Laci Peterson revisits shocking true crime case

The new investigative thriller from Netflix, American Murder: Laci Petersonis now streaming. This miniseries delves into one of the most notorious true crime mysteries: Who killed 27-year-old Laci Peterson and her unborn son, and was her husband Scott Peterson the perpetrator?

American Murder: Laci Peterson centers on the case of Peterson, who was eight months pregnant with her first child when she disappeared from her home on Christmas Eve 2002. The media quickly picked up the story, making Peterson a household name while her family and friends frantically searched for her. When her remains were finally found, police began pressing charges against her husband, Scott Peterson, who maintains his innocence to this day.

Two decades after Scott's conviction, the three-part Netflix series revisits Peterson's disappearance, investigation and trial using news clips, interrogation footage and courtroom cameras. The series includes interviews with investigators, lawyers and jurors, as well as Amber Frey, the woman Peterson was with during his wife's disappearance. In a rare interview, Laci's mother Sharon Rocha also speaks in depth for the first time since her daughter's death.

All three episodes of American Murder: Laci Peterson are now streaming on Netflix. As you watch, you can delve into the details of Laci's murder and find out why the Los Angeles Innocence Project is now involved in Scott's case.

What happened to Laci Peterson?

Laci Peterson, who was 27 and eight months pregnant, was last seen at her home in Modesto, California, on December 24, 2002. Her husband, Scott Peterson, said he went fishing at the Berkley Marina that day and returned to find their dog on a leash in the backyard. There was no sign of Laci.

Family, friends and police began searching for Laci. Scott Peterson cooperated with authorities during the investigation, which became a media frenzy after details of Scott's affair became public.

He was dating Amber Frey, a Fresno massage therapist who revealed she had a relationship with Scott. “Scott told me he wasn't married,” the woman told a room full of reporters, according to NBC Bay Area. “We had a romantic relationship.”

Prosecutors revealed that Peterson told his lover that he had “lost” his wife and would be spending his first Christmas alone, even though Laci was still alive at the time of that conversation.

Where were Laci Peterson's remains found?

Four months after their disappearance, the bodies of Laci Peterson and her unborn child Conner were washed up on the shores of San Francisco Bay in April 2003.

ABC News reported on the condition of the bodies of Laci and her unborn baby after reviewing the entire autopsy and the medical examiner's photos. (Warning: The details are graphic, so be cautious when reading the article.)

When did the police arrest Scott Peterson?

According to the Los Angeles Times, federal and local authorities arrested Scott Peterson near a golf course in La Jolla in San Diego on Friday, April 18, 2023, just days after the bodies of Laci and Conner were found in San Francisco Bay.

The newspaper reported that Modesto police, the California Highway Patrol and federal agents had been monitoring Peterson for months using “wiretapping devices, vehicle tracking devices and direct surveillance.” Scott pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges at his arraignment.

What was Was Scott Peterson convicted?

The trial of Scott Peterson for the murder of Laci Peterson began in June 2004 and lasted five months. The jury ultimately convicted Scott of the premeditated murder of Laci Peterson and the premeditated murder of his son.

The jury recommended that Scott receive the death penalty, and a judge sentenced him to death in 2005. According to NBC News, he described the murders as “cruel, loveless, heartless and ruthless.”

After Scott Peterson spent more than 15 years on death row, the California Supreme Court overturned the conviction against him in 2020, finding in a ruling that there were a “number of clear and serious errors in jury selection” that violated United States Supreme Court precedent.

ForbesDeath sentence overturned for Scott Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife LaciFrom Elana Lyn Gross

The decision states that the court “wrongly rejected” numerous potential jurors despite the fact that they had expressed their opposition to the death penalty in written questionnaires and had assured the court that those views would not affect their ability to obey the law.

A year later, Scott was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for Laci's death. A judge sentenced him to 15 years to life in prison for the unborn baby's death.

In recent years, Peterson's team pushed for a retrial, which a judge denied in 2022. They accused Juror 7, a woman named Richelle Nice, of withholding details of her personal life because she failed to disclose that she was a victim of domestic violence and had sought a restraining order in 2000 because she feared her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend would harm her unborn baby, according to NBC News.

Meanwhile, Peterson's lawyers argued that Laci was killed after accidentally discovering a burglary.

Where is Scott Peterson now?

Scott Peterson is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at Mule Creek State Prison and has maintained his innocence for 22 years.

Peterson also gave his first interview in more than two decades for Peacock’s upcoming documentary, Face to face with Scott Petersonwhich will air on August 20th. Series director Shareen Anderson conducted the interview.

“Why would anyone want to hear your side of the story?” Scott was asked in a trailer for the upcoming Peacock series. “Because I didn't kill my family,” he replied.

ForbesConvicted murderer Scott Peterson gives his first interview in decades for the documentary series “Face To Face”From Mary Whitfill Roeloffs

American Murder director Skye Borgman told We weekly that Scott did not want to appear in the Netflix documentary. “We contacted Scott and had a few conversations with him in prison,” said the director. “He ultimately decided not to participate in our documentary.”

Borgman added that Scott's lack of involvement was “fine” because the docuseries “included his family's perspective and we wanted it to be very, very Laci-centric.”

Why is the Innocence Project involved in the Scott Peterson case?

The Los Angeles Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rehabilitating the wrongfully convicted, announced earlier this year that it would take on Peterson's case.

“The Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP) represents Scott Peterson and is investigating his claim of factual innocence,” a spokesman for the organization said in a statement at the time.

Scott's new lawyers from the Innocence Project hope to reopen his case by looking for new DNA evidence from questionable samples, using modern technology that has improved since his first conviction. The only new DNA test the court has allowed is a single piece of tape found on Laci Peterson's pants during the autopsy, NBC Bay Area reports.

Watch the trailer for American Murder: Laci Peterson below.