Scott Peterson Murder Case Horrors: We Reveal the Crime Scene Photos That Sickened Jurors — From Twine Around Fetus' Neck to Toolbox Likely Used to Stash Laci's Corpse
As Scott Peterson pushes to be retried for the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, dueling documentaries are stirring up fresh debate about the infamous case.
As Scott Peterson pushes to be retried for the murders of his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn son Conner, dueling documentaries are stirring up fresh debate about the infamous case.
Millions of Americans were glued to their televisions during the high-profile trial, which ended with a guilty verdict and life sentence for Scott. With the case back in the spotlight, RadarOnline.com is revealing the crime scene photos that drove the jury to convict the now-51-year-old.
Scott lightened his hair and grew a beard by the time he was arrested for Laci's murder.
Laci, 27, was eight months pregnant with her first child when she was reported missing to California authorities in 2002.
After a tireless search, her body was found in San Francisco Bay on April 14, 2003 – one day after the remains of her fetus washed ashore about a mile away. The local medical examiner was unable to determine a cause of death due to the condition of Laci's corpse.
Laci's loved ones recalled her wearing this maternity blouse in the final days they saw her alive.
Scott, who had allegedly been boating in the area on the day Laci vanished, was arrested days later.
Prosecutors suggested he was motivated by a lack of desire to be a father as well as an affair he was supposedly having with Fresno massage therapist Amber Frey. He was sentenced to death in 2004, but a court resentenced him to life without parole in 2021.
Prosecutors suggested Scott stuffed Laci's body into a toolbox from his truck bed.
Now, two decades after his conviction, a San Mateo County judge has agreed to retest evidence Scott insists will prove his innocence.
The defendant spoke out about his latest bid for freedom in a rare prison interview for Face to Face With Scott Peterson, released on Peacock on August 20.
A witness claimed Scott never handed out these Find Laci pins.
In the series, Scott admitted he was "horrible" and a "total a--hole" for having an affair, but denied any involvement in his wife's death.
He added: "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 to have sex with you."
Prosecutors argued Scott dumped Laci's body while out on one of his fishing trips.
He also expressed regret for not testifying in his trial and pushed back at former detective Jon Buehler's suggestion he killed his family because he "didn’t want to pay child support, didn’t want to pay spousal support and this is the way he thought about getting out of it".
Scott said: "That is so offensive and so disgusting."
A piece of twine was found around Conner's neck when the fetus washed ashore.
He continued: "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."
The series shines a spotlight on those backing Scott's claims of innocence, questioning the outcome of the case and presenting alternative theories.
Officials found $15,000 stashed in Scott's car when they arrested him.
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Viewers hear from legal experts and investigators, including Scott's sister-in-law Janey Peterson, who became a lawyer after the guilty verdict and embarked on a mission to clear his name.
Challenging prosecutors' claims, the doc explores alternative leads like a nearby burglary and witnesses who claimed to have seen Laci alive after Scott went boating.
Officials claimed Scott used home-made cement anchors to weigh down Laci's body in the bay.
Face to Face's critical look at the case came just days after Netflix took a different approach with American Murder: Laci Peterson.
The series, which dropped on August 14, focuses on honoring the memories of Laci and Conner and takes a firm stance in support of the jury's decision.
Laci's corpse was discovered in pieces and the medical examiner was unable to determine a cause of death.
The docuseries features figures central to the case, like Laci’s mother Sharon Rocha, and Scott's mistress Frey. It covers the timeline of Scott and Laci's relationship through home videos and analyzes the last-known photo of Laci taken just days before her death.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Innocence Project, which took on Scott's case in January, has managed to convince a judge to order the retesting of evidence.
This photo of Laci was found during a search of Scott's car in 2003.
The nonprofit asked for more than a dozen items to be retested for DNA – but in a setback for Scott, the San Mateo County judge ruled just one item would be reanalyzed: a piece of duct tape found with Laci's body.
The 15-inch piece of tape was stuck to the right leg of Laci's pants and a DNA test in 2013 yielded no definitive results.
This printed picture was the last-known photo taken of Laci before she was killed.
Scott's lawyers noted "a section of the duct tape that was folded over onto itself underwent DNA testing and the presence of human DNA was found, but no DNA profile could be obtained".
During the initial trial, Scott's attorney suggested Laci's death may have been linked to a burglary near the couple's Modesto home.
Scott's car was searched shortly after his arrest in April 2003.
Scott's lawyers claimed a blood-stained mattress was found in a burned-out stolen van used in the burglary.
The LA Innocence Project was pushing for the court to allow DNA testing of the mattress, claiming the owner of the van said it hadn't been in the vehicle before it was swiped. The judge denied this request, saying testing of the item in 2012 turned up no results.
As RadarOnline.com reported, a former California prosecutor predicted it was "unlikely" Scott would be granted a retrial unless another person's DNA is discovered among the evidence.
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