Why did Scott kill Laci? New Netflix documentary examines the Peterson case

November marks the twentieth anniversary of Scott Peterson's conviction for killing his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Connor.

MODESTO, Calif. – A new Netflix documentary revisits a crime that shocked a California city and the nation in 2002: An eight-month pregnant woman was killed and her husband was later arrested for killing her and their unborn son.

“American Murder: Laci Peterson,” released Wednesday, examines the case of Scott Peterson after his wife Laci disappeared from their Modesto home on Christmas Eve 2002.

The three-part series also looks at Peterson's arrest in April 2003, which only came after his lover identified herself and testified that he had told her that his 27-year-old wife was gone a month before she actually disappeared.

November marks the twentieth anniversary of Scott Peterson's conviction for killing his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Connor.

Anamnesis

Here is a timeline of the Scott Peterson case.

Scott Peterson and Laci Peterson's stepfather reported them missing to police. Laci was eight months pregnant with her son, Connor.

A few days after the decomposed body of a woman and her fetus washed ashore in San Francisco Bay, the DNA matched that of Laci Peterson and her unborn son. Scott Peterson was arrested the same day.

Scott Peterson pleads not guilty to the premeditated murder of his wife and the premeditated murder of their unborn son.

June 1, 2004 – November 3, 2004

The trial of Scott Peterson lasted five months. One of the jurors was dismissed when it was revealed that she was researching the case. She was replaced by an alternate juror.

Scott Peterson is found guilty on both murder charges.

A judge sentenced Scott Peterson to death by lethal injection. The jury unanimously recommended that the death sentence be imposed months earlier.

Scott Peterson's attorney appealed the conviction, arguing that there was no fair trial.

Scott Peterson appealed a second time, claiming that a juror failed to disclose that she was allegedly threatened by her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend while she was pregnant.

The California Supreme Court overturned his death sentence but upheld his conviction.

After months of hearings, a judge denied Scott Peterson's request for a retrial.

The Los Angeles Innocence Project took up Scott Peterson's case and asked a court to order new DNA tests and allow its investigators to search for new evidence.