Laci Peterson’s shocking murder revisited in new documentaries

Full episode: Peterson case continues to captivate

Laci Peterson's murder made national headlines back in 2002, even before her husband was convicted. Over 20 years later, as Scott Peterson maintains his innocence, the case continues to captivate Americans. In this LiveNOW & Then full episode, we look at how the media covered the case as it progressed.

SAN FRANCISCO - The chilling murder of Laci Peterson over 20 years ago captured the nation’s attention, and the case has drawn renewed interest with the release of two new documentaries.

Who was Laci Peterson?

Laci Peterson disappeared from her home in Modesto, California on Christmas Eve in 2002. The 27-year-old woman was married to Scott Peterson, and she was eight months pregnant with their son, Conner, when she vanished.

File: This undated photo shows Laci Peterson, 27, who disappeared when she was eight-months pregnant. (Photo by Getty Images)

Scott Peterson reported Laci missing after allegedly returning from a solo fishing trip to find their Modesto home empty. Four months after Laci went missing, the bodies of the woman and her unborn son washed ashore in April 2003 near Scott’s fishing spot in the San Francisco Bay.

The search made national headlines.

"Veterans like myself, immediately know why this case transformed the Bay Area and transfixed the nation, and so it just depends on where you are," Henry Lee, a crime reporter with KTVU FOX 2 in San Francisco, told FOX Television Stations. "I think people will remember this case for a long time. We're still standing by to see how it ends."

File: Scott Peterson gets a hug from his sister-in-law Alison Peterson from San Diego who arrived to help distribute posters. Laci's photo is on poster in background. (Photo by Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Amber Frey "bombshell"

When Scott Peterson was being questioned by police, a startling revelation in the case emerged that he was having an affair with a woman named Amber Frey.

Frey went to police when she learned about Laci's disappearance. Peterson allegedly told Frey that his wife was alive and pregnant but had gone missing. Frey began recording her phone conversations with Peterson to help police.

Prosecutors used photos of Scott Peterson and Amber Frey in his trial for Laci's murder (KTVU/file)

"That was a bombshell because she [Amber Frey] ultimately recorded conversations on the phone and that were turned over to the police," Lee said. "But this was a bombshell, because he told Amber this will be the first Christmas without my wife before Lacey ever disappeared. So, it was damning circumstantial evidence suggesting that at least Scott may have been considering to kill Lacey."

Scott Peterson was arrested in 2003, and a year later was on trial for murder and found guilty in 2004. He was sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court overturned Scott’s death penalty sentence in 2020. His conviction was upheld, and he was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In January 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project, a group that works to exonerate wrongfully convicted people, stepped up to help Scott Peterson pushing for a second look at his trial and DNA evidence testing they felt would acquit him of murder.

Scott Peterson in court (KTVU/file)

Months later, a judge ruled in May 2024 that Scott Peterson's attorneys could test duct tape found on Laci Peterson's pants after her body washed ashore in Richmond, California, but the judge rejected requests to test a mattress found in a burned van in Modesto, California, and other items sought by the defense for testing.

"One specific piece that a San Mateo County judge has allowed for retesting is a piece of duct tape found on Lacey's body during her autopsy, so the defense is trying to argue there might be someone else's DNA found on that duct tape, and if there is, that might be the person who is responsible and not Scott. But on the other side, you have some of the original Modesto, Stanislaus County DAs, the same ones I saw in court back in 2003, there today and this year. I’m stunned to see them so many years later. They are adamantly saying there is enough evidence that shows and proves that Scott Peterson is where he is supposed to be, which is in prison."

Laci and Scott Peterson (KTVU/file)

Reflecting on the Peterson case

When Scott Peterson’s trial concluded, Lee reflected on covering the case.

"It was almost surreal to see the same people you see on TV, in person in court. You see Scott's parents, you see his family there every single day, and to see the same sisters, brothers in court today, in this current year, so many years later, it's just a reminder, you know, they are adamantly, steadfastly believing that their loved one is wrongly accused. And so, it's just a reminder that, you know, once the thinking case is done and over, there are appeals, there are lab tests, there are retesting of the evidence and many appeals that can be done, and he has not given up yet."

‘American Murder’ documentary

Netflix released "American Murder: Laci Peterson" on Aug. 14. The three-part docuseries investigates the disappearance of Peterson Christmas Eve in 2002 and the tragic death of the woman and her unborn son.

The series features a rare interview with Sharon Rocha, Laci's mom, along with Laci's friends and Scott's former girlfriend Amber Frey.

‘Face to Face with Scott Peterson’ documentary

On Aug. 20, Peacock debuted "Face to Face With Scott Peterson," a three-episode series touted as the first prison interview with Scott. In the series, he maintains his innocence and shares his theory on what really happened to Laci Peterson.

Scott told filmmakers in the documentary that a burglary occurred near his home, claiming that Laci went over to find out what was going on and that she was taken, FOX News noted.

One of the convicted burglars testified that the break-in happened on Dec. 26, 2002, instead of Dec. 24, when Laci went missing.

Reporters and legal analysts interviewed in the Peacock docuseries said that witnesses told authorities that they saw a suspicious van around Peterson's Modesto home on December 24. One witness even claimed they saw a pregnant woman being forced into a van.

The burglary was not mentioned in Scott Peterson's trial in 2004, and he cites this as evidence that police did not turn over evidence during the discovery process that could have freed him.