Scott Peterson's death sentence overturned, life without parole imposed in 2021

On December 24, 2002, Laci Peterson, a 27-year-old pregnant woman, was reported missing from her home in Modesto, California. Her husband, Scott Peterson, told police he had spent that morning fishing at the Berkeley Marina, about 90 miles away. Laci's remains were discovered in April 2003 on the shore of San Francisco Bay, and the body of her unborn son, who the couple had planned to name Conner, washed ashore separately. The case drew intense national media attention.

Police initially treated Laci's disappearance as a possible abduction, but suspicion quickly fell on Scott Peterson. Investigators noted inconsistencies in his account of his fishing trip, including his claim that he had launched a small boat from the marina despite choppy conditions. A key turning point came when Amber Frey, a Fresno massage therapist, came forward in late December 2002, saying she had begun a romantic relationship with Scott Peterson in November, unaware he was married. Recorded phone calls between Frey and Peterson, in which he made statements that prosecutors later characterized as deceptive, became central evidence.