Seth Peterson appeared in front of Judge George Harmond in Seventh District Court Wednesday evening for sentencing for his involvement in two murders in 2016.
On Nov. 2, 2016, dispatch received an emergency call stating that someone had just witnessed the defendant shoot an individual and possibly a second victim in Hiawatha. After officers responded to the call, Peterson was taken into custody and charged for allegedly murdering his mother, Susan, and brother, James. These charges were filed as first degree felonies. The defendant was also charged with attempted aggravated assault and aggravated robbery, both first degree felonies, and failure to stop or respond at the command of police, a third degree felony.
Back in December, nearly four months before his sentencing, a jury found Peterson guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter on count one against his mother, Susan Peterson, and guilty of aggravated murder on count two against his brother, James Peterson. The jury also found Peterson guilty of count three, attempted aggravated murder, guilty of count four, aggravated robbery, and guilty of count five, failure to stop or respond at the command of police.
Peterson was sentenced to each count concurrently to a term of 25 to life in prison on the most serious count, count two of aggravated murder.