PHOTOS9 Bombshells From the New Scott Peterson Documentary: From Laci's Disappearance to His Affair and More
The documentary series 'American Murder: Laci Peterson' explores the mystery surrounding the death of Scott Peterson's wife.
Scott Peterson Used a 'Strong Word' When He Called Laci Peterson's Mom
Netflix's new three-part documentary series American Murder: Laci Peterson, released on August 14, dives into the death of eight-month pregnant mother Laci Peterson on Christmas Eve in 2002 and the involvement of her husband, Scott, in the case.
In the first part of the true crime show, Laci's mother, Sharon Rocha, shared what happened on the day her daughter disappeared.
"Gosh. It's hard to believe it was 20 years ago, and on the other hand, it seems like it wasn't 20 years ago. Nothing's gonna change what really happened. Nothing can change the truth," she recalled.
The matriarch said that on December 24, 2002, she was having Christmas Eve at her house when she received a call from Scott, who asked her if his wife was with her.
After Sharon told him, "No," Scott said, "Well, then she's missing."
"Missing? What do you mean, missing?" she reportedly asked her son-in-law.
She added in the documentary, "I mean, people don't use that term lightly. So I told him to call her friends and find out if anybody had seen her."
Scott Peterson Showed Bizarre Behavior While Searching for Laci Peterson
Gloria Gomez, a reporter for KOVR who covered the case, described Scott as a "very reserved" and "very distant person."
"I thought that was kind of odd that Scott wasn't engaging the media to try to get the word out about his missing wife," said Gloria. "So I thought, 'Well, everybody handles stress differently,' so everybody kinda gave him his room."
The comment resonated with what Modesto Police Department Detective Jon Buehler said about Scott's behavior.
"Whether it was Laci's friends or Laci's family, all of them were anxious, panicked. They had a sense of urgency, and Scott didn't exhibit any of that," Jon continued. "And then when it comes to asking for a complete cooperation from him, he dodges that."
Scott, who agreed to have a polygraph test a day after Laci's disappearance, changed his mind and refused to take it after speaking with his father.
Scott and Laci Peterson Had Different Dreams for Their Family
The couple's neighbor Kristen Reed revealed in the documentary that Laci was "made to be a mom" as she almost had "that innate kind of aura about her."
Before getting pregnant, Laci reportedly asked her mom questions about what it was like to bear a child.
Sharon shared, "I remember after her housewarming, she called me. And she was crying at that time because she wanted to get pregnant, and he [Scott] didn't. He didn't want to have a child."
Six months after the conversation, the matriarch reportedly received a call from Laci saying they were trying to conceive. Curious, Sharon asked her about the couple's plans, and her daughter told her Scott had "changed his mind."
Modesto Police Department Received a Tip About Scott Peterson's Affair
Since the case was made public, the Modesto Police Department received over 11,000 tips, including a call senior clerk Beverly Valdivia had on December 30, 2002, at 8:41 a.m. Modesto Police Department Detective Al Brocchini, who was walking past her desk, glanced at the screen and saw a shocking message.
"She's typing, and I'm reading it," said Al, before the documentary showed the text, "Woman states Scott Peterson is her boyfriend. Has been dating for a number of months. Speak on the phone daily."
Upon seeing the message, Al took over the call and identified herself as Amber Frey.
"I was called a mistress. But that was so absolutely far from what I was," Amber said in the first part of the documentary series.
Amber Frey Broke Her Silence
- Who Is Amber Frey? 7 Things to Know About Scott Peterson's Lover
- Imprisoned Scott Peterson Accuses Detectives of 'Ignoring Evidence' That 'Didn't Fit Their Theory' 21 Years After Pregnant Wife Laci's Murder
- 'I Didn't Kill My Family': Scott Peterson 'Regrets' Cheating But Insists He Didn't Murder Pregnant Wife Laci Peterson
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In the second part of American Murder: Laci Peterson, Amber revealed she met Scott while she was living in Madera, Rolling Hills, and started talking on the phone afterward.
"I asked if he had ever been married. He said no. I asked if he had children. He said no, never wanted to," Amber recalled. "I believe he said Ayiana would be enough for him."
However, his well-kept secret was soon divulged when a guy who worked for him ran into one of Amber's best friends and told her Scott was married.
Detectives Learned a Bombshell From Amber Frey
On December 9, 2002, Scott visited Amber at her home and admitted to lying about his marital status.
"At this point, he's crying and having a hard time talking, and said he had lost his wife, and it'd be first holidays without her," said Amber. "I remember just comforting him, understanding this must be very hard. I didn't know. Maybe she died in a car accident. There was all these thoughts."
Amber told Al and Jon about the conversation, and the detectives realized that the date was the same day Scott bought his boat.
Detectives Commented on the Buzz Regarding Laci Peterson's Rumored Abduction
The Modesto Police Department's detectives delved into the burglary of the Medina home between December 24 and 26. The property was across Scott and Laci's house.
George Stough, another detective, identified the burglary suspects as Donald Glen Pearce and Steven Wayne Todd, who denied they abducted Laci.
On the other hand, the local criminals raised suspicions when they claimed they burglarized the house on December 27, 2002, as they could not have done it on that day since the Medina family already returned at the time.
"Todd and Pearce told us that when they got there, they noticed there was media activity down the street and thought it was interesting," said Jon. "Apparently, they didn't know about the Peterson case yet at that time. But they were able to successfully complete the burglary, and then they split and that was it."
The burglars also cleared the polygraph test.
Scott Peterson Confessed He Was Lying to Amber Frey
A few days after the detectives asked Scott about his photo with Amber, he called her and confessed he had lied to her again.
"You haven't been watching the news, obviously," he told Amber during the call. "I have not been traveling during the last couple weeks. I have… I've lied to you. that I've been traveling."
Scott continued, "The girl I… I'm married to, her name is Laci. She disappeared just before Christmas. For the past two weeks, I've been in Modesto with her family and mine, searching for her."
Amber started hammering Scott in the hopes of making him reveal an important detail in the case. However, he insisted on the call that he was "not evil like that."
Scott Peterson Uttered a Questionable Response to Sharon Rocha's Voicemail
On January 8, 2003, authorities searched San Francisco Bay near the Berkeley Marina, where they found an "object" — which was later determined to be an old anchor. During the search, they detected Scott driving to the bay several times.
Sharon later tried calling Scott to inform him of the authorities' findings but ended up leaving a voicemail as he did not pick up his phone.
"Hi, Scott. This is mom. It's about quarter to one. Just wanted you to know I just got a call from Ron Cloward. He's at the marina, and it was a boat anchor. Of course, we knew it wasn't Laci, but I just wanted you to know," Sharon was heard saying, which was captured by the wiretap.
However, detectives heard Scott saying, "Whew!" after learning about the development.
"Whistles. Just like that. Like, whoa, what a relief. I mean, you know?" Al said in the documentary.
The body of Laci and Scott's baby, Conner, was found on the shores of San Francisco Bay on April 13, 2003. Meanwhile, the mother's decomposed remains were discovered nearby the following day.
Scott was arrested four days later and was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2004. He received a death sentence in 2005, but it was overturned in 2020. Still, the convicted murderer, who still insists he's innocent, remains jailed for life.
