It’s been 22 years since Laci Peterson went missing and all eyes across the country were on Modesto, California.
Lifetime and true crime networks have created an entire cottage industry about women being murdered, and the odds always favor the husband or significant other committing the crime.
That’s why we couldn’t let go when the stories surrounding Laci’s disappearance surfaced and pointed the finger at her husband, Scott.
And he looked extremely guilty.
My friends and I are actively discussing Face to Face with Scott Peterson, and last night Variety ran an article comparing Face to Face to American Murder: Lachie Peterson on Netflix Compare.
We had some disagreements about how things went down, but we all knew Scott was vilified in the public eye and the media coverage was rough. In the field of public opinion, he has no chance of winning.
But he did nothing to help himself, nor does his defense, which had access to much of the evidence presented in Face to Face, appear to have done anything.
The circumstances of this case are extremely delicate, but in most criminal cases there is no hard evidence, so this is not unusual. It is not unheard of for a defendant to fail to present his defense.
In the case of Scott Peterson, the world is supporting his conviction.
Anything he says in his own defense on the witness stand could be seriously misconstrued. One wrong word could paint a bleaker picture.
Still, his actions always make us wonder why he does what he does. While I never doubted his guilt, I wondered why he had created such a mess for himself. It’s hard not to put yourself in the defendant’s shoes.
That’s why Scott’s prison interview 20 years later piqued my interest, and it’s why directors Sharin Anderson and Bo Kuchins should be a little uneasy today, not to mention Scott and his family, who have remained steadfast The ground is on his side.
Also controversial is why the Innocence Project decided to take on Scott’s case.
When they intervene, it’s almost always because they believe they have evidence of innocence. If that’s the case, Scott Peterson also dropped the ball in the face.
Many were willing to explain why they thought the burglary across the street from Peterson’s residence should have been considered more carefully during the trial. They have no hard evidence.
Twenty years later, people’s opinions of Scott Peterson haven’t changed. However, the interview he received at the time was far from inconsequential. They did nothing to help him and instead vilified him further.
It doesn’t help that “American Murder: Laci Peterson” was released before “Meeting Scott Peterson.” This documentary reminds us of who Laci was, how much she was loved, and what was lost when she and her baby Connor were taken from this earth.
Her mother, Sasha Rocha, and her friends brought Laci to life as they shared their memories of her through photos, videos and thoughtful reminiscences of their time together.
“American Murder” also stars Amber Frey, who fell in love with Scott Peterson before she learned he was going to have a wife and child.
She was horrified to discover that he was responsible for his wife’s disappearance and worked with authorities to chart the widower’s ugly timeline, and her voice still resonates.
With all this history, you’d expect a director coming face-to-face to ask tough questions.
It’s an opportunity to tell his story, painting a more nuanced picture of his life with Lucky and the reasons behind everything from his appearance to why he was arrested for dyeing his hair and a bag of money.
Frankly, even after all this time, he still has a lot of explaining to do, especially if he wants people to take his pursuit of another trial seriously.
We’ve seen the power of public support through shows like Netflix’s Making a Murderer. If Scott can rally the public to his defense, the tide could turn in his favor.
Scott has been preparing for this interview for 20 years. He seemed more personable and charismatic than in previous interviews, so that was important.
But the last thing this viewer wants to hear is how he and Lucky share the same bowl of cereal every morning, or how much they look forward to spending Christmas together.
If life is so Rockwellian, why is Amber in the photo? Why did he lie to her so much?
Even what he did made no sense. He didn’t tell anyone about Frey because he didn’t want to draw attention away from finding Lucky. Talk about hollow.
This is Scott’s chance to set the record straight and be humble and human. He needs to address, no matter how difficult, the issues for which the public once cursed him.
When Anderson asked about Christmas Eve, she should have followed up by asking why his pastoral life wasn’t enough.
Do we have a right to know? Of course not. But he’s fighting for his life, and in order to get a fair retrial in the public eye, he needs to answer that question.
Alas, that era has passed. The documentary has been completed and dusted, revealing absolutely nothing of note. The defense won the right to test DNA evidence on some tapes, but all other tests were dismissed.
What a shame. Regardless of Scott’s conviction, all evidence should be examined by the public and Lackey’s friends and family. But that’s not how our justice system works.
Scott’s experience with Scott Peterson was an opportunity to clean up the past and gain some public sympathy for what he’d been through and how poorly he’d handled it. After all, we all have regrets.
Sadly, if the production team found anything in this regard, it would have ended up on the cutting room floor. The chances of Scott getting another chance to set the record straight are slim.
Therefore, we will open the case again and let Laci rest in peace.
