True Crime Vault: One Last Chance: The Trial of Scott Peterson

Summary

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20/20 True Crime Vault: One Last Chance: The Trial of Scott Peterson

Date: June 9, 2026
Podcast: 20/20 (ABC News)

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Main Theme

This episode of 20/20’s True Crime Vault revisits one of America’s most widely publicized true crime cases: the disappearance and murder of Laci Peterson and the subsequent conviction of her husband, Scott Peterson. With new evidence emerging 18 years after the trial, and Scott’s sister-in-law claiming she can “prove” his innocence, the episode explores the original investigation, trial, the role of the media, alternate theories, and the current status of appeals and potential retrials.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Disappearance of Laci Peterson

• Timeline: Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant, disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002 from her home in Modesto, California.
• Immediate Reaction: The case immediately drew national attention. The community organized rapid search efforts, distributing flyers and scouring parks and neighborhoods. (05:12–06:09)
• Last Seen: Scott claimed to have last seen Laci at around 9:30am, before he left to go fishing; she planned to walk the dog. (05:49, 12:32)

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Early Suspicions and The Investigation

• Focus on Scott: Law enforcement quickly zoned in on Scott Peterson as the primary suspect, a move some now argue may have led to missed opportunities. (10:41)
• Lack of Evidence of Struggle: No signs of force or struggle in the house. The burglaries occurring across the street at the same time further complicated the timeline. (16:00–16:16)
• Scott's Behavior: Multiple interviewees commented on Scott’s calm demeanor, which contrasted sharply with family and public expectations. (16:42, 21:50)
  • Quote: “His demeanor wasn’t urgent...something about him and the way he was answering questions, his demeanor was suspicious.” (21:51, B)
• Media and Public Perception: Scott quickly became “the most hated man in America,” heavily criticized for his lack of emotional public searching and avoiding media appearances. (45:03)

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The Amber Frey Revelation and Motive

• Amber Frey: Scott’s affair and ongoing deception (he told Amber he was single) came to light after Laci’s disappearance, dramatically shifting public and law enforcement opinion. (33:14–34:40)
• Impact: The revelation was a turning point. Amber cooperated with police, recording phone calls where Scott lied about his whereabouts—even calling from the vigil for his missing wife, pretending to be in Europe. (38:30–39:14)
  • Quote: “It was almost like, aha, he killed Laci to be with this woman. And instill as soon as Amber Fry showed up, people were like, he's guilty.” (40:43, B)
• Family Reactions: Even those close to Scott acknowledged his infidelity irreparably harmed the investigation and public sympathy.
  • Quote: “I’ll die with that knowledge that what I did compromised the search for her. It was my fault.” (46:17, B)
• Prosecution Argument: Amber provided a motive (“why now? why kill his wife now?”).

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Discovery of the Bodies and Arrest

• Bodies Found: In April 2003, the remains of Laci and her unborn child, Connor, were discovered near the marina where Scott claimed he went fishing. (51:09–51:21)
• Scott’s Arrest: Arrested near the Mexican border in San Diego, with a large amount of cash, his brother’s ID, camping gear, and his appearance altered—raising suspicions of flight.
  • Quote: “Scott Peterson couldn’t have done anything to make himself seem more guilty than to dye his hair, have some disguises, and a ton of cash anywhere near the Mexican border.” (55:01, B)
  • Scott claimed he changed his appearance for anonymity, not to flee. (55:43)

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The Trial and Media Circus

• Trial Details: Began June 1, 2004, with Mark Geragos as lead defense attorney. Massive media presence—public perception heavily prejudiced.
• Defense Argument: Focused on burglary across the street as an alternative suspect—suggesting Laci was taken after witnessing a crime. (60:23)
  • Quote: “The Most likely thing that happened is that she was abducted, and she was abducted by someone other than my client.” (60:23, B)
• Circumstantial Evidence: No direct forensic evidence tied Scott to the murder. Prosecutors relied on circumstantial details (computer use, homemade anchors, fishing alibi). (64:20–64:41)
• Amber Tapes: Amber Frey’s testimony and phone recordings with Scott were a turning point for the prosecution.
  • Quote: “Amber Frey and those tapes totally turned the case upside down and it sunk Scott Peterson. The jury was absolutely taken aback by those tapes.” (67:09, B)
• Media's Role: The intense coverage is described as a “lynching mentality,” with reporters swarming the courthouse and townspeople heckling the Peterson family. (57:00–57:08, 74:30)

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The Verdict and Sentencing

• Conviction: Scott was found guilty of first-degree murder of Laci and second-degree murder for Connor. (71:32)
  • Quote: “We the jury in the above entitled cause, find the dependent Scott Lee Peterson guilty of the crime of murder of Lacey Denise Peterson.” (71:32, A)
• Death Sentence: The jury recommended the death penalty—later overturned.
• Family & Emotional Fallout:
  • Laci & Scott’s families described profound grief, public humiliation, and a sense of outrage or closure at the verdict. (72:48–73:25)

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Alternate Theories & Appeals

• Burglary Theory: The defense’s prime alternative explanation; never fully developed or proven at trial.
• Aponte Tip: New evidence about a potential confession overheard by a corrections officer in prison, implicating burglars. Considered for potential retrial evidence. (77:01–79:16)
• Juror Misconduct: A current point of appeal centers around a juror not disclosing prior experiences relevant to the case (having gotten a restraining order while pregnant). (77:54–78:44)
• Current Status: Scott Peterson remains in prison, his death sentence overturned, and both penalty phase retrial and appeal for a new trial are pending due to these issues. (81:20, 81:29)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the verdict:
  • “Everything just went kind of silent or I couldn't hear anything... There was no floor to land on.” (02:48, B) – On hearing the guilty verdict.
  • “I just remember in my head thinking, they have no idea. They have no idea.” (74:48, A)
• On Amber Frey tapes:
  • “It was a tsunami, a frenzy. He was the most hated man in America at that time.” (44:50, B)
• On the lack of evidence:
  • “There’s absolutely no physical evidence at all that Scott committed this crime.” (31:14, A)
  • “Prosecution couldn't tell you when this happened. They couldn't tell you where it happened. They couldn't tell you how it happened. The only thing they could do was just say Scott Peterson's a bad person.” (68:19, B)
• On the possibility of a new trial:
  • “As difficult as it is to think about sitting through another trial, we're prepared for another trial.” (79:16, A)
  • “It's rare in life you get a second chance. It's taken 18 years for Scott sitting in a jail cell. I'm ready to go back to court. Let's do it again.” (80:40, B)

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Important Timestamps

• Case recap and alternate theories: 00:52–03:37, 27:43
• Investigation & Laci’s disappearance: 04:24–16:16
• Scott’s behavior & police scrutiny: 16:42–26:03
• Revelation of Amber Frey / Tapes: 33:14–41:09
• Discovery of bodies & arrest: 50:40–55:43
• Trial & media circus: 57:32–60:12
• Amber Frey testimony as turning point: 66:32–67:33
• Jury verdict & sentencing: 70:54–74:04
• Juror misconduct appeal & latest updates: 77:54–81:29

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Tone and Style

The episode moves between factual reporting and highly emotional testimony from family, witnesses, and journalists. It balances skepticism toward law enforcement’s tunnel vision with depictions of Scott’s suspicious (yet not necessarily criminal) behavior, and the devastating effects of media sensationalism.

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Conclusion

This 20/20 episode critically re-examines the Scott Peterson case, highlighting the lack of physical evidence, the power of narrative and public opinion, and the ongoing struggle between those convinced of Scott’s guilt and his own family’s continued fight for exoneration. With new appeals based on jury misconduct and untested leads, the story underscores both the frailty and the gravity of the American justice system—suggesting the case is far from settled, and the final word on one of America’s most infamous murders may still be unwritten.

