Death

Peterson sentenced to death for wife's slaying
Woman's family explodes at husband, Peterson family

REDWOOD CITY, California (CNN) -- A California judge Wednesday sentenced Scott Peterson to die by lethal injection for killing his pregnant wife and her fetus, calling the deaths "cruel, uncaring, heartless and callous."

San Mateo Superior Court Judge Alfred Delucchi noted that Peterson's unborn child never had a chance to draw a breath.

Delucchi made the remarks as he denied an automatic motion to mitigate Peterson's sentence. The judge also denied a motion filed by defense attorney Mark Geragos seeking a new trial for Peterson.

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But his execution is a number of legal steps -- and more than likely a number of years -- away, and he is actually more likely to die of natural causes than be executed.

His death sentence carries a mandatory appeal, and his attorneys may file additional appeals, meaning the case could drag on for years.

In addition, despite the large number of inmates on death row, California has executed only 12 people since its death penalty was reinstated in 1978. The most recent execution in California, that of Donald Beardslee, was carried out in January after the inmate spent more than 20 years in prison.