Investigators' Theories About How Laci Peterson Was Actually Killed

The disappearance of Laci Peterson and the subsequent discovery of her and her unborn son Conner's remains was one of the most disturbing American news stories of the mid-2000s. The 27-year-old mother-to-be, who was eight months pregnant, had gone missing on Christmas Eve. A huge search followed, involving law enforcement officials and volunteers who wanted to see Laci returned home safe. Sadly, in April the following year, the remains of mother and baby were discovered a day apart from each other on the shore of San Francisco Bay. Though the bodies were decomposed, their identities were confirmed by DNA tests. Laci's husband Scott Peterson, who had claimed to have nothing to do with her disappearance, was later found in San Diego, disguised and carrying thousands of dollars in cash in what was assumed to have been an attempt to flee over the Mexican border. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and put on trial, an event that garnered extensive media coverage.

Scott Peterson was found guilty of Laci and Conner's murders in 2004. He was sentenced to death before being resentenced to life in prison without parole in 2021. The story continues to be of great interest today, with Scott's actions and the exact details of the murders continuing to be a point of discussion among investigators and true crime enthusiasts more than two decades later.

The investigation into the murder of Laci and Conner Peterson was hampered early on. Notably, by the length of time that had passed between their disappearance and the discovery of the remains, which had been decomposing in the bay for more than three months. Laci's body was missing her head, forearms, and part of her leg, which, as well as delaying identification of the remains, raised more questions about the nature of her death and the disposal of her body.

The autopsy didn't find any man-made wounds on Laci's body, suggesting that the dismemberment was the result of decomposition. Two of Laci's ribs were fractured, though the postmortem could not determine whether the injuries were posthumous. Conner's body was less decayed than Laci's, which suggested his remains were expelled from his mother's after her death. However, despite these insights, the autopsy was unable to ascertain a definitive cause of her death.

The prosecution for Scott Peterson's trial had very little direct evidence to work with to prove his involvement in Laci and Conner Peterson's deaths. There was no murder weapon, no DNA evidence linking Scott directly to the crime, and no proof in either their home or his vehicle that he had transported the body of his pregnant wife to San Francisco Bay where she was found.

Scott Peterson's trial went ahead regardless, with the prosecution building its case around a wealth of circumstantial evidence concerning the suspect's behavior before and after his wife's disappearance. Evidence included inconsistencies in the alibis he gave to friends and family, extramarital affairs, a homemade concrete anchor he was accused of using to weigh down Laci's body, and reservations about his marriage and impending fatherhood that may have motivated the killing. The prosecution also established a "soft kill" theory to explain the lack of fatal injury marks on Laci Peterson's body, suggesting that she may have been suffocated or strangled, most likely on Christmas Eve — the day of her disappearance, when Scott claimed alternately to be fishing or golfing.

Though Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife and unborn son, Laci Peterson's cause of death was never definitively ascertained during the trial. However, some experts have since come forward and offered their own theories about how she might have died. In 2005, forensic psychiatrist Keith Ablow, who specializes in offering expert insights into the psychology of suspected criminals during their trials for Court TV, published a book, "Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson." In the work, he dives deep into the convicted murderer's psychological profile and offers a theory about Laci's final moments (which he admits is unprovable).

Ablow suggests that Scott might have used a large flashlight resembling a metal pipe to murder his wife before drowning her in their pool. The author notes that Scott's grandfather had been killed with a similar instrument, a "length of rusty pipe." According to the psychiatrist, Scott may have remembered this incident when planning the murders of Laci and Conner.

Scott Peterson has remained in prison since his trial, but he continues to deny murdering his pregnant wife. In 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that has taken on his case, claimed that it had fresh evidence that challenges his conviction and is now pushing for a retrial. The same year, Scott himself said he believes that Laci Peterson was abducted and murdered by burglars operating in the area at the time she disappeared from their home in Modesto, California.

One former investigator agrees that there may be something amiss — Bryan Spitulski, who was a Modesto fire investigator at the time of Laci's disappearance. He was tasked with investigating a van fire that took place the following day, within a mile of where she went missing. In March 2024, Spitulski said that blood found in the back of the van should be properly tested to see if it belongs to Laci or Conner, which could affect the investigation's findings. Not everyone is convinced, however, by recent attempts to challenge Scott's two-decade-old conviction. In a 2024 Peacock documentary, "Face to Face with Scott Peterson," former Modesto Police detective Al Brocchini called Scott Peterson's version of events "b*******" (via Oxygen).