Transcript

[A]

You survived the Miami weekend, nailed the speech and maxed out your credit card

[B]

in the name of friendship.

[A]

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[B]

Welcome back to the 2020 True Crime Vault. Am I alone here?

[A]

Should I be afraid? I think I died here.

[B]

East Bay park authorities discovered two bodies. The identified female is Lacey Peters. Hey, Scott, do you have anything to say? Scott, is there anything you want to say tonight? Can I get a second, Scott? It's either someone actively framed Scott Peterson after kidnapping his eight month pregnant wife or he did it.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

But now after 18 years, his sister in law doesn't just think he's innocent. She says she can prove it.

[A]

We made the decision to record some phone calls with Scott.

[B]

That's something that you want to say.

[A]

There really was nothing we shied away from talking about in those conversations.

[B]

Just how frustrated I've been when people say that I was the last one to see Lacey that day.

[A]

Scott told me he was not married. We did have a romantic relationship.

[B]

As soon as Amber Fry showed up, people were like, he's guilty. He is guilty. He's guilty.

[A]

Scott Peterson has been found guilty of first degree murder. Scott Peterson is where he deserves to be. You can't just pick Scott as the default because you don't know what else it could have been.

[B]

It's Scott Peterson's voice and he tells his story. State of California versus Scott Peterson.

[A]

We the jury and above entitled cause find the defendant Scott Lee Peterson guilty of the crime of murder of Lacy Denise Peterson. You want to talk about the verdict first?

[B]

Wow. It was crazy. There was just like this amazing, horrible physical reaction that I had. Everything just went kind of silent or I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't feel my feet on the floor. I couldn't feel the chair I was sitting in. My vision was even a little blurry. And I just had this weird sensation that I was falling forward and forward and down. And there was giving me no end to this. Falling forward and down like there was no floor to land on.

[A]

This office is where we keep everything related to Scott's case. We keep the trial transcripts, we keep the case discovery here. This board represents the details of the day. My name is Janie Peterson. And I am Scott and Lacey Peterson's sister in law. We're constant evaluating the information we have from different perspectives. It's been 18 years and there should be answers to questions. I think if people step back and look at the evidence in this case, they're going to see this crime isn't solved.

[B]

Can they help you? Yes. My daughter convinced us this morning she was pregnancy for doc for a walk in the heart. The doc came home with his police shot. What is your name? My name is Ron Scott Peterson. His dog owned. What's your sister's name? Lacey Peterson.

[A]

The story of Lacy Peterson's disappearance made news soon after she disappeared. Right. Because It's Christmas Eve 2002, it became national news pretty quickly.

[B]

A California man is anxiously waiting to hear word on the mysterious Christmas Eve disappearance of his pregnant wife Lacey. Denise Peterson is eight months pregnant. She's considered a high risk missing person under suspicious circumstances.

[A]

I love my daughter so much. I miss her every minute of every day.

[B]

I started reporting on it right away when she was a missing person the day after Christmas. Well, I think that what caught everybody's imagination was Lacey Peterson and her picture. People saw this photo of this missing woman with the big smile and the brunette hair, eight and a half months pregnant. Lacey was last seen by her husband Scott when she was walking her dog, possibly in the area of East Loloma Park Dry Creek. He saw her at 9:30 in the morning before he went fishing and shortly thereafter she went on her walk. No one has seen her since.

[A]

The community mobilized immediately as soon as Lacey disappeared. People were helping to search for her.

[B]

When I got there, I was pretty shocked. They already had people making flyers. I mean they were going door to door. They were in the park.

[A]

Lacey went missing Christmas Eve. She's 27 years old and she is over eight months pregnant.

[B]

Scott Peterson was this good looking, kind young husband who's about to have a baby. And that's a guy a lot of people can relate to.

[A]

She is carrying their first child. She's just weeks out from birth. I mean at this point the baby Connor is viable. Had she given birth within days of

[B]

her disappearance, he would have lived.

[A]

Scott and Lacey Peterson, I mean it's right out of a romance novel. They were both at school together and they met and she fell head over heels in love and that was it. They were college sweethearts. Lacy was very headstrong. She was born in, she was a Taurus and she fit the description to a T. Once she made up her mind, she was Going to do it. And that's all there was to it. There was no changing her mind. Describe your son for me. Describe Scott Peterson.

[B]

Gosh, where should I start? He was very affectionate. Just a really kind, you know, sweet little guy.

[A]

Never in trouble of any kind.

[B]

He was too good to believe, almost.

[A]

She saw him at the little cafe that he worked at in Morro Bay. And before she left that evening, she had written her phone number down on a piece of paper and given it to the other server to give to Scott. And when he gave it to Scott, Scott just looked at it and threw it in the garbage because he thought it was kind of a joke until she came back. As I said, she wasn't intimidated about anything. How did you know you were in love?

[B]

Driving along the highway, I remember vividly, and for no reason. I was just smiling. That's the biggest smile. And she asked me, what the heck are you smiling about? And the only thing was that she was there.

[A]

When I met him, I was impressed. He was very likable. He was a gentleman. He was just. He was a very nice person. They were just starting out. They had been married not very long. They had bought the house a couple of years earlier. Lacey was a homemaker. I mean, she loved to cook. And her home was. She was fastidious.

[B]

You see the photos of them, all smiles. Lacy, by all accounts, was just a bundle of energy and was always concerned about helping other people. He was a fertilizer salesman. He had a decent job. He's in the cigar club. He's in the wine club. He belongs to the country club. He wants to be that rich guy with a trophy wife.

[A]

He was still in his 20s. He was about to turn 30. How did Scott feel about the fact that he was going to be a father?

[B]

Very excited.

[A]

Called us at 7am in the morning

[B]

when she took the test.

[A]

And I said, how do you know? She said, I took the test. I said, those aren't always accurate, you know. And she said, yes, it is. Yes, it is, because they had been. They tried for three years to have a child. They did, Yes. I remember the last time I saw Lacey, she and I were sitting side by side and Scott was sitting on the floor and we were watching tv. And she said the baby was kicking. So I put my hand on her stomach because I'd never felt him kick. She leaned over to me and she said, mom, she said, scott doesn't like to do this. She said, I asked him to fill my stomach when the baby kicks, and he never wants to Touch my stomach. That really, really bothered me. And that was the last time I saw her. It seems that when she got pregnant with Connor, things started going sideways. It breaks my heart because she was trying so hard to have this perfect home for baby Connor to come into. And she had no idea it was a house built on sand that was sinking quickly. No idea.

[B]

Law enforcement zoned in on Scott immediately. May have been to the detriment of opportunities missed.

[A]

Our family has known since the beginning that Scott is innocent.

[B]

There was a burglary across the street from the Peterson's house directly across the street.

[A]

So you have someone who goes missing in this window of time and you have a felony occurring in this window of time. And to think that they're not related is a difficult thing to ignore.

[B]

We began an immediate search of the park. And he's like, well, have you tried cadaver? I mean, it threw me. I'm like, cadaver dogs. Scott. I hadn't considered her dead yet. In horror movies, the settings are usually quite ordinary. And this is what scares people. In the darkest part of their mind. Things that look ordinary and safe may not be. Lacy Peterson was last seen walking her dog about 10:30 on Christmas Eve morning. After that, she simply disappeared. We started an investigation on the 24th, about 5:47pm that's when I heard about it. I didn't know nothing about it until I was having my Christmas Eve dinner when I got the call and then I drove down. First person you focus at in a homicide investigation is the person closest to the victim and the last person to see the victim. And of course, boom, boom, we got both of those with Scott. He claims that he woke up in the morning and he and Lacey had breakfast together. They watched the Martha Stewart show on television. They were together. She ate cereal, she got dressed, she

[A]

curled her hair, she put her shoes on.

