Mother And Unborn Child Found Floating Dead — Cheating Husband Who Still Says He's Innocent
Twenty years ago, America watched in horror as a heartbreaking Christmas Eve mystery unfolded: the disappearance of Laci Peterson, a young, pregnant woman, from her Modesto, California, home. What started as a missing person's case soon spiraled into a full-blown media frenzy when her husband, Scott Peterson, became the prime suspect. This story is filled with twists, accusations, and Scott Peterson's own insistence of innocence — a claim he continues to make to this day.
Who Was Laci Peterson?
Laci Peterson, just 27 years old, was eight months pregnant when she went missing on Dec. 24, 2002. Described as warm and outgoing, she had married Scott five years prior, and the couple was eagerly awaiting the birth of their son, whom they planned to name Conner. But on Christmas Eve, Scott told police he had gone fishing at the Berkeley Marina, only to return home and find Laci gone. The search for her became one of the most widely reported events in California, as friends, family, and even strangers gathered to search and hold vigils.
A Fatal Discovery
Months later, the worst fears were confirmed. In April 2003, the bodies of Laci and her unborn son washed ashore in San Francisco Bay, not far from where Scott claimed to have been fishing. The remains were so badly decomposed that identifying them was a grim process, and they provided no direct clues as to how she had died. But this tragic discovery only fueled suspicion around Scott, who was soon arrested near San Diego with bleached hair, thousands of dollars in cash, and his brother's ID — details that raised questions about his intentions.
Scott Peterson mugshot, October, 2022. Photo courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Public domain.
Scott's Secret Life
As police dug deeper, they uncovered Scott's affair with a massage therapist named Amber Frey, who later testified against him. Frey told investigators that Scott had lied to her, saying he was single. In a recorded call, he even talked about "being together" with her for the rest of their lives. Prosecutors painted him as a man eager to escape the responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood, suggesting that he murdered Laci to start a new life with Frey. This portrayal became a focal point of the trial, making Scott's cold demeanor in the days following Laci's disappearance even more damning.
The Trial That Captivated a Nation
Scott Peterson's 2004 trial was a media circus. Relatives testified that he showed more emotion over burning chicken at a barbecue than over his missing wife. Prosecutors argued that his fishing trip was a cover-up for disposing of her body. Although Scott chose not to testify, his defense claimed he was simply a man in an unhappy marriage who made poor choices — but not a murderer. After five months of testimony, the jury delivered its verdict: guilty of the murders of Laci and Conner.
A Lifetime of Denial
Scott has spent the last two decades behind bars, still claiming he didn't kill his wife. In interviews for the Peacock® docuseries "Face to Face with Scott Peterson," he admitted regret over his affair but remained firm that he had nothing to do with Laci's death. His legal team has argued that the real killers may have been burglars Laci confronted, while others claim the investigation was marred by bias and poor evidence handling.
An Ongoing Battle
In 2020, Scott's death sentence was overturned due to flaws in jury selection, though his conviction stands. Recently, the Los Angeles Innocence Project has taken up his case, seeking new evidence to clear his name. Meanwhile, Laci Peterson remains a haunting symbol of lost innocence, her story immortalized in documentaries, books, and the memories of millions who followed every twist and turn of the case.
Whether Scott Peterson is guilty or innocent, one thing is clear: Laci Peterson's tragic death left an indelible mark on the American psyche, and the search for the full truth continues.
References: 20 years after Scott Peterson's conviction, Laci Peterson's murder is revisited in new documentaries | Scott Peterson gives 1st interview in 21 years. What he thinks happened to Laci Peterson
