IONE, Calif. (Court TV) — The fellow inmate who got into a brawl with Scott Peterson earlier this month has spoken to Court TV.
In a phone interview with Vinnie Politan, Charles Miles told his side of the story, clearing up a few misconceptions along the way. For starters, the altercation was not about pickleball. According to Miles, Peterson was playing pickleball at the time of the scuffle, but Miles was not. When he and his cellmate walked by Peterson as he was playing, Miles said, his cellmate suddenly blurted out, “Hey! There’s the baby killer.”
Scott Peterson appears in court via Zoom on April 16, 2024. He is now being represented by the Los Angeles Innocence Project, which is working to exonerate Peterson. (Court TV)
Peterson, 52, is serving life without parole for the December 2002 murders of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and the couple’s unborn son, Conner.
According to Miles, 39, on the afternoon of March 9, Peterson began to run toward him aggressively. At first, Miles thought Peterson was wielding a weapon which turned out to be a pickleball paddle. Peterson was trying to get the ball, but Miles thought they were going to crash so he “went into attack mode” and “just started swinging at him.”
Miles insisted, however, that Peterson made the first contact. Miles said he attacked Peterson because he was invading his personal space. The two struggled, but Miles said he eventually overpowered Peterson.
“I beat the hell out of him. I beat him down to the ground.”
WATCH | Scott Peterson Attacked While Playing Pickleball in Prison
Corrections officers stepped in, said Miles, and broke up the fight with chemical agents. Miles and Peterson were then placed in a row of cells referred to as “cages,” just two cells away from one another. The other cages were empty, so the two inmates eventually began chatting and ended up speaking for two hours.
Miles wound up confiding in Peterson, saying he was trying to improve himself, and a primal urge came out because he feels the need to protect women and children.
Charles Miles, an inmate at California’s Mule Creek State Prison, spoke to Court TV about his attack on Scott Peterson. (Photo courtesy Charles Miles)
Miles, an admitted gang member who’s doing time for murder, explained that unofficial rules among the general population dictate that certain crimes are particularly abhorrent. Miles confessed that he has a history of beating up child molesters, child killers, and basically anyone who brings harm to women and children. (Peterson, for the record, has never been accused of child molestation).
According to Miles, Peterson still maintains his innocence and insists he did not kill Laci and Conner. Miles dropped the subject partly because Peterson has a wealthy family, so he has “all the money in the world here.” This apparently gives him a certain level of power, and Miles doesn’t want to lose any of his privileges.
When they were sent back to the general population, the two men shook hands. Since then, there have been no problems between them.
Upon reflection, Miles told Politan that he believes the incident with Peterson was “God’s plan.” He said that the night before the attack, he “felt the need to pray to God for the many wrongs I’ve done.” Miles asked God to send him a sign and doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that he and Peterson crossed paths the next day.
Laci Peterson is seen in an undated photo. (Missing Poster)
Politan encouraged Miles to keep the peace, saying, “You don’t want to penalize your life because of what someone did in their life.”
Miles assured Politan that he was done acting like a vigilante and was hanging his gloves up.
“Have you thought about picking up a pickleball racquet?,” asked Politan, an avid pickleball player who suggested that Miles and Peterson could perhaps play doubles.
Miles, who could possibly get a chance at parole in two years, took another moment to explain how he’s turned his life around. He said his girlfriend, Tessa Morado, and her children are his inspiration, and he wants to be a better man for them.