[B]

He thought maybe he was going to play golf, but because it was rainy and cold, he decided not to play golf, but to go fishing.

[A]

She leashed up her dog, she walked out her gate and she went on a walk. Remember, this is December 24th. Christmas is the next day. They're gonna all have a family dinner that night.

[B]

Scott finished fishing that day at some point in the afternoon and made a phone call to Lacey. Hey, beautiful. I won't be able to get to no Villa Farms to get that basket for Papa. I was hop we get this message and go on out there. I'll see you in a bit, sweetie. Love you, bye. I mean, Scott's telling me when I interview him I went fishing. I tried to call my wife three times. I called her cell phone. I called her house. And I'm driving home from Berkeley, and she ain't answering. So I'm thinking something's up. Then I get home. Her car is in the driveway. So I entered through the back gate. McKenzie came running up to me. He did have his leash on, which isn't that weird. I could tell that she wasn't at home because it was quiet in the house, but I just assumed that she had gone over to help her mom with the preparations.

[A]

He assumed that her mom had come to pick her up. They had plans for dinner that night with her mother, Sharon, and her stepdad, Ron. And so when Scott arrived home, he was not alarmed.

[B]

So what does he do? Well, he goes over to the washing machine. He takes all the clothes out. He takes all his clothes off and washes them. Then he gets some pizza out. He drinks some milk and eats some pizza. I was actually in such a rush that I had the piece of pizza while I was in the shower. Once out of that, I went in the bedroom and got dressed and some nicer clothes back in the kitchen. And I noticed that there was a message.

[A]

It was a message from Lacey's stepdad, Ron. Scott asked if Lacey was there. I learned Lacey was missing when Scott called that evening and asked if she was at our house. And of course, I said, no, she's not here. And immediately he came back with saying that she was missing. And I remember feeling that. Just a little agitated about that word, the word that he missing. I was like, how can you be missing? She's not missing. Then I asked if he'd called her friends called me back again, and nobody had seen her. That basically became the moment when Scott realized Lacey wasn't where he thought she was.

[B]

As soon as I told Sharon that she planned on going for a walk, Sharon said, go to the park. I'm gonna meet you there at the tennis court.

[A]

I remember running around in the park and yelling her name. And there's nothing worse than lifting up a trash can, looking for your child to see if her body is in a trash can. But I remember doing that when it's happening to somebody else. You think that's a horrible thing to happen to those people, and you think that you can imagine how they feel. You know, you have no idea what it's like. I mean, everything. Every from that minute on, your life is completely changed. She didn't turn up at the park where she would have walked the dog. She was not in the neighborhood. Her body was nowhere. She was nowhere.

[B]

There was no evidence of a struggle. The exterior of the house was secure. No evidence of tampering or forced entry. We didn't find any fingerprints that were present in the house that didn't belong there. There was nothing that was missing from the house. TV was still there. All the normal things that burglars will take quick, quickly so that they can get out of there.

[A]

So what scenario does that leave? An unknown assailant grabs her in a park where there are other people and spirits her away. Typically, that is not how an unknown assailant murder occurs. The murder goes down, the body's left on the scene, and bam, the killer's gone. Okay, so, of course, the police start looking, looking at him.

[B]

Well, I suspected Scott when I first met him. Didn't mean he did it. But I was a little bit thrown off by his calm, cool demeanor on Christmas Eve.

[A]

He.

[B]

He was cooperative. In my mind, I'm not even thinking he did it yet. But I am documenting all this stuff. When we get to his shop to look at his boat, Scott tells me, I have no power in the shop, Meaning there's no lights. This shop is in a strip mall, and it's. It's the middle of the night. There ain't nobody there. It's just us. And so I'm not even thinking that. Suspicious. I just. Okay, there's no power. Do you mind opening the door? I'll put my headlights in. I want to look at the boat. So I put my headlights in, and I take four or five pictures, you know, of the boat. And then later, I called mid. And I talked to the supervisor to find out when the power was out for that area. He said, the power is never out for that area.

[A]

So he was questioned for over seven hours the first night that Lacy went missing. Continued to talk to police.

[B]

So you just. When you got in the boat and took off, did you go very far? Well, I mean, probably a couple miles. Found like, a little island kind of deal there on the river. They signed and said no landing to

[A]

dump his wife's body in broad daylight. It just defies logic. Whoever has her, please, please, please let her go. Bring her back.

[B]

Please. We love her so much. We want her back. Please let us have her back. This episode is supported by the podcast Dr. Death. There are people you're told to trust. Lawyers, teachers, especially doctors. But what happens when you put your life in someone's hands and they betray you? The hit podcast Dr. Death is back. And this season is unlike any other doctor Death the Cowboy is the story of a charming neurosurgeon who rode into western towns selling a Persona of confidence and care. He wore cowboy boots in the operating room and became sought after by patients. He promised to heal them. Instead, he left a trail of broken bodies. This is the story of a doctor who was never truly held accountable for the patients whose lives he ruined. A story of greed, betrayal, and a fight for justice that will leave you questioning who to trust. Listen to Dr. Death the Cowboy wherever you get your podcasts or binge the entire series right now only with audible this show is sponsored by Bombas. It's finally spring and if you're like

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[A]

would be like, stop talking to me

[B]

and get out there and find my wife. You know, I didn't do it. Leave me alone. But he just didn't. He hadn't something about him and the way he was answering questions, his demeanor was suspicious. Okay. Did you drive straight there? I did. Get your boat in. How long do you think you stayed in the water? Felt like an hour and a half or so. If you have a map for that area or would you just weigh it?

[A]

I remember asking him about the boat. I asked him, when did you buy the boat? His answer to that question was, it was a surprise for rod. He didn't tell me when he bought it. It was a surprise for rod, which made no sense at all. Of course, those are the kind of answers I would get to questions I asked, Never a straight answer.

[B]

We began our meeting search of the park and river areas, waterways, vacant lots, vacant buildings, abandoned cars, abandoned barns. I want to make sure that everything's been checked. Tip line, Telephone number is 34261.

[A]

The Modesto Police had issued a press release that lacey was missing. And in that press release, they publicized what Scott's alibi was. They said that he was fishing in the San francisco bay area. I was absolutely stunned that they had released Scott's alibi. And I remember thinking, you know, we don't know who has her. We don't know what their intent is. And if their intent is to harm her, they're gonna go put her body in the bag. Whoever has her, please, please, please let her go. Bring her back.

[B]

We love her so much. We want her back. Please let us have her back. The room is packed, and we got the chief up there talking about her and the fact that Scott wants fishing. And, man, the hands started coming up. He went fishing. Where'd he go fishing at? And he got up and walked out. Scott did. And so we obtained a search warrant for his house. And we went in, and he was reading the newspaper at the dining room table. So we give him this form, and it says, I give consent for us to search all that stuff, and all he has to do is sign it, and we can search. And he picks it up, he reads it, and he's like, you don't expect me to sign this without a lawyer, do you? Well, we weren't sure but we have a search warrant. And he's like. He looks right at me and says, al, where's the trust? I mean, that's what he says to me. Where's the trust? Scott Peterson wanted to give off the impression that he was being completely forthcoming and helpful to the police. But there were lines that he drew. Scott was always in the background.

[A]

He was adamant that his photo not be put on posters, that pictures of him not be taken. He didn't want their picture up at all. Everything of her and him had to

[B]

come down off the wall.

[A]

It only could be pictures of her. But the way he took it down,

[B]

he was, oh, I'm gonna keep this.

[A]

We had this wall in there. When you first walk in, there was this wall, and we had pictures of her everywhere. And he would make sure every picture of him was down off the wall. Daily. Daily, we would put more up. They would come down. Let me go to you, Jackie Peterson. Where is Scott tonight? I would imagine he would be out begging the viewers to help in the search for his wife. He is, and he has, and he is with friends this evening that have been searching all day.

