An In Touch exclusive used documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act to reveal the items that Peterson receives from the commissary on a regular basis, including fat-free milk, smoked scallops and oysters, granola, multivitamins, sugar-free honey and weight-gain protein tablets. According to the 219-page book, Peterson, now 35, strangled his 27-year-old wife, tied four cement weights to her wrists and ankles and drove to the Berkeley Marina. Scott was arraigned on April 21, 2003, and charged with two counts of premeditated murder. I'm never going to get over this. Subsequently, husband Scott was convicted of In 1994, while a student at California Polytechnic, Laci met Scott Peterson through a mutual friend. Peterson, who first met with Modesto police in a nearby park where Laci was known to walk the couple's pet dog, was acting strangely (via Rolling Stone). Laci Peterson deserved a faithful husband. Peterson's car, however, told a completely different story. MURDERED: Laci Peterson By audiochuck. After months of fruitless searches, a couple walking along a path in the San Francisco Bay area discovered the remains of a male fetus on April 13, 2003 (via ABC News). Those were red flags.". LACI Peterson was murdered by her husband Scott Peterson on Christmas Eve, 2002. Scott was given the death penalty. Connor, with whom Laci was still pregnant at her death, was included as a murder victim under California's fetal homicide law that protects any fetus eight-weeks-old. ", Knowing that the media would find out, they showed Laci's family the photographic evidence of Scott's infidelity that Frey had provided, and the penny finally dropped. The contents of a later phone call between Peterson and his father were recorded, however, and it didn't paint them in a good light. When Scott Peterson returned from what he told officers was a fishing trip to Berkeley Marina on December 24, 2002, his wife was supposedly missing. Even more recently, Peterson's attorneys are currently trying to overturn the conviction entirely, claiming that one of the jurors lied her way onto the jury (via ABC News). "When we questioned him a couple of hours after he got home, he didn't know what he was fishing for or what bait he was using. Thomas (who claims to have been involved with Peterson on-and-off for 14 years) claims that he told her how he strangled his wife, fixed cement weights to her body and drove it to Berkeley Marina. This is the untold truth of the Laci Peterson murder case. When Detective Brocchini asked Peterson about the phone calls he made the morning that Laci went missing, he neglected to tell him about one he made to his father, Lee Arthur Peterson. Not only did he have his brother's passport and $15,000 in cash on his person, a search of his vehicle uncovered knives, rope, a shovel and a map to Frey's place of work. The network said they wanted to delve into the evidence not shown to the jury and "bring forth a different perspective that could lead to a new trial and review Peterson's twisted web of lies which led to the ultimate demise of his family.". Laci Rocha Peterson, eight months pregnant with a son, was last seen by her husband, Scott Peterson, at 9:30 that very same morning. Sibley later discovered the truth about Peterson, but he cried as he talked his way out of it, telling her he lost his wife emotionally, not literally. They were his support." Scott Lee Peterson (born October 24, 1972) is an American convicted murderer who is currently incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. "Then I just slipped the photo across the table. Police noted his peculiar behavior from the start: He declined to take a polygraph the first night Laci was reported missing; his lack of interest in the investigation; his overall forgetfulness of the day's events. Peterson slouches back in his chair as he gets quizzed about the last time he saw Laci, appearing to not have a care in the world despite the fact that his pregnant wife is unaccounted for at 1AM in the middle of winter. "Some would say that Peterson showed more emotion over getting caught than about his missing wife. "The sixth vertebra is down on the neck between the shoulder blades, not a spot where it's easy to cut someone's head off. Another woman (who was referred to as Janet in the transcription of her police interview) came forward with details about an affair with Peterson, concerned that something he told her years ago could be of importance in the disappearance of his pregnant wife. Bye. Born in the small Californian city of Escalon in 1975, Laci Rocha grew up as a typical "girl-next-door." Brocchini found it. (Photo by California Department of Corrections via Getty Images) Nov 29, 2018 @ 13:00PM. Journalist Nancy Mullane, who was granted permission to interview Peterson for her 2012 book Life After Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption, confirmed that he was looking fit and well. Her disappearance happened on May 1, which (like December 24, the date Laci vanished) is a holy day in the Satanic calendar. Scott Peterson was arraigned on April 21st, 2003, and charged with two counts of murder. "Amber told me, 'Yeah, that's my boyfriend.' Scott met Laci during his college days. Four weeks after her disappearance and with Laci presumed dead by Peterson's hand by authorities at this point, Detective Brocchini decided to go over the first interview he After claiming that he had returned home to find his pregnant wife missing, Scott initially had the full support of friends, family and the media, though they all turned against him as details of his involvement began to emerge. "I just know that he did this," Bird said point blank. "Never once