For Laci
Sharon Rocha
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
2002 · Modesto, California
Laci Peterson
Partners & family
Photo credit
California Department of Corrections / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (California government). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Laci Peterson disappeared from Modesto in December 2002 while pregnant with her son, Conner. Their remains were recovered in 2003, and Scott Peterson was convicted in 2004. According to the district attorney’s May 2026 statement, his third habeas petition was denied on April 27. A July 2026 documentary examines disputed defense claims without changing the conviction.
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The Story
When2002
WhereModesto, California
In this collection44 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
Scott Peterson: The New Evidence
A&E · July 16–17, 2026 · two-part documentary
A documentary perspective to explore alongside the written sources.
True Crime Obsessed — American Murder: Laci Peterson, Part 1
Apple Podcasts
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
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Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Parents
- Sharon Rocha
Laci Peterson
Spouse / Former Spouse
- Scott Peterson
Sources & Further Reading
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
StudioJake Media
‘American Murder: Laci Peterson’ Netflix True Crime Docuseries Review – StudioJake Media
A reviewer evaluates American Murder: Laci Peterson, the Netflix documentary series.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
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Books
1 itemsSharon Rocha
For Laci
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
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View on Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Paperback · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
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Movies & TV
Movies
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
TV & documentaries
5 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Netflix
American Murder: Laci Peterson
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkView on Netflix
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
NBC · 2017 catalog, Episode 19 · Listed air date 2017-04-21
Dateline NBC — The Laci Peterson Story: A Dateline Investigation
Includes coverage of Laci Peterson.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
ABC · 2017 catalog, Episode 34 · Listed air date 2017-09-14
20/20 — Truth and Lies: The Murder of Laci Peterson
Includes coverage of Laci Peterson.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
NBC · 2023 catalog, Episode 14 · Listed air date 2023-04-09
Dateline NBC — Laci Peterson: A New Turn
Includes coverage of Laci Peterson.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
A&E · July 16–17, 2026 · two-part documentary
Scott Peterson: The New Evidence
A documentary examining defense challenges to the case. Its theories and interviews are not findings that a court has accepted.
DocumentaryScreen Title · Viewing Access Varies
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & episode details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
For Laci: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Justice
Unabridged
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
True Crime Obsessed — American Murder: Laci Peterson, Part 1
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Laci Peterson Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released December 25, 2017. About 33 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Crime Junkie
MURDERED: Laci Peterson Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released December 18, 2017. About 46 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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The Casual Criminalist
The Disappearance of Laci Peterson
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released July 11, 2026. About 105 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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A Date With Dateline
The Laci Peterson Story: Part 1 S.25 Ep.31
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released February 10, 2018. About 66 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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A Date With Dateline
The Laci Peterson Story: Part 2 S.25 Ep.31
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released February 13, 2018. About 79 minutes.
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Show 9 more podcasts
I Could Murder A Podcast
Scott Peterson: The Murder Of Laci Peterson
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released November 10, 2024. About 89 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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True Crime Campfire
Perfect Mask: The Murder of Laci Peterson, Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released September 4, 2020. About 78 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Crime Weekly
S1 Ep42: The Murder of Laci Peterson: Christmas Eve (Part 3)
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released September 24, 2021. About 126 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Crime Weekly
S1 Ep41: The Murder of Laci Peterson: A Double Life (Part 2)
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released September 17, 2021. About 116 minutes.
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Crime Weekly
S1 Ep40: The Murder of Laci Peterson: Tainted Love (Part 1)
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released September 10, 2021. About 97 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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True Crime Campfire
Perfect Mask: The Murder of Laci Peterson, Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released September 11, 2020. About 80 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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LOVE MURDER
America’s Brown-Eyed Girl: The Case of Laci and Scott Peterson
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released February 28, 2024. About 120 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Serialously with Annie Elise
New Evidence for Scott Peterson? Could He Be Innocent?
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released January 29, 2024. About 83 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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RedHanded
Episode 278 - Scott Peterson: Sex, Lies & Fishing Boats - Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Laci Peterson case. Released December 15, 2022. About 120 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
4 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Blood Brother by Anne Bird
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Witness for the prosecution of Scott Peterson by Amber Frey
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Laci
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
A Deadly Game
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
2 itemsTIME
Reporting on Laci Peterson
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
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A&E · July 2026
A&E’s guide to the disputed evidence in its new documentary
A producer’s guide to the documentary and Peterson’s legal challenges. Use the court-related source alongside its presentation of defense claims.