[B]

There is a lot of questions on why I have not been in the media. Media will put, I believe, the emotional stuff out there for a couple days, and then the story will get dropped for something else. It was our thoughts that if I was to hold back from the media, the media would continue to come, because, frankly, cameras, reporters, they want something they. They can't get right away. So this was our way of keeping the media coming back for us. He's as smooth as they get. He's cool. He doesn't seem to get rattled. He seems authentic.

[A]

So many people say, Christmas Eve, you have a very pregnant wife, and you decide to go fishing.

[B]

My day was open to either play golf or go fishing. I chose fishing that day when. Which is a choice I made and I obviously regret now, I could just decide to stay home. This would not have happened. He was nervous. He was under the spotlight. He was being questioned, and he hid a terrible secret. The bay searches started. I believe it was the end of the December or thereabouts. They were also doing searches in the freshwater reservoirs up in the Sierras. But when it came to the bay searches, that was pretty widely publicized because Scott had maintained that, you know, his alibi was he went fishing, you know, at the Berkeley Marina, launching his boat. He said he went to the bay. He had proof. He went to the bay. We believe she was in the bay. So we're searching the bay so to

[A]

believe that, that Scott's guilty, you have to believe that someone bought a brand new boat that they'd never had in the water before and then took this boat to the busiest marina on the San Francisco Bay, you know, to dump his wife's body in broad daylight. It just defies logic.

[B]

I'm a very cynical person when it comes to spousal mystery. I always blame the husband, and I am almost always right. I start with the presumption that the husband did it. But there were alternative theories.

[A]

One is she was kidnapped by a satanic cult. Another one was a burglary that was across the street from the Peterson home. You had a neighbor, Diane Jackson, who saw three men in a van in front of the medina home on December 24th at about 11:40 in the morning, I was coming down Covina towards the park, going past Lacey on one side and Medina's on the other. And I just looked over and there were three guys on Medina's property and a van out front. And it. The only reason it caught my eye is that they turned around, looked at me. Sort of made me think, feel a little bit uncomfortable.

[B]

When this information came out, immediately there was a sense that, okay, maybe Lacey, who was walking the dog, came across this burglary and that's what happened to her. This was a viable explanation. Maybe she confronted the burglars, something happened, and they kidnapped her. We caught the guys that went in there and broke into that house and interviewed them, and they talked about the abduction. They said, we don't want. Our hands are clean on that.

[A]

Also, there are people who say they saw her walking her dog at a time, time after Scott Peterson left to go fishing, and if so, then obviously she wasn't dead in the back of his truck when he left.

[B]

We had a tip line up 24 7. As far as the tips are concerned, some of the people who actually saw Laci that they should have talked to, they never did talk to.

[A]

So these are the people who were calling in, responding to the police. People are seeing Lacey walk the dog after he left.

[B]

Modesto Police Department or investigators, they never came to ask me anything. On the day after Christmas when I, after I talked to the motorcycle policeman and gave him my statement that I had seen the dog in the park. Nothing was followed up after that. I just figured people who knew better than I and knew more about the case had pretty much made a decision that what I had to say wasn't all that relevant. If anyone saw her after 10 o', clock, then that let Scott out. And that would be horribly inconvenient. Then the Modesto police department would have to admit we have no idea who killed this beautiful pregnant woman. We actually found the pregnant lady with a golden retriever that walked her dog on that day. And the conclusion was that was not Lacey and Mackenzie. It appears that the description was somewhat different and we're not sure it was her.

[A]

And yet at the same time, they're having press conferences and they're saying, we cannot confirm she was walking the dog. So they're creating a public perception that Lacey didn't walk her dog. Which leaves them free to say that Scott was the last person to see his wife alive. I mean, sure, the police needed to look at other possibilities, but they needed to stay on Scott. They needed to do what they did.

[B]

I spent a great deal of time with the police and been forthcoming with the police in every instance.

[A]

Is it possible they think you know where she is?

[B]

I think a lot of people believe that.

[A]

Are you afraid police will arrest you?

[B]

No. I know there is. There's no basis. I had nothing to with do disappearance. So there's no possible evidence or anything like that.

[A]

There's absolutely no physical evidence at all that Scott committed this crime.

[B]

We pretty much dealt with all of the satanic cults, the dog walkers. The only thing we couldn't eliminate was Scott.

[A]

I'm Lacey's mother in law and Scott's mother. And I want to thank all of you for the love that I'll point.

[B]

So now there's a big memorial for Lacey in Modesto. Candlelight memorial.

[A]

I thank everybody for coming out here tonight. Lacey would be so happy to see she had so many friends and supporters and just keep looking for Lacey. Please don't give up. There were a lot of people who came to that vigilance in the park. Lord, tonight we lift Lacey Peterson to you. Father. I do remember I didn't see Scott the entire evening. He was there, apparently, but I didn't see him. The only thing I saw were the pictures in the media from him that night. Never saw him.

[B]

They asked about the candlelight vigil that we held in the park. And they asked, why weren't you on that stage with the family? And frankly, because this isn't about us to be out in front of the camera. It's about us to work towards bringing home one person who's hurting the most. The piece of our family that's missing right now.

[A]

We are kindling a fire in this cold world full of hatred and selfishness. Our little blaze may seem to Be unveiling. There's a vigil going on for Lacey, a candlelight vigil. And I said, well, where's the husband? Well, I'll tell you where he was. He was off in the corner talking on the phone to his mistress, Amber Fry. And she recorded it.

[B]

Amber Queen is here. Are you back? Yes. Are you having a good time? I'm near the Eiffel Tower. New Year celebrated. Unreal.

[A]

Earlier this week, the Modesto Police department was made aware of an article that

[B]

was to appear in the National Inquirer revealing new information regarding Lacey's case.

[A]

Out of respect for the family, the

[B]

police department felt they should provide the information to them directly so they wouldn't have to read it in the media.

[A]

At that time, the family members were shown very recent pictures of Scott and a girlfriend. Okay, first of all, I met Scott Peterson November 20, 2002. Scott told me he was not married. We did have a romantic relationship. I am very sorry for Lacey's family and the pain that this has caused them, and I pray for her safe return as well.

[B]

Amber Frey had contacted Modesto Police Department on Monday, December 30, 2002. She met with detectives and gave information about the relationship with Scott Peterson. And Amber Frey has been eliminated as a suspect in Lacey Peterson's disappearance.

[A]

Amber Frey was a single mother who was fixed up with Scott Peterson through a friend. She was his girlfriend, and she thought she had met the man of her dreams.

[B]

I could care for you.

[A]

I was just starting my career in massage therapy. You know, my daughter was very young, very small, and a single mother. He was good looking, he was nice. He was funny and attentive to me. I felt like we had a connection. That conversation was easy. He was courting her. They had a whirlwind romance in the few weeks they knew each other.

[B]

On the very first night, Scott meets her at the hotel. And basically, he's smooth, but he gets her to go upstairs with him just before he can take a quick shower and change, and then they can go to dinner. Well, upstairs is, you know, I don't know, four or five dozen and roses and some chocolate strawberries and some champagne. That was the start of the relationship.

[A]

You know, when you look forward to hearing from somebody and seeing them again and that, you know, that excitement's there and you could, you know, it, you know, all felt very good.

[B]

She really thought she had Mr. Right.