did he say 'Oh my God, where is Laci? True crime aficionados will likely be well acquainted with the Scott Peterson case. I couldnt stand being around her anymore! the remorseless monster declared nearly 16 years after the shocking killings that stunned the nation. ", Dr. Spitz also contested that baby Connor had been cut from the womb, with a tear near the top of Laci's uterus confirming a different (but no less horrific) end for him. With Gloria Gomez, Ted Rowlands, Nancy Grace, Chris Pixley. Scott quickly became the number one suspect in not only Laci's disappearance, but in her eventual murder, as well. California Supreme Court justices recently overturned Scott's death penalty sentencing on the basis that the original trial was "flawed for multiple reasons." Four weeks after her disappearance and with Laci presumed dead by Peterson's hand by authorities at this point, Detective Brocchini decided to go over the first interview he conducted to see what else his suspect might have tripped up on. It is very interesting that Peterson would compare himself to O.J. Dateline NBC ran a piece on Laci's murder to coincide with the 15 year anniversary of her disappearance, and in it they included clips of her former husband looking nonchalant as he fields questions about the day she vanished. ", Interviewing detective Al Brocchini immediately pointed out that Peterson's claim he made the call at 2.17pm was false, as the time stamp on the message read 12.17pmhe would have still been on his way to the marina, not about to leave it as he states in his message, and the parking lot receipt recovered by police proved that he arrived at his destination at 12.45pm. "It didn't matter if I had a hat on and glasses. I think I was kept, you know, as a confidante. LACI Peterson was murdered by her husband Scott Peterson on Christmas eve, 2002. We know that. A jury sentenced him to death by lethal injection. "It has definitely been a rollercoaster since December 24, 2002," Rocha told Dateline's Keith Morrison. She said she's never been involved in a lawsuit. And so, almost 15 years after Laci Peterson was murdered, the crime continues to be dissected for parts. ", The Untold Truth Of The Laci Peterson Murder Case, confirmed that he was looking fit and well. Police learned about their affair, because Ms. Ilse called the Laci Peterson A definitive factual account by those who lived and breathed it every day. The pair hit it off immediately, and after two years of dating, decided to move in together. She had dates down. It was exciting to think that Scott is calling this girl in Fresno while we're looking for his wife. "I think you'd be better off suggesting Saddam Hussein really did it," said Richard Ofshe, the author of Making Monsters: False Memories, Psychotherapy and Sexual Hysteria. He was their support. On November 12, 2004, Scott Peterson was convicted for the first degree murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, and the second degree murder for his son, Connor. About the Series. Similarities were also drawn with the Salida massacre of 1990 in which four people were slain at a trailer park by cult members, with Larry King even mentioning a possible connection to the Peterson case on his show. Nearing the 15th anniversary of Laci Peterson's disappearance, A&E Networks takes a fresh look at the case. The defense alleged that Laci's head and limbs were removed during a ritual, and that baby Connor was cut from her womb. But even so, she still gets recognized as the girl who dated the murderer. Laci Peterson, 27, of Modesto, Calif., was eight months pregnant when her husband reported her missing on Dec. 24. Scott was an immediate suspect, as is the case in missing persons reports. "When you compare Scott's demeanor with other people we've dealt with, he didn't even register on the scale as far as seeming concerned [about Laci]." They both got attracted to each other immediately and eventually started dating. Laci Peterson was killed in 2002 Credit: AP:Associated Press. They heard about Scott's multiple affairs, including one with Amber Frey that had ended when Frey heard about Laci's disappearance. Many came to the obvious conclusion that Peterson saw no other choice but to shut Frey up and intended to murder her as well, though he never got the chance, apprehended by officers who saw through his disguise of dyed blond hair and a goatee. Upon reviewing the episode, Brocchini found that no meringue was used that day. Scott tells police that he had last seen ", Geragos was speaking at a showing of an unfinished documentary called Trial By Fury: The People vs Scott Peterson, a film that argues that the police, public and media were guilty of tunnel vision, ignoring facts contrary to Peterson's guilt. In 2007, Donna Thomas released I'm Sorry I Lied to You: The Confession of Scott Peterson, explaining exactly how she gained the convicted killer's trust during visits to San Quentin. Laci's mother Sharon Rocha also had a gut feeling that something was wrong with the picture when she first heard from Peterson what had happened. "He would cooperate to a point," Buehler added. Peterson's in-laws soon started having the same suspicions the police had, Laci's stepfather in particular. [Janet] said her and Peterson had gone to a rodeo on one of their dates and there were kids present at the rodeo. Judge Alfred A. Delucchi sentenced Peterson to death March 16 for murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. A habeas is normally used when new evidence that should have been presented at trial has come to light, but it can also be used to point out errors made by the defense counsel during said trial, which Peterson's family have done on