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Scott Peterson Defends His Reaction to Murders of His Wife, Unborn Son: "Really Emotional"
Modesto Police detectives said Scott Peterson reacted to news of the murders by eating a cheeseburger "like it was nothing."
Scott Peterson was convicted of killing his heavily pregnant wife, 27-year-old Laci Peterson, on Christmas Eve 2002, in a case that had garnered nationwide attention as authorities relentlessly searched for the missing woman. With each passing day and the likelihood of Laci being found alive dwindling, focus soon closed in on the missing woman’s philandering husband, who is now speaking out for the first time in Face to Face with Scott Peterson, an explosive three-part special coming to Peacock on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
More than 20 years after Laci and their unborn son, Conner, were found dead in the San Francisco Bay, Scott — now serving life in prison — seeks to have his double murder conviction overturned, largely with the help of the Los Angeles Innocence Project.
Scott Peterson now defends himself in the new docu-series, including his behavior at the time of the search for Laci and Conner. Here's what Scott Peterson has to say today it all.
Scott Peterson’s reaction when first learning about the murders
On April 18, 2003, four days after a pair of decomposing bodies were discovered along the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, authorities positively identified them as Laci and Conner Peterson. It was the same day police arrested Scott on murder charges, as revealed in Face to Face with Scott Peterson.
According to former detectives Jon Buehler and Al Brocchini of the Modesto Police Department, they gave Scott the tragic news while on the seven-plus hour drive north from San Diego to Modesto with Scott in custody.
“When Scott received this news, I just recall Scott making kind of like a sniffling noise and that was it,” Buehler told producers. “There wasn’t any hysterics, no screams, ‘No, it can’t be,’ no theatrics, nothing like that.”
Brocchini remembered when Scott “bowed his head” and “pushed out a tear,” remaining quiet until they stopped at a fast-food restaurant.
“Fifteen miles later, when we stopped, he ate a Double-Double from In-N-Out, a shake, and fries, and gobbled it all down just like nothing,” Brocchini said. “Just like we’re coming home from fishing.”
Scott’s sister-in-law Janey Peterson, one of his biggest champions in the new series, claimed people were more inclined to focus on Scott’s post-arrest meal than police reports that allegedly confirmed he’d shed a tear once hearing of the identification.
“The perception and the way it’s presented is that it’s as though Scott was told his wife and son were dead, and he ordered a cheeseburger five minutes later,” said the sister-in-law.
What Scott Peterson says about Laci' murder today
Scott Peterson appears in the documentary via video call from the Mule Creek State Prison, explaining why his response wasn’t on par with what others might have expected from a grieving husband and father.
“I didn’t think it was them,” Scott claimed. “When they told me, I had just a terrible physical reaction. I mean, a really emotional physical reaction.”
Scott described being in the car with the detectives and said he “really didn’t even believe” them when he learned the news.
“Part of me just said, ‘No, that’s not possible,’” Scott continued.
Scott said in his video call that four days before the arrest — when the bodies were discovered — he didn’t consider the remains belonged to his wife and son.
“Not at all,” he told filmmaker Shareen Anderson.
“Frankly, we thought because there hadn’t been an announcement that, you know, it wasn’t her,” Scott said. “It wasn’t a thought.”
As supported by former police officer Tim Philips of the East Bay Regional District — one of the responders when Laci and Conner were found — it wasn’t the first time bodies had washed ashore at Point Isabel due to the bay’s currents and tides, as seen in the the new doc.
A recorded phone call between Scott and his brother, Joe Peterson, which took place before the arrest when Modesto Police had tapped his phones, was also played.
Joe asked Scott when he thought authorities might make an identification, but Scott said he didn’t know.
“I think they know already, but they don’t, ya know, they don’t know how to go about it, or they’re telling them to re-test them,” Scott said in the phone call. “I think they’re just holding off because they don’t know who it is in the water.”
“That could be,” said the brother.
Learn more about the case in Face to Face with Scott Peterson, premiering Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, exclusively on Peacock. The series will also air on Oxygen on Monday, November 25 at 8/7c.
