American Murder: Two decades on from Laci Peterson’s death, where Scott Peterson is now

He’s recently admitted to be being ‘an a-hole’ but says ‘I didn’t kill my wife’


The most recent Netflix true crime series is the return of American Murder, which this time around is exploring the case of Laci Peterson and her death. This has brought her tragic story back into the public eye, as well as what happened to her husband, Scott Peterson.

Laci Peterson’s case is widely called one of the most infamous in true crime history, after the seemingly happy and bubbly woman was reported missing on Christmas Eve of 2002, whilst eight months pregnant with her first child.

At the time, after he had been the one to report her missing, it was noted Laci’s husband Scott hadn’t been engaging with the media in the search for Laci. Then, a woman came forward and said she had been dating him. Scott had told the new woman he wanted to be with her forever, and the cloud of suspicion over him then grew thicker.

Police then found evidence that Scott was getting prepared to do a runner, and most definitely wasn’t waiting for Laci to come back home safely. The case dominated the media for months, before her body was discovered. Scott was prosecuted for the brutal murders of Laci Peterson and their unborn son.

The Netflix show contains never before seen interviews and footage, to give the case a full breakdown, as more information continues to come to light, over 20 years on.

Scott Peterson in American Murder: Laci Peterson

via Netflix

Scott Peterson was sentenced to death after being found guilty of his wife’s murder

In early 2003, Laci Peterson’s body and that of her unborn son Conner were found at San Francisco Bay. Her husband Scott was then arrested on a golf course in April that year.

At the time, Scott had dyed his hair blonde, and his car was suspiciously packed with $15,000 cash, Viagra tablets, survival gear, camping equipment, multiple changes of clothes and four different phones. Police theorised he was planning to cross the Mexican border and escape the country.

In 2004, despite his not guilty plea, a jury found Scott guilty of both first-degree and second-degree murder. He was sentenced to death by lethal injection four months later and ordered to pay a £10,000 fine towards Laci’s funeral costs. Scott was sent to San Quentin State Prison, on death row, on March 17th 2005.

Scott Peterson in American Murder: Laci Peterson

via Netflix

Then, come June 2020 and Scott’s appeal against his conviction was finally heard at the California Supreme Court. Two months later, his death sentence was overturned and it was replaced with a sentence of life imprisonment without any possibility of parole. He was then transferred to Mule Creek State Prison, where he remains to this day.

Now, Scott Peterson has been speaking out and admits he was ‘an a-hole’

Whilst the Netflix documentary has just come out and shares new interviews and details from the case, the convicted murderer of Laci Peterson has spoken out in a new Peacock documentary titled Face to Face with Scott Peterson.

In his recent interviews from prison, he’s been described as looking “like a laidback surfer” with his hair “sometimes worn in a ponytail” and his his demeanour “calm and friendly.”

Talking about what he did in the lead up to his wife’s death, Scott Peterson admitted: “It’s horrible. I was a total a-hole to be having sex outside our marriage.” However, he has once again denied any involvement in the disappearance and death of Laci and their child.

Scott Peterson in prison

via YouTube / Peacock

He said: “I regret not testifying [at my trial], but if I have a chance to show people what the truth is, and if they are willing to accept it, it would be the biggest thing that I can accomplish right now—because I didn’t kill my family.

“I certainly regret cheating on Laci, absolutely. It was about a childish lack of self-esteem, selfish me traveling somewhere, lonely that night because I wasn’t at home. Someone makes you feel good because they want have sex with you.”

American Murder: Laci Peterson is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

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