several occasions. The autopsy indicates that Connor was between 33-38 weeks old and if I was a betting man, I would have to be an absolute fool to put money on the claim that Scott murdered Laci. Peterson had told him that he and Laci had watched Martha Stewart on morning television the last time he saw her, but when pressed for details on what Stewart was baking, he said it was something with meringue. According to CNN, Peterson's Mercedes was packed with survival gear, multiple cell phones, camping equipment, and $15,000 in cash. The couple tied the knot in August of 1997. On Wednesday, March 5, 2003, the Modesto Police Department held a news conference to reclassify the status of the Laci Peterson disappearance. That was put behind me so many years ago." His own mother once told him "I can't imagine anyone being stupid enough to say they went fishing in the Berkeley Bay after having committed a crime there, I mean not even you Scott," while his lawyer Mark Geragos blamed a Satanic cult that had been operating in the area. Judge Alfred A. Delucchi sentenced Peterson to death March 16 for murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. Prosecutor Rick Distaso, who was also present to give his take on Peterson's odd behavior at the beginning of the investigation, found that the convicted killer's recollection of his day out on the water was a little too hazy.. "I'm a fisherman," he added. Getty images/Files. I will believe that till the day I die. In 2004, Peterson was found guilty on both charges and sentenced to death, though the state of California has yet to execute him despite the public backlash that followed the leak of the autopsy reportLaci's head and limbs had been removed and lacerations were found on Connor's tiny body. We've known it from day one. You just have to get through it. She also revealed a lot about her relationship with her mother, Jackie, who she didn't meet until she was 32 years old. I wonder why? '", They later learned that Peterson told Frey he was a widower after being introduced to her by a woman named Shawn Sibley. In 2004, he was convicted of the first-degree murder of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and the second-degree murder of The Murder of Laci Peterson explores the infamous Scott Peterson trial, the case that destroyed a family, gripped a nation and defined an era, as a vehicle for understanding Americas criminal justice system and the ways in which outside influences can affect that system. And it hurts." The couple started living together after It became quickly obvious that she had been murdered, and the investigation into who might have done this began. During a Christmas Day police interview, Peterson was asked about his cell activity the previous day and answered by playing a voicemail that he'd left for Laci. A day later, Laci's mutilated body was discovered a mile away from the fetus. He became the most reviled man in America when authorities announced that he had been arrested for double-murder after the remains of Connor and Laci washed up in San Francisco Bay. The first thought on the mind of an innocent man should not be whether or not he needs an attorney present to deal with police, though this was always at the forefront of Peterson's mind according to the detectives assigned to find his wife. Who murdered Laci Peterson? "The golden boy and his doll-like bride," she called Scott and Laci in her book Blood Brother, in which Bird also gives the impression that Jackie always held the view that Laci wasn't good enough for Scott. We don't see that. Laci Petersons mother Sharon Rocha, with Lacis brother Brent and his wife Rose Marie Rocha, at a press conference after a jury unanimously sentenced Scott Peterson to death in 2004. When Rocha pointed this out, Peterson replied: "Well, I used the rest as cement for my driveway.". Sadly, this is just one of many startling facts about this case, some of which were not even heard by the jury and only came to light after the verdict. ", While Peterson's sister-in-law may be convinced of his innocence, his sister by blood is not. On the evening of December 24, 2002 Christmas Eve police in Modesto, California received a report about a missing woman. The report read: "I asked [Janet] if her and Peterson talked about having a family. Perhaps the most damning evidence that was kept out of the trial was the fact that Peterson purchased four phony college diplomas totaling $267 a week before his wife went missing. Relationship with Laci Peterson. That's what time I get home from fishing, not when I go,'" Grantski recalled. "I said, '9:30? There are several people who saw Laci. like one that Laci had been murdered A cheerleader through middle and high school, Laci attended California Polytechnic State University, majoring in horticulture (via SF Gate). He also barred the pornographic contents of Peterson's computer from being entered as evidencea search of his hard drive uncovered images of bondage and bestiality as well as an essay called "Rape The Teacher.". The defense argued that it wasn't unusual for Scott to make a frivolous purchase and keep it from his dad, whose comments seemed to put his son in further trouble. The body of Laci Peterson was discovered in such a state that its impossible to know how the woman was killed. During the trial's five months, jurors were treated to the most intimate details of the case, including the state in which the bodies of both Laci and her son were found. He wasn't in custody, but for a guy whose wife is missing to even get an attorneynot that he doesn't have a right tothat's not usual. The Laci Peterson Murder, 16 Years After Pregnant Wife Went Missing Laci Peterson was last