On August 20th, Peacock will premiere a new three-part documentary series called “Face to Face with Scott Peterson.” The series allows Peterson, who has been in prison since 2004 for murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son, to publicly share his side of the story for the first time. Peterson claims he is innocent and was wrongly convicted.
Peterson, now 51, was found guilty in 2004 based on circumstantial evidence. He has remained behind bars at Mule Creek State Prison ever since. However, the Los Angeles Innocence Project took up his case earlier this year, arguing Peterson did not receive an adequate defense and reasonable doubts exist regarding his guilt.
In the documentary, Peterson hopes sharing his story will help alleviate some of the pain his family has endured over the two decades since Laci’s disappearance and death. He admits to having an affair but calls it a “casual sexual fling” due to loneliness, not motive for murder. Peterson also questions the police investigation and prosecution’s timeline of events.
The documentary presents other theories surrounding Laci’s death, including the possibility that burglars who targeted a nearby home were responsible for abducting and killing her. Peterson’s former defense attorney supports this theory. However, Modesto Police detectives Al Brocchini and Jon Buehler, who are interviewed for the series, remain convinced of Peterson’s guilt based on the evidence.
Critics argue the documentary fails to conclusively prove Peterson’s innocence because many of these alternative theories have been explored before, including in a 2017 A&E series on the case. As debate over Peterson’s guilt reignites, viewers will have to determine for themselves whether his claims of innocence are now more compelling after two decades in prison.
