More than two decades after Laci Peterson’s murder captivated the nation, new developments continue to generate discussion over what happened. In December 2002, Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant, disappeared from her home in Modesto, California. Her disappearance quickly focused suspicion on her husband Scott, who had reported her missing after returning from a solo fishing trip.
When Laci’s body washed ashore in San Francisco Bay the following April, authorities arrested Scott for the murders of his wife and unborn son. At his highly publicized 2004 trial, prosecutors argued Scott killed Laci to escape fatherhood and pursue his extramarital affair. They cited his calm demeanor after she vanished and taped phone calls where he did not mention her. The jury convicted Scott and sentenced him to death.
However, questions surrounding the case persist. In 2020, the California Supreme Court overturned Scott’s death sentence due to jury selection errors while upholding his conviction.
Since then, the Los Angeles Innocence Project has taken up Scott’s appeals, arguing for new DNA testing and presenting previously unheard jail calls as potential evidence of his innocence. They have also pointed to discrepancies around an unresolved burglary near the Peterson home on the day Laci disappeared.
So far the judge has approved retesting just one piece of duct tape found on Laci’s body. As the DNA results remain pending and more motions await rulings, divisive debate continues over whether Scott received a fair trial.
Some believe the conviction was justified given the evidence presented. Others now question his guilt in light of ongoing appeals and the Netflix and Peacock documentaries that sparked renewed interest in the mysterious and emotionally-charged case. More than twenty years later, resolution remains elusive.
