Netflix docuseries takes a deep dive into Laci Peterson’s life and death

A new Netflix documentary delves into the death and disappearance of Modesto resident Laci Peterson more than 20 years ago — as well as the investigation into who killed her.

“American Murder: Laci Peterson” calls the docuseries as the “definitive examination of the murder of Laci Peterson, the bubbly and beloved young woman who disappeared on Christmas Eve of 2002.”

But who was Laci Peterson?

The Modesto, Calif., native Laci Peterson was 27 and pregnant with her first child when she vanished on Dec. 24, 2002. The outgoing substitute teacher, who loved flowers and dragonflies, was known for her vivacity and charm. Born Laci Rocha, she grew up on her family’s dairy farm before moving to Modesto. In high school, she was a cheerleader and softball player.

Laci was pursuing a degree in horticulture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., when she met Scott Peterson, in 1997. The couple married after two years of dating and moved to Modesto in 2000 to be near Laci’s family. She was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Although her child had yet to be born, she had already given her son a name: Conner.

She was first reported missing by her stepfather. Husband Scott, then a Modesto fertilizer salesman, said Laci had planned to walk their dog at the park that day. A neighbor found and returned the dog with a muddy leash to the Petersons’ backyard, without suspecting anything unusual.

Scott said he had gone fishing that day and discovered Laci missing when he returned home. Her car and purse, however, were undisturbed.

The search for Laci “captured the nation’s attention, dominating news media night after night as facts slowly but surely led law enforcement to prosecute her husband, Scott Peterson, for her brutal murder,” Netflix said.

In April 2003, the bodies of Laci and her unborn son were found near the marina. Scott was then arrested on suspicion of murder. He was convicted of the first-degree murder of Laci and the second-degree murder of Conner in November 2004 and sentenced to death.

Peterson, now 51, was resentenced to life in prison in 2020 in Ione, Calif.

Released 20 years after Scott’s conviction, “American Murder: Laci Peterson” uses news clips and interrogation footage to bring Laci’s disappearance and Scott’s trial into focus. The three-part docuseries, directed by Skye Borgman, includes interviews with detectives, reporters, lawyers, jurors, Laci’s mother as well as Amber Frey, a Fresno massage therapist with whom Scott Peterson had an extramarital affair.

A new Peacock documentary, “Face to Face with Scott Peterson,” will explore theories supported by his sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, and his new defense team, the Los Angeles Innocence Project, arguing that Peterson is innocent and deserves a new trial.