Did Scott Peterson Kill His Wife?

Laci Peterson went missing on the morning of December 24, 2002. She'd watched Martha Stewart Living, as she readied for the holidays. At the time, she was eight months pregnant.

Where was Scott Peterson?

Her husband was out on the fishing boat, allegedly. Though, some have said that he told them that was going golfing. Either way, he assured his wife he would be home early for them to spend some time together.

He also noted that there was a segment about meringue on the show.

At 2:15 pm that day, Peterson called his wife and left a voicemail. He said that he was on his way home. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

When he arrived home, Laci's car was in the driveway and their dog was in the backyard, but she was nowhere to be found. He went inside, took a shower and relaxed a bit.

After a while, he went over to the neighbor's house to see if his wife was there. When she wasn't, he decided to call Laci's mother, Sharon. He claimed that he relayed all of the information to his mother-in-law, but she said that was not the case.

Both Peterson and Laci’s stepdad reported her missing.

The Investigation Begins

When the police arrived at the Peterson home, they began to take note of everything they could. Laci's keys, purse, and other personal items were found in the house. Investigators immediately jumped to the conclusion that she had met with foul play. 

So, they began to ask questions and watch Scott Peterson. 

John Buehler found Peterson to be off-putting. He thought of him as being cold and disassociated from the case. It was almost as if he didn't care that his wife and unborn child were missing. 

Or worse, he already knew they were gone. 

Buehler said in an interview that Peterson’s behavior was "a strange combination of polite and arrogant, disaffectedly distant and impatiently irritable. He just didn't seem like a man who was crushed or even greatly disturbed by his wife's disappearance and possible death."

Once the investigation began to pick up in earnest, Peterson had the support of his in-laws. They told the media and police that while he may seem aloof, it was likely that he was in shock. 

But they were the ones in for a surprise.

On December 30, 2002, Amber Frey called the police with a tip. She informed them that she was the girlfriend of Scott Peterson. Their relationship had started in November, and he had taken her out on a few dates in the interim.

He had told her that he was a widower and that this was the first Christmas season he would spend without his wife. 

Peterson admitted this in an interview. He said that things with Laci had been strained, but that was to be expected since she was so far along in the pregnancy. 

He said: “It’s horrible, I was a total a-hole to be having sex outside our marriage.”

His in-laws turned on him.

Discovery And Charges

Something that came out during the initial stage of the investigation was that Peterson and his wife were arguing a lot. Laci complained that he hardly spent any time at home with her and had done very little to help prepare for the baby. He was more interested in golfing or fishing, she said. 

Some of the fights are believed to have revolved around money. 

The couple had credit card debt of more than $10,000. Bills were piling up and going unpaid. Their mortgage payment, while current, took a good chunk of their money. 

Peterson countered that while yes, they did have debt. It was not as bad as many people claimed. And they had more credit cards with limits that would have helped them if it came to that. 

Laci Peterson’s body was found on April 13, 2003. Her body washed ashore near the Berekely Marina, which happened to be where Peterson had allegedly been fishing the day she disappeared.

The body of Conner Peterson was found the next day, within a few hundred feet of his mother. 

Investigators turned their attention to Scott Peterson. They knew he had to be the one who had killed his wife and unborn son. 

Amber Frey was asked to wear a wire and try to coax a confession out of him. It did not work. The police were stumped, they were sure he did it, but they precious little to go on. 

A warrant was issued to surveil Peterson. They noticed that he switched out his car. Then he changed his appearance, he dyed his hair and beard blonde. Officers knew that he was about to run, especially since he was so close to the Mexican border. 

On April 18, 2003, at the Torry Pines Golf Course. 

His car was loaded with survival equipment. There were tents, coolers and other things that would be needed to survive in the wilderness. 

Investigators also found $15,000 in cash and a bottle of Viagra pills. They assumed he was planning on being away for a very long time. 

Circumstantial Trial

Peterson's trial began on June 1, 2004. Prosecutors claimed that he killed his wife and child because it was not the life that he wanted. Rather, he intended to live as a bachelor with no responsibilities and multiple companions for as long as possible.

They made Amber Frey their star witness.

The defense team countered that while cheating on his wife was morally wrong, that did not mean he killed her or his unborn child. Rather, they said that the police decided that Peterson was guilty and built a case on circumstantial evidence.

There was no physical evidence connecting Peterson to the murders, his defense team said. Even the one piece, a strand of Laci's hair in his boat, was not the smoking gun they hoped for.

Laci had allegedly visited the boat recently.

They also offered an alternative theory. Laci confronted men who were robbing their neighbors, the morning she disappeared. The burglars killed her and hid her body in a van that was seen in the neighborhood.

Then they dropped the bodies in the harbor.

Blood on a mattress was their proof, they believed it to be Laci's. However, a DNA test run on it suggested that it was from a male.

Scott Peterson was convicted and sentenced to death. However, the death sentence was appealed and reduced to life in prison without a chance of parole.

He maintains his innocence.