[A]

I really liked him and felt really good about where things were going and our conversations and time spent together. Unfortunately, Scott had an infidelity problem. And he traveled in conjunction with his work, and that created opportunity for him. And his own words are that he was weak. I remembered asking him if he'd ever been married. He said no, but that wasn't true, of course. And as it turns out, Amber's friend who introduced her to Scott, found out that he was married and confronted him and said, if you don't tell Amber, I will. So Scott did tell Amber. Scott knew Amber for 16 days. When he got caught being married, he was very emotional and said that this would be the first holidays without her. And he was crying at that. At that point, I took it as she died. Didn't know how if, you know, an accident or cancer. I had no idea. I didn't pry to ask. He just said it was painful. And so I had asked if he was ready for a relationship, and he said yes.

[B]

She was obviously a girl who had been duped. She was a girl that thought she was going to meet a nice guy. And the nice guy turned out to be Scott Peterson, who was a married man with a missing wife who, you know, took it to a whole other level in terms of deceit. She didn't know about Scott and Lacey missing until her friend told her, hey, that guy you brought to the Christmas party, he's on TV every day.

[A]

And so I went to the other room and called the Modesto Police Department hotline that they had. I was in shock. I mean, I literally was in shock.

[B]

I'm standing behind our clerk, and she's typing, and I'm watching, and it's, scott Peterson is my boyfriend. We've been dating exclusively. He said he wasn't married. And I'm like, bev, is that lady on the phone? Yeah. And so I talked to her, and it was Amber Fry and couldn't get

[A]

any words out for a while. And I was like, it is him. Like, this is him.

[B]

I'm like, okay, don't go nowhere. I'm gonna come visit you right now.

[A]

Amber Frey started cooperating with police as soon as she learned that the man of her dreams was really a married man whose wife had disappeared and he had been lying to her all along.

[B]

I buy her a tape recorder with some cassette tapes and a wire that can hook onto her phone. And I tell her, okay, if he ever calls, just push these two buttons and just talk normal. The phone rings, and it's Scott Peterson. I'm like, that's him. Showtime, girl.

[A]

Ever.

[B]

Hey, Happy New Year. Go on to call you. Thank you.

[A]

What they heard on December 31, 2002. Was a Scott Peterson, who, while a candlelight vigil is being held for his missing wife and he's attending it, is also on the phone with Amber Fry being recorded unbeknownst to him, telling her

[B]

that he's in Europe near the Eiffel Tower. Meteor Salvation is unreal. The crowd is huge. The crowd's huge.

[A]

He was right down the street where the vigil was taking place.

[B]

It was incredibly bizarre. You've got. I mean, this guy's wife is missing. The entire country is looking for her. And he's not only keeping his girlfriend at bay, he's entertaining her with these outlandish lies. Think about this. If his wife comes back and everyone in the world knows that Scott was cheating with Amber Fry, he's tearing his family apart. It's like the end of his family. The last thing that he wants, innocent or guilty, is for Amber Frye to get involved. And he would have told her anything. He would have said he was in Borneo on an expedition if it kept her away. I kind of remember the area here, but not really that well. Jogged down to the main square, which is kind of neat. Church in the background.

[A]

Yeah, I don't even really.

[B]

At least you don't know, you know,

[A]

I mean, I've been like times and really seen Paris is, you know, I'm in Brussels now. Oh, yeah, that's right. Amber Fry was critical to the case because she provides a motive for why now? Why is he killing his wife now?

[B]

It was almost like, aha, he killed Lacey to be with this woman. And instill as soon as Amber Fry showed up, people were like, he's guilty. He is guilty. For me, I was the opposite. I thought, oh, my gosh, this explains it. This is not a killer. He's a cheater. It wasn't just that he'd had an affair. It was that he was continuing to pretend as if his wife wasn't missing.

[A]

You were more worried about her than you were Lacey. How dare you?

[B]

To commit a crime like this, you have to have a screw loose at the very least. And those Amber Fry tapes made it seem like Scott Peterson has a screw loose. Scott, why don't you answer some questions? How come nobody saw you at the Berkeley marina and nobody saw Lacy walking the dog, huh? He now is enemy number one. Everybody hates Scott Peterson.

[A]

Did you murder your wife? My name is Janie Peterson. My brother in law, Scott, has been on death row in California since 2005. So ever since that time, we've just consistently taken every step that we can take to Prove he's innocent. Our family was very surprised and disappointed to find out that Scott had been unfaithful to Lacey.

[B]

Boom. All of a sudden, Amber Fry lays out her story to the world. Amber Fry was prepared to give a statement and she will not accept any questions. Ms. Amber Fry. The story gets elevated from a media perspective when Amber Fry comes out.

[A]

I literally was having a pack attack and I was like, I can't breathe. I can't breathe. When I discovered he was involved in the disappearance or the Lacey Peterson disappearance case, I immediately contacted the Modesto Police Department. It was just so scary because I'm putting myself out there. I am a single mother of a 23 month old child and is respect my privacy.

[B]

Thank you. The press conference was short. She didn't answer any questions, but she was a sympathetic and credible person. That changed everything. Not only changed it for Lacey's family, but also it just ignited the media firestorm and took it to a whole nother level. She's asked to have her privacy respected. We are going to do this that I'm not going to comment about Amber, her private life. Amber wants to be able to go on with her life.

[A]

It was so hard. The media was labeling me as the mistress and I was pretty much out there on my own for months.

[B]

Readers like a story to solicit an emotion from them. Love, hate, anger, sadness. And unfortunately, this was one case that provided all of that. The Rochas turned on Scott. They closed the volunteer center down and they said that Scott was not truthful and they were urging him to come out and tell the truth about everything. I would like Scott to know that I trusted him and stood by him in the initial phases of my sister's disappearance. However, Scott has not been forthcoming with information regarding my sister's disposal disappearance. And I'm only left to question what else he may be hiding. Does it make you think that indeed he may have had something to do with what happened to Lacey?

[A]

I think it raises questions for all of us. Scott needs to come forward and answer the questions that are put to him.

[B]

Once Amber Fry came out, suddenly Scott Peterson had a lot of explaining to do.

[A]

How you doing personally? How you holding up to all this?

[B]

This is a lot window strain, obviously. So, Scott, do you have anything to say? Scott, is there anything you want to. It was a tsunami, a frenzy. He was the most hated man in America at that time.

[A]

He started receiving a lot of animosity from the public in general, from media. He was on the tabloids every week.

[B]

You have to understand, he Was virtually run out of town. Scott, any further? Can you get a second? Scott? It's Scott. He had media following him. Are you taking a polygraph test? Hounding him every day. He had shock jocks lined up in front of his house with bullhorns screaming murder. How come nobody saw you at the Berkeley marina and nobody saw Lacy walking the dog, huh? He was tired of the tabloids and the networks and everybody hounding him wherever he went. I'm sorry. This has been bad journalism. We apologize, Scott, for asking pointed questions about all the untruths you told.

[A]

So when you heard that he was seeing another woman, what did you think? What do you think now?

[B]

It was surprising. It was disappointing. But, I mean, that's the reality of life. Men have affairs. Women have affairs when their wives are

[A]

eight and a half months pregnant.

[B]

Probably more so.

[A]

Mostly when men do, we've learned. I had no idea.

[B]

What was it like to realize that your infidelity may have played a role in the search? I'll die with that knowledge that what I did compromised the search for her. It was my fault. So that just adds so much to what I feel.

[A]

He has to die knowing that everyone stopped looking for Lacey because he was having an affair.

[B]

The entire country thought that he was guilty and responsible for Lacey's disappearance. So the Peterson family urged him to get out there, do some interviews and get people looking for Lacey again. I am going to speak to the press this coming week. I'm debating on when it should be done because Tuesday is the State of the Union address and I want maximum coverage.

[A]

This morning, an exclusive interview with Scott Peterson breaking his silence in the case of his missing pregnant wife. I think everybody sitting at home wants the answer to the same question. Did you murder your wife?

