Netflix’s American Murder: What happened to Laci Peterson? Explained

American Murder: Laci Peterson is the second sequel in a true-crime documentary series on Netflix, following American Murder: The Family Next Door, which was released on September 30, 2020. The first season covered the 2018 Watts Family Murders.

The new season focuses on the real-life case of Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant when she went missing on Christmas Eve 2002 in Modesto, California. Her husband, Scott Peterson, was convicted of her murder, though he continues to claim his innocence.

American Murder: Laci Peterson is set to release on Netflix on August 14, 2024. The documentary series features videos and photos from the crime investigation and courtroom hearings, with an interview with Laci’s mother Sharon Rocha.

The official synopsis of the docu-series on Netflix reads it as

“Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant when she vanished, sparking a search that ended in tragedy. The docuseries delves into the 2002 murder case.”

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American Murder: What is the story behind Laci Peterson’s murder?

American Murder: Laci Peterson tells the story of the murder of a 27-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant with her first child. Laci reportedly vanished from her house in Modesto, California on the night of December 24, 2002.

The case quickly drew the attention of the media and public with an investigation trying to find the mother-to-be. Soon after the investigation began, Laci’s husband Scott Peterson became the focus of it.

As per the records, the morning of the day Laci disappeared, Scott was at San Fransisco Bay for fishing but with multiple media interactions and repetitive police investigations, there were several loopholes found in his story. This made the police and the people doubt Scott’s innocence in the disappearance of her wife.

The case took a dramatic turn when it was found that Scott was involved in an extramarital affair with a woman named Amber Frey. Scott had lied to Frey about being a widower when Laci remained missing.

The case kept hanging until April 2003, when the police found the remains of Laci and her unborn son on the shores of San Fransisco Bay, where Scott had claimed to be gone fishing. The bodies were found in an unrecognizable condition and it was hard to tell what could be the possible reason for death or how Laci was killed.

Soon after the bodies were found, Scott was arrested on the charge of killing two lives. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2004 and was sentenced to death the following year.

Laci Peterson with her mother Sharon Rocha (Image via Tudum)

Even though Scott was sentenced to death, his conviction was overturned in 2020 because of the jury selection process during his trial. He still appeals to be innocent but is under life imprisonment with no scope of parole.

Skye Borgman, the director of the docu-series while talking about American Murder: Laci Peterson, to Tudum, mentioned how Laci's mother Sharon has never sat down in a full-fledged interview about what happened with her daughter. But when they wanted to tell the story of Laci, Sharon agreed to it.

“It’s not easy, after 20 years, to sit down in front of a camera. But we wanted this to be about Laci, to bring her back to people’s consciousness. Sharon wanted to talk about Laci’s spirit, and about the dragonflies that Laci loved. How Laci is still with them, and how Conner — Laci’s unborn son — is still with them,” said Borgman.

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True crime documentaries enthusiasts can watch American Murder: Laci Peterson starting on August 14, 2024, on Netflix.