Scott Peterson: From Death Row to Life Without Parole

Scott Peterson murdered his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn son Conner in December 2002, in a case that gripped America and exposed deep fractures in how capital trials are conducted.

Laci Denise Peterson, seven and a half months pregnant, vanished on Christmas Eve 2002 from her home in Modesto, California. Her husband Scott reported her missing that evening after returning from what he claimed was a fishing trip to the Berkeley Marina. More than three months later, decomposed remains of both Laci and her unborn son washed ashore in San Francisco Bay in April 2003—just miles from where Scott said he had been fishing that morning. DNA testing confirmed their identities.

Scott Peterson became the primary suspect almost immediately. When arrested on April 18, 2003, at a golf course near the Mexican border in San Diego, authorities found his vehicle packed with cash, his brother's identification, multiple cell phones, knives, and credit cards. His hair had been dyed blonde. Police also discovered that Scott had been conducting an extramarital affair with Amber Frey, a massage therapist. Recorded conversations revealed Scott lying repeatedly to Frey—most notably claiming to be in Paris when he was actually in California.

The prosecution built a circumstantial case against him. Prosecutors argued Scott strangled or smothered Laci on the night of December 23 or the morning of December 24—a "soft kill" that left no blood or obvious weapon. The evidence was largely circumstantial: Scott's suspicious behavior after Laci's disappearance, his lies to his mistress, his interest in selling the house in January 2003, his mounting financial problems ($23,000 in credit card debt), and the location where Laci's body was discovered near where he claimed to have been fishing. Jurors cited "hundreds of small puzzle pieces" that together painted a portrait of guilt.