Jurors set in Peterson slaying trial

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- In an arduous process that began nine weeks ago, a jury of six men and six women was selected yesterday to decide whether Scott Peterson murdered his pregnant wife, Laci, so that he could carry on an affair.

Opening statements in the former fertilizer salesman's murder trial are set for Tuesday. He could get the death penalty if convicted.

Among the jurors are a high school coach, a former airport security screener, and a retired utility worker.

They appear to range in age from their 20s to over 60.

Jury selection involved nearly 1,600 prospective jurors.

All of the chosen jurors said they would be willing to sentence Peterson, 31, to death if they convict him of murdering his wife and their fetus.

Their bodies washed up along San Francisco Bay in April 2003, not far from where Scott Peterson said he spent the morning of Dec. 24, 2002, on his fishing boat.

Prosecutors contend that Peterson killed his wife in their hometown of Modesto and dumped her body in the bay because he was having an affair with Amber Frey, a massage therapist.

The defense has argued that Scott Peterson discovered that his wife was missing after he returned from a fishing trip.