seen alive on Dec. 24, 2002. The story doesn't end there for Laci's family, however. Evelyn Hernandez also went missing in 2002 while pregnant, and her body also washed up in San Francisco Bay. The story doesn't end there for Laci's family, however. In 2020, the California Supreme Court overturned Peterson's sentence, stating that while the trial and conviction were fair, some of the potential jurors were turned away early due to their belief that the death penalty was cruel and unusual (via CNN). Laci was a neighbor of one of his co-workers. Another thing that wasn't adding up for investigators was the voicemail Peterson left on his wife's phone before he supposedly set off for home. ", "They know it too," Jackie said of the Rocha family. "This was far and away [my] worst defeat," Geragos said. It is to me clearly evident, not only that Scott is innocent, but in addition to that he did not get a fair trial. Series producer John Marks insists The Murder of Laci Peterson Condemned men like Peterson have two avenues of appeal open to them from death row, the first being a direct appeal. Laci Peterson's disappearance and death were subject to widespread coverage, as was the trial and conviction of Scott Peterson for her murder. ", Jackie, who passed away in 2013 still fighting her son's conviction, went as far as comparing the behavior of the authorities to that of Nazis. That interesting collection of items found in Scott's Mercedes the day of his arrest. In the case of Scott Peterson, finding people willing to spare a thought for his predicament is nigh on impossible (though they do exist, as we'll come to in a moment). The Peterson's belief that Laci was snatched by somebody while Scott was out fishing were fueled by apparent sightings of her that morning, as Lee explained. Not true. Scott Peterson was arrested soon afterward and charged with murder. In August 2020, California Supreme Court justices overturned Scott's death penalty sentencing on the basis that the original trial was "flawed for multiple reasons". The story everyone thinks they know but do you really? On November 12, 2004, Scott Peterson was convicted for the first degree murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, and the second degree murder for his son, Connor. They also contacted the owner of a local furniture store after a tip off that Satanists were operating out his his building, but came up with nothing. "The unborn child did not emerge from the birth canal but from that opening near the top of the uterus," he confirmed. Frey wasn't the first mistress that Peterson had taken during his marriage to Laci, as her family later came to find out. "One of the jurors evidently lied on her jury application. Cable network Oxygen just beat them to the punch, however, airing a two-part special on the murder and trial as the opener to the 20th season of their true crime series Snapped. In part one we cover Lacis disappearance and the suspicion that fell on her husband Scott Peterson. "His dad talks about sending him $5,000 to help out financially, then asks where he is. Janet Ilse dated Scott for five months in college, after he married Laci. According to the report Laci's head was missing, but so were vertebrae numbers one through six, a tell-tale sign that she wasn't decapitated. It was a third ex-mistress who would manage to get a first confession out of Peterson, at least, according to her book. LACI Peterson was murdered by her husband Scott Peterson on Christmas Eve, 2002. Lacy Peterson was abducted and killed trying to intervene in a burglary that was happening across "They supported him fully until the police misled them, and that was to divide and separate him from them. "When I saw Scott, he was playing basketball," she said. December 24, 2002: Laci is reported missing. "There were things that Mark Geragos could have done better," Scott's sister-in-law Janey Peterson said when discussing their 200-page petition with 10 News. "But anybody who has been married for five years knows there aren't too many people who talk to their spouse like that after that amount of time.". "He didn't look depressed. "Scott is clearly not just not guilty, Scott is innocent. where could she be? The interview also brought up several points of interest to the prosecutionPeterson took a phone call from his sister-in-law during the session and didn't once ask how their search for Laci was going, and he also told Brocchini that Laci would often get into arguments with the homeless people who lived in the park she had supposedly walked the dog through the day that she vanished, something her family and friends said was not in her character. "The uterus is the last part of a woman's body to decompose, so it would protect the unborn child until the last. Ron Grantski was an avid fisherman and after hearing his son-in-law's account of what he did that day, he started to poke holes in the story, questioning why he set out so late and which rod he used (Peterson's personal rod was sitting in Grantski's garage). Scott was given the death penalty. In an interview with People (via ABC News), the lawyer blamed Laci's murder on a Satanic cult that had supposedly been operating in the California area for years, pointing to another murder that took place under similar circumstances. Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife and the second-degree murder of their unborn son. (Photo by California Department of Corrections via Getty Images) Sources for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. "Our family is just devastated, and we feel an equal amount of pain for the Rocha familySharon and Ron and the whole family. The prosecutor claimed that Laci Peterson had died in her own home even though he had failed to find any evidence to support the speculation. The defense even claimed to have obtained a jacket belonging to an occultist who had bragged about being involved with Laci's murder, but it all proved to be posturing. I was hoping you would get this message and, ah, go out there. And I think that's why I ended up getting so much information.". Laci Peterson was eight ", Both Lee Peterson and his wife Jackie were fully convinced that their son was innocent. The search for Laci, 8 months pregnant at the time, began in earnest shortly after her reported disappearance. In an NBC exclusive, Anne Bird said she let her brother crash with her during the height of the search for Laci and in that time became convinced (along with the police) that he was guilty. The Satanist theory was later dispelled when forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz studied the findings of the autopsy report. She was preparing an evening dinner for Scott and Laci when the former called to let her know that Laci was "missing," which she thought a strange choice of word to use right off the bat. "I just left you a message at home, ah, 2:15, I'm leaving Berkeley. "They are caused by boat propeller blades, not Satanic cults.". While the true topic of discussion in that particular phone call will never be known, Lee Peterson testified that his son never mentioned that he was fishing that dayin fact, he didn't even know that he owned a boat. On April 18, Modesto police arrested Scott Peterson on his way to play golf with his father and brother at least, that's how he told it. Scott Peterson is best known as the man who murdered his eight-month pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn child in 2002. Scott Peterson has finally revealed his twisted motive for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn child! In the end, people just didn't believe it. The call was put in to police, and investigators became suspicious of Peterson shortly after arriving, firstly questioning why a man would leave his 8-month pregnant wife alone on Christmas Eve and drive 90 miles away from their Modesto home to fish alone. Scott's older sister had been given up for adoption at birth by a mother who herself was raised in an orphanage after her father was murdered and her own mother suffered a breakdown. MURDERED: Laci Peterson (Part 1) Episode Summary In episode 2, we cover the very famous case of Laci Peterson that everyone thinks they know, but I think youll be surprised. ", Frey went on to testify in the murder trial and helped to land the guilty verdict that she and Laci's family both sought, though the whole thing took a tremendous toll on her personally. But our son is innocent. "Sharon and Ron came and sat down at our lunch table, and we briefed them quickly," Detective Buehler said. In an exclusive interview with TIME, the pair spoke about the grief they were going through over the loss of their unborn grandson, but reiterated their stance that somebody else had killed Connor and Laci. 5. "When Al played the tape of that lame-o message that Scott left on Laci's phone it just seemed so insincere and false, like he was making this call to make us think he was in love with her," detective Jon Buehler said. Laci Peterson went missing on Christmas Eve On December 24th, 2002, Scott and Laci Peterson woke together at their home in Modesto, California. I don't know if I'm pulling an O.J. "All this Satanic cult business that Peterson's lawyer Mark Geragos is throwing around shows that he is full of hot gases," he told the National Enquirer (via Find Laci). When asked if she still loved the man, she replied emphatically: "I do not. He then apparently admitted to casting off and reading Playboy magazine for half an hour before dumping Laci's corpse overboard, nearly capsizing his boat in the process. by being at the club or not, but' Scott goes on to explain about 'you know, misperception.' "You have a district attorney calling this a 'slam-dunk' before there's even an arraignment," she said. People still recognize me years later.". She'd never testified as a witness. In March of 2019, California governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order creating a moratorium on all executions (via CNN), staying Scott Peterson's death sentence. "Chief [Roy] Wasden made a comment during his news conference that on the evening before Christmas Eve, Laci's mother had spoken to Laci at 8:15 and that's the last time anyone saw Laci. The Messed Up Truth About The Murder Of Laci Peterson. Peterson's attempts to keep officers at arms length frustrated them at first, but that frustration started turning into suspicion the longer he kept up his odd, standoffish behavior. ", He went on to confirm that the injuries on the parts of Laci's body still in tact pointed to her husband's involvement. Rocha said that Peterson attempted to explain away the find with a story about how he "used to make cement anchors," but authorities only discovered a single anchor on his property, not a collection. Frey also answered questions about what Peterson's motives were when he was arrested. Not content with waiting for a date to be set for the oral proceedings, however, Peterson launched a second appeal in 2015, which is known as a habeas petition. The story of Laci Peterson's Christmas Eve disappearance shocked America to the core back in 2002, but nationwide disbelief quickly gave way to outrage when it transpired that her husband Scott was suspected of murdering her and their unborn son Connor. "We learn from Sibley that Scott wept uncontrollably and that Scott begged her not to tell Amber," former prosecutor Dean Johnson told CBS.