American Murder: Laci Peterson

This case riveted the American news in the late 1990's. A beautiful young pregnant woman goes missing on Christmas Eve and the most obvious suspect is her husband, Scott. I am very familiar with the story because I followed it closely at the time it happened. This documentary does not really offer anything new; however, it does a good job of summarizing all that happened in and around the disappearance, investigation, arrest, and trial. The documentary is filled with modern interviews with investigators and family. It is also filled with archival news footage. It is sad, but good. I know Peterson is still actively trying to overturn his conviction and claiming his indiscretions had nothing to do with her murder. This is three episodes but not too long.

If you already know this case inside out, there is nothing new or noteworthy here, other than getting caught up with people you've come to care about like Laci's mom Sharon (what a fierce lady), Laci's friends, the detectives, the reporters and the bada$$ Amber Frey. This film doesn't cover too much of the trial, if you want to deep dive on the evidence presented in court and other details I recommend the podcast 'The Prosecutors' starting with Episode 51. It is a 6 part series on this horrific crime and one of the best deep dives on this case. This is a Skye Borgman production and the focus and title stay focused on Laci. The difficult part to watch (and hard to swallow) is the delusion of Scott's sister and sister-in-law. They are really disconnected from what happened to Laci and the obvious fact that their brother did it. When they start complaining about how they were treated walking out of court after the guilty verdict you just want to fast forward. But in true Skye Borgman fashion, she makes sure to give a voice to both sides. At least this documentary wasn't paid for by the Peterson family or the shameful innocence network in LA (not the original innocence Project) that skewed the facts in evidence on that documentary that came out a few years ago before his appeal. Thank god the courts denied it.

It seems that audiences today are quick to harshly criticize Netflix's true crime offerings, often overlooking the quality in their rush to judgment. Yes, Netflix is a business, and making money is part of the game-no surprises there. But let's not lose sight of the craftsmanship involved. This documentary was not only well-made but also genuinely engaging, drawing viewers in with its meticulous storytelling and a narrative that unfolds clearly and effectively. The pacing keeps you on edge without feeling rushed, ensuring that every chilling detail of this gruesome yet utterly captivating story sinks in. Despite not knowing anything about the case beforehand, I found the documentary strikingly balanced, presenting the facts in a way that felt objective and unvarnished. This is a gripping watch that delivers both on intrigue and substance, far exceeding what one might expect from a typical true crime production. Don't let the naysayers sway you-this is a compelling addition to the genre.

I watched the documentary and as I am studying social psychology, I was thinking about the extreme denial of the husband's family and realising that accepting the fact that he was capable of murdering his wife but most of all their innocent unborn grandson/nephew/half-brother was something they would never allow for because they probably feel that this means they failed themselves. Failed as parents (which is not always true because psychopaths can often come from loving families) or failed themselves because they don't want to think they didn't see through his lies and his act - even though this kind of people can get everyone fooled.

It's actually not new, I know a son whose father set fire to his mother and all his 6 children, including the son who managed to be saved by fire fighters as the only one. Nobody caught the father with the lighter in his hand but absolutely every part of his life and this day was a clear proof and the jury also didn't have any doubt. And yet, the son that the father tried to kill has been fighting the whole world for years to defend his father, still standing by the side of a toxic, narcissistic psychopath that wanted to kill him and it's so sad and unbelievable to watch.

As for this case, I can see that it gets as far as the family members actually posting comments here pretending to be different people knowing that the husband is innocent and I mean, it could look believable that a couple of the comments might be about that but it's just so disturbing to see that they are trying to convince everyone that half the people familiar with the case are thinking that the husband is innocent. That shows how much they are trying to convince themselves this is what others will think once they read what they have to say. But if you do some basic research, you will see that there have never been and still aren't any people (apart from the family) who are sure everything is just a lie and the husband was wrongly accused. Also, some of the comments are straight up lies, e.g. The famous Innocence Project fighting his case. The real Innocence Project does NOT believe the husband is innocent and it's easy to check online.

Anyway, I found it difficult to listen to the almost unbelievable level of denial shown by the family, so the comments here made it even more difficult and me feeling less sympathetic towards the family. I'm so sorry Laci had to meet him. And maybe you do need to look at yourself, family, some narcissists are actually brought up to be this way and will not get better with encouragement.

Laci Peterson disappears, husband Scott contacts The Police to report it. Laci's family are keen to support Scott, who's behaviour seems curious to say the least, until details of an affair come to light.

I've seen a few documentaries about this story, some decent, some not so, this is the best one so far. I was worried that it would be overlong, Netflix does have a habit of padding out documentaries, here though they get the balance just right.

I think it's a very balanced examination of the case, they give both sides of the argument, we hear from the loved ones of both Laci and Scott, we also hear from the legal teams on both sides, you're given enough information to form your own opinion.

Scott's interviews, worth checking out, he genuinely looks blank, somehow dead behind the eyes, it seems almost impossible to believe a word he says, I just didn't get why he didn't show any signs of being upset.

I was impressed by the strength of Laci's family, it must have been such a harrowing effort to speak about poor Laci.

8/10.