Who was Laci Peterson, the Californian from the new Netflix series?

Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant when she was reported missing on Christmas Eve 2002. The disappearance of the Modesto woman and her unborn child attracted national attention, and her husband, Scott Peterson, was later convicted of killing Laci Peterson and her child.

The tragic case is the subject of a new Netflix docuseries called “American Murder: Laci Peterson,” and the spotlight on the Petersons will continue in “Face to Face with Scott Peterson,” a Peacock docuseries focusing on Scott Peterson’s “side of the story” premiering August 20.

Who was Laci Peterson?

Laci Peterson was a substitute teacher who was described as “bubbly, spirited and the life of every party,” SF Gate reported in 2003.

Born in 1975, Laci was a high school cheerleader and softball player. She attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, the Associated Press reported in 2004. She studied horticulture. There she met her husband, and the two married in 1997. According to the AP, the couple moved to Modesto to be near Laci's family.

What happened to Laci Peterson?

On December 23, 2002, Laci Peterson and her husband visited her sister Amy Rocha. That evening, she spoke to her mother, Sharon, on the phone. The following day, Christmas Eve, Scott and her stepfather reported Laci missing.

Scott told police he last saw his wife that morning at their home in central California. He went fishing and told police he was at the Berkeley Marina, although Rocha later testified he said he had been golfing that day, AP reported. When Scott returned home, Laci's car was in the driveway, but his wife was not there.