What Happened to Scott Peterson’s Parents? Inside Lee and Jackie Peterson’s Lives After Laci Peterson’s Murder

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn son in 2004.

• His parents, Jackie and Lee, stood by their son and insisted he was innocent.

• Jackie died in 2013 and Lee died in 2024

More than 20 years have passed since then Scott Peterson He was accused of murdering his wife Laci Petersonbut his family still maintains his innocence.

On Christmas Eve 2002, Laci, who was eight months pregnant with her and Scott’s first child, was reported missing from their home in Modesto, California. Four months later, her remains were found in San Francisco Bay along with the remains of the couple’s unborn son, whom they planned to name Conner.

Scott was later arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of his wife and the second-degree murder of his son. It was also revealed that Scott was in a relationship with a woman named. Amber Frey.

Scott’s parents, Lee and Jackie Peterson, had seen the couple just four days before Laci went missing. “We were all taking responsibility [Laci’s] stomach… Scott was trying to find the baby for us so we could feel his kicks,” Jackie recalled. July 2004 interview with Barbara Walters. He added that Scott and Laci are “very happy” about becoming parents.

Lee and Jackie stood by their son throughout the trial, including Scott’s eventual guilty plea. They also continued to believe in his innocence until their deaths in 2013 and 2024. Several surviving members of Scott’s family are still working to clear his name, and his case was concluded in 2024. Undertaken by the Los Angeles Innocence Project.

Here’s everything you need to know about what happened to Scott Peterson’s parents after Laci Peterson’s death.

Lee and Jackie welcomed Scott in 1972

Lee and Jackie welcomed their only child together, Scott, on October 24, 1972. The couple married a year ago and raised Scott in San Diego.

Before starting his own moving and packing business, Lee worked for a trucking company and Jackie owned a clothing boutique in La Jolla called The Put On.

During an interview in 2004 SF GateLee and Jackie described Scott as a “perfect” son growing up, noting that he never got into trouble and loved golf, fishing and Cub Scouts.

“We used to tell him, ‘You’re a lucky man.’ He never had any problems,” Lee told the outlet. “He was like Mr. Perfect.”

Lee and Jackie had a large, blended family

In addition to Scott, both Lee and Jackie had children from previous relationships. Lee had three children from his first marriage; daughter Susan and sons Joe and Mark, and Jackie had a son named John.

Jackie also had two children whom she gave up for adoption and reconnected with her family years later.

During their interview with them SF Gatethe couple compared their family dynamic to the Brady Bunch.

Jackie’s father was murdered

When Jackie was just 2 years old, her father, John Latham, was attacked and killed outside his tire shop in San Diego. SF Gate.

Shortly after his death, Jackie’s mother struggled to care for herself and her siblings. Jackie was later sent to what she described as an orphanage when she was 5 years old, where she was raised by Catholic nuns.

Jackie opened up about her traumatic childhood while giving evidence during the penalty phase of Scott’s trial.

Lee and Jackie saw Laci four days before she disappeared

During a sit-down interview with Walters in July 2004, Scott’s parents revealed that they had seen both him and Laci a few days before her disappearance and claimed that everything appeared to be fine between the couple.

Jackie added that Scott is “so excited” about becoming a father and that he and Laci have been trying to get pregnant for three years. He also remembered the moment he found out Laci was missing.

“The phone rang and I answered it. Scott was crying on the phone and all I could hear was ‘Laci’ and ‘Miss,'” Jackie told Walters. “I thought she was miscarrying and my heart sank… and then she told me he was lost.”

Of their marriage, Jackie claimed: “They supported each other all the way… completely devoted to each other.”

Lee and Jackie testified during Scott’s death sentence

Both Lee and Jackie testified during the penalty phase of Scott’s trial in 2004, urging the jury to spare him the death penalty.

“He is an extraordinary young man and my son,” Jackie said in her statement. CBS News. “I know he’s not perfect… but he is truly a loving, caring, compassionate, kind and gentle person.”

She continued: “I really feel like if you took Scott away from us – they were like a family, Laci, Conner and Scott – it would be an entire family wiped off the face of the earth.”

During her testimony, Lee described Scott as her “best friend” and said he helped bring their family “closer together.” SF Gate. Scott’s half-sister Susan also testified, saying she was worried about her parents’ health.

“I see the pain on their faces every day,” he said of Lee and Jackie. “I can’t imagine this would be any worse than him being executed. We’re united, we’re strong, we support him 100 percent, but I don’t think my family can make it if he’s gone.”

Scott was ultimately sentenced to death. But years later, in 2020, the California Supreme Court overturned the death penaltyHe cited significant errors in jury selection during the original trial. he was angry at life imprisonment the following year.

Jackie died in 2013

Jackie died of cancer in 2013. He had had breathing problems for several years and used an oxygen tank throughout Scott’s trial.

Lee reportedly took Jackie home from the hospital to care for her in her final days.

Lee died in 2024

On November 9, 2024, Scott’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, posted on Facebook that Lee had died. “We said goodbye to my father-in-law last week. Rest in peace, dad,” he wrote next to a note. Photograph Lee’s great-grandson holding his grandchild.

Janey, who is married to Scott’s half-brother Joe We are actively working to clear Scott’s name. and even became a lawyer to help with the case.

“There is completely ignored evidence that shows that Laci was alive after leaving that day,” he said in the program he attended in 2021. Today. “But there was also no evidence that he had anything to do with what happened to Laci.”

“We have no justice,” Janey added. “This crime remains unsolved.”

Read the original article People