[B]

No. No. I just thought. And I had absolutely nothing to do with her disappearance. And you use the word murder and right now everyone's looking for a body. And that is the hardest thing because that is not a possible resolution for us. And I know that suspicion has turned to me because of the inappropriate romantic that I had with Amber Fry. Then.

[A]

Did your wife find out about it?

[B]

I told my wife.

[A]

When?

[B]

In early December. A lot of arguing that would break us apart.

[A]

There wasn't a lot of anger?

[B]

No.

[A]

Do you really expect people to believe that an eight and a half month pregnant woman learns her husband has had an affair and is saintly and casual about it? Accommodating makes a piece with it?

[B]

Well, yeah. You don't know. No one knows our relationship but us.

[A]

There's no way that Lacy knew about it and would not have told us, not all of us, but one of us, and said, oh, my God, I need to leave Scott, much less be okay and be okay with it. I don't buy it. I don't buy that one at all. No, we make no excuse for Scott's behavior in that sense. We make no excuse for the things that he said to Amber. But unfortunately, a lot of that is being used to convict him of murder. And really, what all of that is is evidence of adultery. There was one report that a neighborhood had seen you loading something into a vehicle.

[B]

I'll have to stop if you ask me more detailed questions about their investigation.

[A]

I knew he had killed her. I knew she was dead. I'll never know what happened. I know that. But I needed to have her back. That was so important to me. I just needed to have her back. And that was one of the things that was just so absolutely frustrating because, you know, somebody knows where she is, but he won't tell you.

[B]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

[A]

In the second week of April, there was a big storm. Big thunderstorm in San Francisco.

[B]

The Contra Costa county coroner has arrived at the scene and has now recovered the remains of the victim.

[A]

The police always believed that Scott Peterson had weighted down Lacey's body with anchors that he made. But she broke free of the anchors because of the storm. On Monday, a badly decomposed adult torso was found in a marina in Richmond,

[B]

California, not far from where Scott Peterson

[A]

said he had been fishing at the time of Lacey's disappearance. A mile away, another Brisbane discovery, the body of an unborn baby boy.

[B]

My understanding is they're making arrangements to have the autopsy performed this evening.

[A]

I knew that they were hoping to find Lake. You know, they felt that if we had her body, then they would be able to arrest him and move forward. And I was very concerned about that, that if she Never appeared that maybe they wouldn't be able to arrest him, maybe they wouldn't be able to prosecute him. Not enough evidence. What can you tell us about what Modesto police have gathered so far from the body?

[B]

We're still trying to find out the identity of the body, and one of the key questions we're trying to answer right now is whether or not there's any relationship between the adult female and the baby male that was found from two days ago.

[A]

Just not knowing is just unbearable.

[B]

He says, I came out of the Berkeley Marina, went right to that Brooks Island. There was a sign there that said no landing. I mean, he told me he was there, and that's where the bodies come up. I believe it was premeditated. He planned it. When the bodies came up, what it did is it automatically injected a big sense of urgency in the case. I just thought, we got to find Scott right now. We knew he was in San Diego at the time. Did have a tracker on his car down there. San Diego was pretty darn close to the Mexican border. Scott knew the area pretty well. I mean, that's where his parents lived, that's where he lived. So it wasn't like he was going to have to get on mapquests and try and figure out a way to get to, you know, Tijuana.

[A]

So I was concerned that he was going to disappear before they had the opportunity to arrest him.

[B]

Scott is driving all over San Diego area, driving quickly. He was driving 80 miles an hour on the freeway, and he would slam his brakes on. I mean, it got to the point where we had a helicopter lost him. I mean, he was driving so erratically and evasively.

[A]

They were unmarked vehicles. No one was attempting to pull him over. He thought he was being followed by members of the media. He probably spent three and a half to four hours driving around trying to shake him.

[B]

We need to end this. We need to take him in custody. Even though we don't yet have the DNA results. And that's when Scott was by the exit of Torrey Pines, and they turned on the red and blue lights and stopped him right there at the entrance.

[A]

When Scott realized it was law enforcement, he immediately pulled over and was arrested.

[B]

Earlier this week, East Bay park authorities discovered two bodies. There is no question in our minds that the unidentified female is Lacy Peterson. The unidentified fetus is the biological child of Lacy and Scott Peterson.

[A]

I don't feel that I need to know what happened, exactly what happened. That is not going to

[B]

make me

[A]

feel better in any way, knowing exactly what Happened, but I did need her to come home.

[B]

This is a tragedy that is affecting many lives. Scott Peterson has been arrested. There are no other suspects in this case.

[A]

We ended up finding out on the news. We're not only finding out that he's arrested, we're also finding out that Lacey

[B]

and Connor were gone.

[A]

So it was a. It was a tough, tough, shocking, shocking day.

[B]

I went out once, the vehicle was there to do the inventory, and it's just a whole bunch of stuff in the car. Guy had, like, I don't know, 14, $15,000 cash. He had his brother's I.D. he has camping supplies, some ropes, some knives, 15 pairs of shoes and hiking boots, and a shovel and fishing poles. Scott Peterson couldn't have done anything to make himself seem more guilty than to dye his hair, have some disguises, and a ton of cash anywhere near the Mexican border.

[A]

He is not disguising himself to evade law enforcement. He had a lot of things in his vehicle. He pretty much become nomadic.

[B]

At the point of your arrest, your hair color had changed. And what was your objective in coloring your hair? Oh, I wanted anonymity. You know, I was fearful. There had been threats left on our answering machine at home. I'd had people spit on me. So, yeah, I changed my hair color, and I wasn't recognized. And it was apparent relief.

[A]

Lacey and Connor were found on Sunday to Monday, and Scott was arrested on Friday. It was a good Friday, as a matter of fact, just before Easter, he

[B]

will be booked into the staff Manaslash County Jail. When he arrives, he'll be charged with capital murder. Once we heard that Scott had been taken into custody, hundreds of people started to gather around the jail. And by the time he pulled up, it was an incredible scene. There were people yelling, murderer, murderer. As he pulled up. He's in the backseat of this unmarked car. Stay back. Stop. Stay back. Suddenly, a sleepy, sluggish little town like Modesto is transformed into a media circus.

[A]

We will seek justice for her and Connor and make sure that that person responsible for their dis. For their deaths will be punished.

[B]

I think the fact that there has been this much media attention cuts both ways. Where are you going to go to find somebody that hasn't heard about this case? I would hope there's a fair trial wherever it's held. More people believe that the moon landing was faked than believe that Scott Peterson was innocent. That's what we were up against.

[A]

The trial began on June 1, 2004, with opening statements. This was a big day.

[B]

There were reporters crawling all over Each other. There were satellite trucks everywhere. This was a huge story. Hundreds of miles of cable strewn all over the place. We were going every day because people were watching.

[A]

He wants him to fight. He did this to his wife and child. And there's somebody out there still.

[B]

People forget that the preliminary hearing in this case was televised, but the case itself, no cameras. There were hundreds of people there every day. In fact, they had to have a lottery for the public seats to see who could get in to watch the trial. They announced the numbers like a bingo game.

[A]

Four, five, nine.

[B]

And people were like, yes, I'm going in for the day. There were local radio stations that had taken out billboards around the courthouse that had people vote man or monster? It reminded me of something out of the Jim Crow south just because of the lynching mentality. Mark Garrigos, the high profile attorney who's been a frequent guest, Mark Garrigus is as about flamboyant a lawyer as you can imagine. The people who know him best believe totally, unequivocally in this young man's innocence.

[A]

Mark Garrigos owns a courtroom, right? He's got a lot of self confidence and he's got a swagger.

[B]

And I think it's only a matter of time before we're able to turn America's head around.

[A]

And you have a lot of high profile clients, so it was a big deal that, you know, a celebrity lawyer was now defending Scott Peterson.

