Laci Peterson Murder

Modesto, California, USA · 2002

solved Other violent crime December 24, 2002

Perpetrator

Scott Peterson

Scott Lee Peterson was a fertilizer salesman living in Modesto, California, married to Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant with their son Conner. During the investigation he was revealed to have been having an affair with Amber Frey. He was convicted in 2004 of the murders of his wife and unborn son.

Victims

Laci Peterson (27)
Conner Peterson (unborn)

Location

523 Covena Avenue, Modesto, California, USA

Summary

Scott Peterson murdered his eight-months-pregnant wife Laci on Christmas Eve. Her body washed ashore months later near where Scott claimed to be fishing alone.

Details

Laci Peterson, 27, was reported missing on December 24, 2002; Scott claimed he had gone fishing alone at the Berkeley Marina in San Francisco Bay. Suspicion grew after mistress Amber Frey came forward. In April 2003 the decomposed remains of Laci and the fetus washed ashore in the bay near where Scott said he had been fishing. He was arrested in San Diego with dyed hair, cash, and survival gear. In November 2004 a jury convicted him of first-degree murder of Laci and second-degree murder of Conner; he was sentenced to death. The California Supreme Court overturned the death sentence in 2020, and in 2021 he was resentenced to life in prison without parole.

Background

Laci Denise Peterson (née Rocha) was born on May 4, 1975, in Modesto, California. She was widely described by family and friends as outgoing and warm. She met Scott Lee Peterson, born October 24, 1972, in San Diego, while both were students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The couple married in 1997 and eventually settled in Modesto, where Scott worked as a fertilizer salesman and Laci had worked as a substitute teacher before her pregnancy.

At the time of her disappearance, Laci was approximately eight months pregnant with the couple's first child, a boy they planned to name Conner. She was due in February 2003. To outward appearances the marriage seemed stable, and the pregnancy had been publicly celebrated among the couple's extended family and friends, which made her sudden disappearance especially alarming to those who knew her.

The Disappearance

Laci Peterson was reported missing on December 24, 2002 (Christmas Eve). Scott Peterson told police that he had left their Modesto home that morning to go fishing alone at the Berkeley Marina in the San Francisco Bay, roughly 90 miles away, and that Laci was gone when he returned. Her family and the community mounted an extensive search, and the case quickly drew national media attention because of Laci's advanced pregnancy and her photogenic, sympathetic public image.

Volunteers, police, and family distributed fliers and organized vigils. As the investigation continued, attention increasingly focused on inconsistencies in Scott Peterson's account and on the unusual nature of his solo fishing trip on Christmas Eve. The story dominated American news coverage in late 2002 and into 2003, becoming one of the most heavily reported missing-person cases of its era.

Investigation and Arrest

During the investigation, police learned that Scott Peterson had been having an extramarital affair with a Fresno woman named Amber Frey, who later cooperated with authorities and recorded phone conversations with him. The revelation undercut Scott's portrayal of a devoted husband and intensified suspicion. Investigators noted that the location where he claimed to have been fishing was near where the remains would later surface.

In mid-April 2003, the remains of a near-term male fetus and, separately, the partial remains of an adult woman washed ashore along the San Francisco Bay shoreline in the Richmond/Point Isabel area, not far from the Berkeley Marina. DNA testing confirmed the remains were those of Laci Peterson and the unborn child, Conner. Scott Peterson was arrested on April 18, 2003, near La Jolla in the San Diego area. At the time of his arrest he had dyed his hair, carried a large sum of cash, and possessed items that prosecutors later characterized as suggesting preparation to flee.

Trial and Outcome

Scott Peterson was charged with two counts of murder — one for Laci and one for the unborn child under California law. Due to extensive pretrial publicity in Stanislaus County, the trial was moved to Redwood City in San Mateo County. The trial began in 2004 and was carried extensively by television and print media.

The prosecution's case was largely circumstantial; no eyewitness or direct physical evidence definitively established how or exactly where Laci was killed. Prosecutors argued that Scott killed Laci in or near their home and disposed of her body in the bay, pointing to his affair, his behavior, his shifting statements, and the location of the recovered remains. On November 12, 2004, the jury found Scott Peterson guilty of first-degree murder for Laci and second-degree murder for Conner. In 2005 he was sentenced to death and held at San Quentin State Prison.

Appeals and Aftermath

In August 2020, the California Supreme Court overturned Scott Peterson's death sentence, finding that the trial court had made errors in dismissing prospective jurors during jury selection who expressed general opposition to the death penalty. The conviction itself was not overturned by that ruling. In 2021, a San Mateo County court resentenced Peterson to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The California Supreme Court also referred a claim regarding potential juror misconduct for further review. Subsequent court proceedings denied Peterson a new trial on that basis. The case has remained the subject of continued legal filings and renewed public interest, including documentary and streaming productions. The Laci Peterson case is frequently cited in discussions of media saturation in American criminal trials and contributed to public debate over fetal homicide statutes such as the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

Video Coverage

Frequently asked questions

What was the Laci Peterson Murder case?

Scott Peterson murdered his eight-months-pregnant wife Laci on Christmas Eve. Her body washed ashore months later near where Scott claimed to be fishing alone.

Who was responsible for Laci Peterson Murder?

Scott Peterson. Scott Lee Peterson was a fertilizer salesman living in Modesto, California, married to Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant with their son Conner. During the investigation he was revealed to have been having an affair with Amber Frey. He was convicted in 2004 of the murders of his wife and unborn son.

Who were the victims of the Laci Peterson Murder case?

The named victims were Laci Peterson, Conner Peterson (unborn).

Where and when did the Laci Peterson Murder case take place?

It took place in Modesto, California, USA in 2002.

Was the Laci Peterson Murder case solved?

This case is recorded as solved.

Sources & further reading

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