred from San Quentin to Mule Creek State Prison in 2022. He continues to maintain his innocence and is working with the Los Angeles Innocence Project, which argues that key evidence - including a blood-spattered van allegedly set on fire across the street from the Peterson home - may have been withheld during his original trial.

Miles, convicted of a gang-related murder in 2007, is serving 58 years to life and could be eligible for parole as early as 2031. He said the altercation with Peterson would be his last fight.

References: Scott Peterson attacked in California prison by fellow murderer: corrections dept | Prisoner who beat up Scott Peterson during pickleball explains: ‘It was God’s plan for sure’ | Inmate who attacked Scott Peterson tells his side of the story