JournalismSource Article · Access May Vary
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Modesto Bee · 2002-12-27 · Page 2
The early search for Laci Peterson
Local coverage maps the search and reports efforts to circulate information.
Early missing-person coverage includes accounts later examined during the prosecution.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
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Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
The Indiana Gazette · 2005-01-08 · Page 7
Laci’s mother thanks those who found the remains
Reporting covers the reward presentation and Sharon Rocha’s response.
A historical report after the 2004 conviction.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
20/20 : KGO : August 14, 2020 9:01pm-10:59pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Laci Peterson. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Dateline : MSNBCW : October 3, 2020 12:00am-2:00am PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Laci Peterson. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Today in the Bay : KNTV : April 12, 2012 6:00am-7:00am PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Laci Peterson. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
2 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
People v. Peterson — death sentence reversed
The California Supreme Court affirmed Scott Peterson’s convictions but reversed the death sentence because of jury-selection errors.
- Court / agency
- Supreme Court of California
- Document date
- August 24, 2020
- Case / citation
- S132449
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Court document
District attorney’s update on Peterson’s third habeas petition (PDF)
Official prosecution statement reporting the April 27 denial of the third petition. This is the prosecutor’s account of the decision, not the court’s opinion itself.
Stanislaus County District Attorney · May 12, 2026
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Modesto, California. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Modesto, California
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 1 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 1 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Not included in this essay.
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →Laci Peterson's former home
Private property523 Covena Avenue, Modesto, California
Laci lived here before her disappearance in December 2002. This is a historical residence connected with the investigation.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
Enacted law · United States · April 1, 2004
Laci and Conner’s Law
Public Law 108-212, also called the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, created separate federal offenses for certain injuries or deaths of a child in utero during specified crimes. It also amended military law. The act expressly excludes consensual abortion, medical treatment, and prosecution of a pregnant woman with respect to her unborn child. Its name memorializes Laci and Conner; it does not apply to every state criminal case.
Laws & ChangeAccess Varies · Check Source
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Social Media
12 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Clues Pod with Morgan Absher & Kaelyn Moore and Crime House
He Told His Mistress His Wife Was Dead: Laci Peterson Murder
Video from Clues Pod with Morgan Absher & Kaelyn Moore and Crime House covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 1:11:55.
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Oxygen and E! News
Laci Peterson’s Mom Reacts to Scott Peterson’s New Evidence Claims | Oxygen
Video from Oxygen and E! News covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 1:52.
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Kendall Rae
What Really Happened to Laci Peterson?! 8 Months Pregnant and Missing
Video from Kendall Rae covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 29:16.
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I Could Murder A Podcast
The Murder Of Laci Peterson: An American Tragedy
Video from I Could Murder A Podcast covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 1:29:16.
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Crime Weekly
The Murder of Laci Peterson: Tainted Love (Part 1)
Video from Crime Weekly covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 1:32:52.
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Behind Criminal Minds
Scott Peterson | The True Story You Were Never Told | A Tale of Two Stories
Video from Behind Criminal Minds covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 2:15:19.
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Show 6 more social media
Investigation Discovery
Scott Peterson: An American Murder Mystery
Video from Investigation Discovery covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 0:31.
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YouTube Movies & TV
Murder Made Me Famous
Video from YouTube Movies & TV covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 44:12.
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Investigation Discovery
Scott Peterson: An American Murder Mystery – Wed Nov 29 at 9/8c
Video from Investigation Discovery covering the Laci Peterson case. Length: 0:16.
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Reddit · r/netflix
Discussion: Watching American Murder: Laci Peterson
Public community discussion connected to Laci Peterson. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
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TikTok · Creator channel
Serialously with Annie Elise — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “New Evidence for Scott Peterson? Could He Be Innocent?.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Serialously with Annie Elise — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “New Evidence for Scott Peterson? Could He Be Innocent?.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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