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Who Was Laci Peterson? The Victim of Netflix’s American Murder and Peacock’s Face to Face With Scott Peterson
The 2002 murder of pregnant Laci Peterson and the eventual conviction of her husband Scott Peterson in 2004 is the subject of two new documentaries by Peacock and Netflix.
Trigger Warning: This article contains gruesome details of murder and violence.
The 2002 murder of pregnant Laci Peterson and the eventual conviction of her husband, Scott Peterson, in 2004, are the focus of two new documentaries. Twenty years after the conviction, streaming giants Netflix and Peacock have revisited the case that captivated the nation, each offering a unique perspective supported by rare interviews and unseen footage.
Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson delves deeper into the examinations, investigations, and interviews with Laci’s mother and childhood friends. Meanwhile, Peacock’s three-part docuseries Face to Face With Scott Peterson centers on the convicted murderer’s bid for a new trial to prove his innocence, highlighting the support he’s received from the LA Innocence Project.
Who was Laci Peterson?
Laci Peterson, maiden name Rocha, was a 27-year-old woman who disappeared from her Modesto, California, home on Christmas Eve, 2002. She was eight months pregnant with her first child with her husband, Scott Lee Peterson, a fertilizer salesman in Modesto, according to The Modesto Bee. Her stepfather reported her missing, leading to an investigation that eventually resulted in Scott being suspected and later convicted of killing Laci and their unborn son, Conner, in 2004.
The remains of Laci and Conner were discovered on the shores of San Francisco Bay in April 2003, leading to Scott’s arrest. Despite pleading not guilty, Scott was charged with first-degree murder for Laci’s death and second-degree murder for the death of their child. He was sentenced to death in November 2004, but the California Supreme Court resentenced him to life in prison without parole in 2020, as reported by CBS News.
This resentencing occurred after it was revealed that potential jurors had allegedly been improperly dismissed during the trial.
According to sources, Scott claimed that Laci had gone out to walk their dog at a park while he went fishing at Berkeley Marina on the day she went missing. This led to a police search at East La Loma Park. Scott reportedly returned home to find Laci missing, though her purse and car remained untouched.
Scott’s former mistress, Amber Frey, who later authored a book under the pen name Donna Thomas, claimed that Scott confessed to the murder during a prison visit. She alleged that Scott strangled Laci in their kitchen on Christmas Eve and disposed of her body at the marina, waiting for the fishing boats to pass before committing the act. Frey and Scott allegedly had an affair for 14 years, and she initially vouched for his innocence until the alleged confession.
However, inconsistencies in Frey’s account have raised questions about the authenticity of her claims.
Scott, now 51, is serving a life sentence at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione. He continues to maintain his innocence, as highlighted in the new Peacock documentary, which features the first interview with Scott Peterson since before his conviction in 2003.
What is Netflix’s documentary about?
Netflix premiered the latest documentary, American Murder: Laci Peterson, on Wednesday, August 15, 2024. The three-part series delves into the developments of the murder case that captivated the nation, featuring rare interviews with Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha, and Scott’s former mistress, Amber Frey.
The docuseries revisits the chilling details of the crime, including footage of the call from Laci’s stepfather to the police and scenes from Scott’s court trials, as shown in the trailer. Laci’s childhood friends also share their perspectives on Scott and their impressions of the couple's relationship.
“Laci believed that he was who he presented himself to be,” Sharon Rocha says in the trailer. American Murder: Laci Peterson is directed by Skye Borgman.
Peacock’s documentary explores Scott Peterson’s story
Unlike Netflix’s approach, Peacock has shocked viewers by narrating the convicted killer Scott Peterson’s side of the story in their new docuseries Face to Face with Scott Peterson, set to release on Tuesday, August 20, just a week after Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson.
Peacock's series presents conflicting views from those involved in the 2002 murder case. While many still view Scott as guilty, the case has been reopened with demands for a reassessment of the evidence to prove his innocence two decades after his conviction.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project took on Peterson’s case in July 2024. The documentary features interviews with his family members, detectives, and representatives from the LA Innocence Project, highlighting the inconsistencies in the police department’s handling of evidence that may have impacted the trial.
In the trailer, Scott’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, suggests that there is no direct evidence linking him to the murder. The docuseries also features Scott Peterson’s first interview since 2003, where he continues to assert his innocence, stating that he “did not kill his family.”
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ALSO READ: American Murder: What Really Happened To Laci Peterson? Find Out
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