[B]

I think everybody counseled me not to take the case because they said it was a no win situation. The thinking was, if you win the case, you're a pariah. If you lose the case, your career is over. Is that correct? Mr. Peterson, you're pleading not guilty of the two charges of murder plus the special, denying the special allegations? Absolutely, that's correct, you, Honor. I'm innocent. When you got to see Scott Peterson in person, in court, there's no way that this guy was guilty of this heinous crime. Attractive, handsome, charming. It just did not jive with the concept of the brutal nature of the double killing in this case. I looked at him, I said, my God, he's the same age as my oldest son. And so this poor kid, what he must be going through right now if he's innocent. Scott did not look like a killer. That was one of the things we talked to the jury about during jury selection because we had to overcome that. You know, what does a killer look like?

[A]

The strongest argument for the defense in my mind is that someone else yet to be found committed this crime.

[B]

The Most likely thing that happened is that she was abducted, and she was abducted by someone other than my client, and that she was abducted while walking her dog. On the 24th, the neighbors across the the street left their home to go to Los Angeles. Someone robbed their homes. And this was right across the street from the Peterson house. And maybe they were carrying a TV set into the van or something like that. And she says, hey, what are you doing there? I'm calling the police. And they panic, and they grab her dog gets loose, runs away. They put her in a van. And it's a stupid, panicky thing to do, but they do it. If I'm a defense attorney and I've got a burglary across the street within 24 hours of the time my client's wife goes missing in our home, I've got some ammo.

[A]

So the defense in this case was that Scott Peterson didn't do it.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Basically, the wrong guy is on trial. He didn't do it.

[B]

It's all these little things that kind of added up to where you really had to sit back and think, okay, wait a second. Something's not right here.

[A]

This is all about building doubt. So if there are enough doubts that are put out there, maybe a juror will think, okay, the prosecutor has not proved his case.

[B]

I believe very strongly in my heart that she was taken off the street that day by the people who were involved in the burglary in the house. I know from my own experiences with Scott and from the evidence in this case that that is a much more likely scenario than Scott having murdered his wife. When it came time for the defense case to start, everyone was expecting all this evidence to come forward, and very little of it did. There was too much reasonable doubt, especially in my mind. The burglary should have been looked at a lot stronger, should have been the defense's number one thing, and they should have really put a lot more evidence out on that. Mark Garagos never certainly proved in any way, shape, or form that there was an abduction. I thought one way. I thought basically innocent for a long time, and then it started going, shifting the other way.

[A]

I expect that I will be asked to testify in this case, and I am prepared to do so.

[B]

I'm Kiana, and I leveled up my business with Shopify. Once I figured out that Shopify was a thing, I never turned back. I can create a site with my eyes closed. Shopify thinks ahead of us, you know, and it thinks about the customer more than anything. Every day, I'm thinking about some other new business. But Shopify is doing it to me because it's so easy to use. It's like, I can't stop. I'm addicted. Start your free [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.

[A]

Today, Scott Peterson's family and Lacey Peterson's family came and went with little to say publicly. Well, the prosecutor's opening argument as nothing new. No evidence.

[B]

We want the country to know our son is innocent. Defense has asked for a mistrial, again

[A]

claiming prosecutors have been too slow to turn over evidence one day at a time. I mean, we all know he had an affair.

[B]

That's not the issue here.

[A]

The issue is about Lacey, and I don't think the two are connected whatsoever.

[B]

Objection. That calls for speculation. It borders on the ludicrous.

[A]

The defense blames pre trial publicity for tainting the San Mateo County.

[B]

There was no evidence whatsoever other than circumstantial evidence. And the problem in this case was the interpretation the Modesto police put on the circumstantial evidence was just incorrect.

[A]

They had a motive. They had means, for sure. They had opportunity. What they did have was a lot of forensics.

[B]

They looked at his computer use and they saw that he was looking at the currents in the San Francisco Bay. Scott Woods Haven. He wanted to know what the currents would be. If you look at it through a different lens, it's because he's going to drop his dead wife's body there. Their forensic computer expert conceded that Lacy had accessed the computer. On the morning of the 24th, someone was on the computer in the house looking at sunflower umbrellas and another shopping site. Clearly, that was Lacy, right? Or it was Scott pretending to be

[A]

Lacy in the warehouse where he stored the boat. It's believed that he made these homemade anchors and probably attached them to her body so she would sink in the bay.

[B]

4 anchors, 40 pounds will never sink that boat. That body would have just floated away. Then the question becomes, how do the bodies get to the Berkeley marina? And that one to me is the easiest one. I think the burglars probably initially panicked, kept her for a while, and then the realization hits them that they can't let her live because now they've committed kidnapping and now we're not talking about a burglary. For a year or two in jail. We're talking about, you know, life in prison. And so they say, we got to get rid of her. And someone says, yeah, but what do we do with the body? And they say, hey, you know what? Everybody in the country knows that Scott Peterson went to the Berkeley marina. Let's drop the body there. That was the one smart thing that they came up with. The maybes here require such logical leaps that it's just not credible. It's either someone actively framed Scott Peterson after kidnapping his eight month pregnant wife, or he did it.

[A]

That's it. This has to be the biggest coincidence I have ever heard of. I mean, are you psychic? I mean, you predicted your wife would be missing on August 10th. When Amber Fry started her testimony and those recordings started to play. It was a turning point for the prosecution. From the moment I learned the truth, it wasn't about me. It was about a missing pregnant woman. There was information that I had that nobody knew or heard.

[B]

Amber Frey and those tapes totally turned the case upside down and it sunk Scott Peterson. The jury was absolutely taken aback by those tapes. And you could feel the entire trial shift during that four or five day period. Scott realized that as soon as it came out that it was Amber, all bets were off.

[A]

Oh, yes, you said you've lost your wife.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yes, obviously, without me saying much, but we will.

[B]

I said that I'm. I lost my wife.

[A]

Yes, you did.

[B]

I did. And yes.

[A]

How did you lose her then, before she was lost? Explain that.

[B]

There are different kinds of moss, Amber.

[A]

This guy is supposedly out there searching

[B]

desperately to find his missing wife and he's telling his girlfriend he lost his wife. That's tough piece of turkey testimony to overcome. Prosecution couldn't tell you when this happened. They couldn't tell you where it happened. They couldn't tell you how it happened. The only thing they could do was just say Scott Peterson's a bad person.

[A]

We live in a day and age of CSI and forensics and time lining and nobody does that with this crime. It's just he did it. He was a dirtbag adulterer and he did it. And that's not good enough. That's not good enough.

[B]

I do not believe that Scott Peterson killed his wife. No. I certainly don't believe that anybody proved that in the trial. I absolutely don't believe that the media attention and the atmosphere at the courthouse wasn't the problem for Scott Peterson. The problem was the evidence. The problem was Amber Fry. The problem was where the bodies were found. That was the Problem for Scott Peterson, you never know. One of the things about a jury trial is, man, when you're sitting there waiting, your heart is pounding. Mr. Foreperson, it's my understanding that the jury has arrived at a verdict in this case, is that correct? We got Joe. Though. Here we are at 5 minutes after the hour of 4 o'. Clock. We are awaiting this audio feed of this verdict. He's guilty.

[A]

There were throngs around the courthouse, people

[B]

holding up signs, people yelling murderer. It is just a very difficult, tense moment outside of that courthouse for everyone involved.

[A]

30 years to life.

