MODESTO — 2002 · Murder
The Laci Peterson Case
Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant, vanished from her home in Modesto, California, on 24 December 2002. The disappearance sparked a nationwide search and intense media coverage. In April 2003 her body and that of her unborn son washed ashore on San Francisco Bay. Her husband Scott Peterson was arrested and in 2004, after a six-month trial, was convicted of first-degree murder of his wife and second-degree murder of the unborn child. The death sentence imposed in 2005 was overturned by the California Supreme Court in 2020 over jury-selection errors, and in December 2021 he was resentenced to life without parole. The conviction stands, though the Los Angeles Innocence Project continues to seek a new trial.
- Date
- 2002
- Place
- California, USA, Modesto, US
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 37.6400, -120.9900 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 24 December 2002Laci Peterson disappears from her Modesto home.
- April 2003Bodies found on the San Francisco Bay shore; husband arrested.
- November 2004Jury convicts her husband of murder.
- August 2020California Supreme Court overturns the death sentence.
- December 2021Resentenced to life without parole.
- 2024-2025Innocence Project bids for a new trial continue.
Sources
- CNN — Scott Peterson resentenced to life cnn.com ↗
- CBS News — Will Scott Peterson get a new trial? cbsnews.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Murder of Laci Peterson en.wikipedia.org ↗
- CNN
- CBS News
- ABC News
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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Categories
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.