True crime shows like American Murder: Laci Peterson often ignites curiosity among fans and viewers who want to dig deeper into a victim's story and learn how they met a tragic end.
American Murder: Laci Peterson is a docuseries focusing on the disappearance of Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant and brutally killed by her husband Scott Peterson.
It's been over two decades since Laci Peterson's death, which remains one of the most bone-chilling murder cases in the history of true crime docuseries'.
Directed by Skye Borgman, American Murder: Laci Peterson has three episodes, covering how Laci went missing on Christmas Eve 2002, followed by the discovery of her dead body, and remains of her unborn son Conner in April 2003.
Who was Laci Peterson and how did she die? Murder case featured in American Murder: Laci Peterson
American Murder: Laci Peterson aired on Netflix on August 14, 2024, and revolves around the cruel murder of eight-month pregnant woman Laci Peterson. She was married to Scott Peterson and the couple lived in Modesto, California.
The two looked like a happily married couple from afar, but things were entirely different and harsh behind closed doors. While Laci wanted to become a mother, Scott didn't seem to have much interest in raising a child and was even cheating on his wife.
As reported by SFGate, Scott Peterson informed the police about his wife's disappearance on Christmas Eve when she didn't return home. He told the investigators that he was fishing at the Berkeley Marina on the day Laci went missing.
Following her disappearance, Laci's husband, friends, and family started to search for her but couldn't find any evidence that could lead them to a suspect until it was discovered that Scott was having an extramarital affair.
He was initially supportive of the search for Laci Peterson, but the police became suspicious and started asking him questions.
In April 2003, Laci Peterson's dead body and the fetal remains of her unborn son were found close to Brooks Island. Interestingly, Scott often went to the Island for fishing, and this further put him in hot waters.
As seen in the American Murder: Laci Peterson, Laci's family, friends, and investigators shed light on her murder case and her mother Sharon Rocha shared that Scott's tone wasn't serious when he informed her about Laci's sudden disappearance.
However, on April 18, 2003, the police arrested Scott Peterson who was about to flee. He had died his hair orange and even grew a beard to change his physical appearance. Scott almost reached the Mexican border but failed to escape.
Scott Peterson's trial began after his arrest in 2003
After he was arrested, Scott Peterson hired a renowned prosecutor Mark Geragos who claimed that there was no direct evidence that could prove Scott was guilty of the murder. As seen in Netflix's American Murder: Laci Peterson, the investigators were facing difficulty in finding out the exact time when Laci died.
Scott's lawyer tried every way to prove him innocent, but things turned out of their way after Scott Peterson's girlfriend Amber Frey called the police and told them about their relationship. She provided the authorities with recorded phone calls and revealed that Scott lied to her about his marriage.
Scott told Frey that he had lost his wife and wanted to start a new life, but in reality, he was about to have his first child with Laci. The police also found out that Scott had purchased a boat to dispose of Laci's body, but he somehow failed in the plan.
After the trial, the jury declared Scott Peterson guilty of the crime and he was sentenced to life in prison. Criminal investigative profiler Sharon Hagan stated in American Murder: Laci Peterson that:
"What was particularly startling about Scott's style of lying is that she was very shortsighted... He did not think these things through carefully... He seemed to sincerely believe that he would be go on with his new life."
Scott created a web of lies without knowing that it would ultimately expose his dark side, and the world will know about his crime. Hagan also shared that it was a "planned, premeditated homicide" and the criminal couldn't hide the crime for a long time.
However, in 2020 Scott Peterson's death sentence was changed, but he was again sentenced to life in prison without parole. The investigators believed Scott Peterson wasn't ready to welcome a child with Laci, and to get rid of them, he brutally eliminated them from the world.
American Murder: Laci Peterson explores the true crime case in detail and is available to stream on Netflix.
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