Scott Peterson

Scott Peterson, born in 1971, and his wife Laci Peterson seemed very happy together; they were even expecting a child. On the surface, everything seemed perfect. But Scott Peterson was not a happy man. He had affairs, felt stressed about work and his home life all the time, and was living a luxurious life with his wife – on his meager salary.

Instead of divorcing Laci, Scott found another, less expensive way out: murder. He killed Laci and dumped her body – with their unborn son – into San Francisco Bay. And when Laci was discovered missing in late 2002, Scott, strangely enough to those who knew him well, didn’t seem very bothered at all.

Soon after, in early 2003, Amber Frey claimed to have had an affair with Scott, who said he was single. Scott was arrested in 2003. Because of the infamy of the trial, news cameras were not allowed at the preliminary hearing; later, they were banned from the entire trial. Peterson pleaded not guilty, but found himself the subject of not only the murder charges, but also a lawsuit by Laci’s family for the deaths of their daughter and grandson.

On November 12, 2004, Peterson was found guilty of first-degree murder (Laci) and second-degree murder (the child). He is on death row in San Quentin State Prison.