[B]

Let me say this. If there is a connection in this case, and at this point, the whole world had decided Scott Peterson was guilty, I thought the best result possible in this case would be a hung jury. After a five month jury trial, 180 witnesses, hundreds of pieces of evidence admitted for the jury to consider. After all that, the jury concluded very quickly. You can look at it one of two ways. Either they say the pro prosecution didn't prove it, or of course he's the one that did it and we're gonna find him guilty. We'll find out in a matter of moments. One of the things about a jury trial is, man, when you're sitting there waiting, your heart is pounding. None of us expect to break. That's Friday. And they put me in a holding cell at the courthouse and wow, it was like a huge relief that there was a priority which I was totally expecting to go home that day. Just not like I had a life to go back to or, you know, I was gonna be out of that hell.

[A]

There were definite butterflies when we got word that there was a verdict.

[B]

There were hundreds of people outside the courthouse listening to the verdict which was being broadcast from the courtroom. Okay, I'm understanding that the jury is entering the courtroom right now. So, Mr. Forperson, it's my understanding that the jury has arrived at a verdict in this case. Is that correct? We got. Your honor, when you're waiting, it just seems like it takes so long to spit. Just spit it out. State of California versus Scott Peterson. As the verdict was being read, it was dead silence.

[A]

We the jury in the above entitled cause, find the dependent Scott Lee Peterson guilty of the crime of murder of Lacey Device Peterson. After almost two years, the verdict has been read and Scott Peterson has been found guilty of first degree murder that comes with death penalty or life without parole. Guilty of second degree degree murder with regard to his unborn child, baby Connor, 15 years to life. The penalty phase, according to the judge, will start in less Than a week. I still hear the voice. I mean, the guilty. Guilty. Started crying. It was a relief. It was a sigh of relief. We were bawling. It was like I'd been holding my breath for two years here almost. And, yeah, when I heard the verdict, it was just. And all the emotions come out. I mean, because like I said, it's like we've been holding your breath and holding everything in all this time, and then, boom. And then, okay, it's done. It's done. Hugs, tears in front of me in a row in front of me, right? The roaches and Lacey's friends. As the verdicts are being read. And I'm making all these observations around the courtroom. I'm looking at Scott Peterson, too, and I don't see any emotion. I see nothing.

[B]

I can hoping one of them would say, you know, have a second thought and just realize what they were doing right. You know, recognize how wrong this was. There was gasps from the defense side just like. They couldn't believe it. They absolutely could not believe it. You could see it. They just. They were stunned.

[A]

When they actually announced the verdict, I. I thought that I. I just didn't hear the word not. I thought maybe, you know, I just missed it. We were completely shocked and numb, Just numb.

[B]

I'm haunted by the verdict all the time. This is what you crave as a lawyer, the opportunity to prove an innocent man innocent. And given that opportunity, I failed. It's over with. Thank God. It's over with.

[A]

I know that millions of people in this country were praying for justice. I think there was justice today with the jury's verdict.

[B]

And the Peterson family, when they left the courthouse, having just heard that their loved one was found guilty, the crowd was jeering them and taunting them.

[A]

We were kind of a little taken back by that. They were going to provide us an escort to walk us to our car. And it kind of made us think, whoa, what's out there

[B]

with them? Go outside. It was like the Roman Colosseum. It was obscene. This was a courthouse, and people were cheering and screaming and hugging each other. This is a tragedy all the way around. What are we celebrating here?

[A]

I just remember in my head thinking, they have no idea. They have no idea. That that's the only thing I remember thinking.

[B]

This trial is not over. There's going to be a penalty phase. A week from Monday, this jury will begin to consider whether or not Scott Peterson lives or dies for the murder of his wife and child. The sentencing was actually the close call. I think many believe there was a Real chance for Scott Peterson to get lit life in prison instead of the death penalty. What convinced you to choose the sentence of death? I played in my mind over and over conspiracy with somebody, trying to set up Scott with somebody after Lacey. It didn't add up for me for her to be where she was found and to go through with what seemed to be in the end to me, a charade. It just wasn't. It wasn't fair. What a nightmare. It hasn't changed. It's still a nightmare. It should never have happened. It hurts too many people for no reason. But justice was served. Obviously, we're very disappointed. Obviously, we plan on pursuing every and all appeals. I don't think anybody who sat in that courtroom could think that they put on case beyond a reasonable doubt. However, it didn't matter what the rational facts were. It didn't matter what the evidence was. It's hard to convey to somebody who wasn't there at the time what was going on in 2004 and the hatred and vitriol that was directed towards Scott Peterson. I don't care. I just know he's guilty. That was the feeling. Guess what, Scotty.

[A]

San Quentin's your new home, and it's

[B]

illegal to kill your wife and child in California. The one thing that happened right at the end of the trial,

[A]

a tip had been called into the Modesto police from a lieutenant upon at Norco Prison.

[B]

He overheard one of the people in the jail, one of the inmates, telling somebody on the phone who was outside. They had brought up Lacy Peterson's name. There's something that you want to say. Just how frustrated I've been when people say that I was the last one to see Lacey that day because there were so many witnesses. We saw her walking in the neighborhood after I left.

[A]

This case is driven by headline narratives. To have a case that's been this highly publicized, to have people have such a small understanding of what happened on this day is. It's profoundly frustrating.

[B]

Right now with the Peterson case, there are essentially two different traffic. The first tract is the death penalty part of the trial that has been overturned. We are getting ready to do a subsequent retry of the death penalty phase. There is a second track, however, to determine whether or not the entire case gets retried. Scott Peterson is up for appeal, and probably his strongest, most compelling arguments to get this conviction overturned is jury misconduct. Turns out one of the jury jurors did not disclose that she'd actually had to get a restraining order against someone in connection with her being pregnant. And Being concerned about her baby, Little

[A]

man was the hardest for me. Little man. That's what I call him, Connor.

[B]

It's a pretty relevant detail in a case like this.

[A]

When I was filling out that application, my situation never came. Came to my mind.

[B]

Peterson appealed his case to the California Supreme Court. Citing a variety of reasons that the conviction should be overturned, the high court ordered the trial court to reconsider just one issue, that question about potential juror misconduct. You know, I think about it, I don't know what a jury or an appeals court's gonna do, but it's out of my control. I hope it doesn't come to that.

[A]

As difficult as it is to think about sitting through another trial, we're prepared for another trial.

[B]

If we're allowed to put on the evidence in this case and we're able to show the jury everything that's out there, I am very confident Scott will be found not guilty. Some of it includes what's known as the Aponte tip.

[A]

A tip had been called into the Modesto police from a Lt. Aponte at an Norco prison.

[B]

He overheard one of the people in the jail, one of the inmates, telling somebody on the phone who was outside. They had brought up Lacey Peterson's name. The Aponte tip was in discovery. I believe we sent our investigator down to interview Lt. Aponte, who confirmed. At first, he said the inmate claimed he'd heard that Lacy had seen one of the and the burglar had threatened her. Aponte later backtracked on the details of that call. We were going to call him in as a witness, and he changed the story. And he started saying, well, I don't really know what I heard. He started backing off everything. We are going to call him at this trial. We're going to read the declaration, let the jury see what he signed while they only have to get reasonable doubt. This is far from a smart smoking gun. What I want the public to know on this trial, this coming trial, is just list at the evidence. Don't go on a motion on this. Give us a shot. It's rare in life you get a second chance. It's taken 18 years for Scott sitting in a jail cell. I'm ready to go back to court. Let's do it again. I'd be ready to testify. I'd go back at it again because he deserves to be where he is.

[A]

To have to go through a trial again, of course, it'd be excruciating. But if that's what it takes, I'll be there, and I'm sure they'll find him guilty again.

[B]

Scott Peterson is still in prison, but no longer on death row. That death sentence, as you heard, overturned pending a retrial on the penalty phase.

[A]

And now the Peterson defense team is asking the court to begin again to retry the Laci Peterson case from the beginning.

[B]

Thanks for listening to the 2020 True Crime Vault. We hope you'll join us Friday nights at 9 on ABC for all new broadcast episodes.

[A]

See you then.

[B]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.