Joann Peterson killed her son-in-law with the help of her son and former husband. They accused him of sexually assaulting their then-toddler granddaughter.
Oxygen is returning with the Season 31 of Snapped, a true crime documentary featuring Joann Peterson’s story. The episode will premiere on July 24, 2022.
Snapped Features Joann Peterson Story- Where Is She Today?
Joann Peterson’s story of killing her son-in-law, Peter Zeihen, will be portrayed in the Season 31 of Snapped. She killed her former son-in-law with the help of her ex-husband and son.
In court, she and her former partner, Goldberg, claimed they killed Zeihen after stalking and abusing him for sexually abusing their then-toddler granddaughter. However, police and child welfare investigations found no evidence of the accusations.
On November 18, 1991, he was outside his Spokane Valley apartment complex when he was shot in the head at close range with a 12-gauge shotgun. Peterson was the one who carried out the shooting while ostensibly wearing a man’s clothing.
Her former husband drove the gateway vehicle, and they roamed freely until 1999. Then, in October 1999, the couple’s son and one of their daughters submitted information implicating their parents in the case, as per The Seattle Times.
The murder was jointly perpetrated by Morris Goldberg and his ex-wife, whom he later admitted to authorities. Peterson was given a 25-year prison term after entering a guilty plea in January 2001, whereas Goldberg was sentenced to life imprisonment, but later, it was reduced to 27 years.
Thus, Joann is still serving her prison sentence. There was no information on if she was eligible for parole or not.
Peter Ziehen Murder Details
Peter Zeihen was killed when he was 40 years old. He was embroiled in a fierce custody battle with his separated wife.
During that time, he had faced several murder attempts on him. Before his murder, a stalker had emptied a.357 handguns at him. Because of his fear for his life, he purchased a handgun and a bulletproof vest to protect himself.
Sadly, they could not save him either, as Joan Peterson shot him to death outside his Spokane Valley apartment in 1991. Detectives suspected the involvement of Peterson’s family in Zeihen’s murder from the start.
Still, the case was unsolved for nearly nine years before two of Goldberg and Peterson’s adult children flew from Denver to Spokane and told sheriff’s officers about the killing.
Federal authorities were looking into Peterson at the time for having a machine gun at her isolated residence close to Moyie Springs, Idaho.
Joann Peterson Husband Morris “Mel” Goldberg Died In Prison
Joann Peterson’s husband, Morris “Mel” Goldberg, admitted that on November 18, 1991, he helped his ex-wife to kill Peter Zeihen. He was responsible for the murder plan and driving the gateway vehicle.
The judge had given him a life sentence in prison with no possibility of parole. However, his prison sentence was later reduced from life imprisonment to 27 years.
But, he died before he could finish the sentencing. He died in 2020, nearly after two decades of spending his life in prison. Since it was amid the pandemic, there was a test for covid-19, but it turned out negative, and his cause of death was said to be investigated later, but no news was announced after that.