User reviews

Clicked on the Laci Peterson series without knowing much of the back story other than recognizing her name as a woman who had gone missing. I didn't know she was heavily pregnant when she disappeared. I got drawn in to this limited series immediately, and found it well put together - 3 episodes each dealing with a critical aspect of the story and investigation . I unexpectedly ended up watching all 3 episodes in one sitting and, whilst being captivated by the storyline and how it was told, it was ultimately profoundly heartbreaking learning about both Laci and Conner and also seeing the terrible impact on the families who were interviewed for the series.

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.

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.

This documentary seemed very biased towards Scott's guilt. Not saying he's innocent at all, and could very well be guilty of this crime.

I've seen other documentaries on this case and they posed other scenarios as to what could have happened. This series focused primarily what is well known from the media. Nothing new or interesting.

But it's a sad story for so many involved with this case. Scott himself did himself no favors by his dishonesty and aloofness. He was a cheater and was very unlikable. The show pushed these images of him and didn't really provide any opposing views.

I was expecting a less biased show based on the fact that he may be getting a new trial. Like what is the argument on the other side. But none of that was presented. Again, definitely not saying he's innocent, but would have been nice to here more on the opposing theories.

As others have said, there's certainly nothing new here. I've seen at least one other documentary which brought out some very interesting exculpatory evidence which was not mentioned at all here.

This series pretty much assumes Scott did it (it's difficult not to make that assumption based on his non-stop lies), but without a point/counterpoint format it's pretty much a rehash of what most viewers will already know.

It is a nice tribute to Laci, and her mom, friends & Amber Frey are presented in a positive light. Others don't fare as well though, so it's not exactly a balanced presentation.

Hearing from two of the jurors was nice, especially since they were seemingly intelligent and well-reasoned. But there were glaring omissions that should have been included, in light of the nearly 3 hours of run time.

It was an ok watch, but unless you've never seen other coverage of this tragedy there are much better ways to spend your time, because you're not going to learn anything here.

A solid "Meh" from this true crime junkie.

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.

Way too much denial and ignorance from the Peterson family. Just gross and outrageous and pathetic victimhood coming from them. Your son/brother was convicted twice! All evidence and behavior from Scott pointed and still points to Scott as the perpetrator of this horrible crime and his family has the audacity to continue this Charade. Just gross. Give it up Scott and do the right thing and just admit it and move on. It makes you and your family look more pathetic by continuing this ridiculous charade than to just admit what you did. People might actually want to give you some credit for speaking the truth for once. But it will never happen. This family lives in a delusional fantasy. Wake up.

I've seen this behavior with codependency of a mother over a son who is a narcissist and golden child who can do no wrong. Except in my case I would never ever take up for him and have spoken out against him myself as the sister and still have been the black sheep. It's abominable. I have seen the destruction and the denial and the delusional fantasy of these mothers and sons. You can never break them. But to see his sisters be so wrapped up in it is even more sickening and gross.

The documentary was ok and did a good job telling Laci's life and story. And helping Amber Frey be seen and heard as well, she suffered too dealing with all this. But it was a little too long and dragged on. 2 episodes would have probably been enough. And I feel like they did leave a lot out. It was still interesting but should have been greatly condensed.

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.

I've noticed a troubling trend with Netflix documentaries lately-they've lost the captivating quality they once had. This latest release is a prime example of that decline. What could have been an engaging and concise story is unnecessarily stretched into multiple episodes, making it tedious and repetitive.

When I sit down to watch a true crime documentary, I expect a focused narrative that delves into the details of the case. Instead, I found myself skipping through long, irrelevant sections that added little to the core story. If you're going to market it as a murder mystery, then focus on the crime and investigation. Spending two entire episodes on the victim's life, while undoubtedly tragic and important, feels misleading and dilutes the impact of the story.

It's frustrating because the whole tale could have been effectively told in a single hour. The pacing is off, and the content feels like it's been padded just to fill time. What could have been a gripping, concise documentary ended up feeling like a drag.

If Netflix continues on this path of drawn-out storytelling, they're going to lose what made their documentaries special in the first place: compelling, tightly-knit narratives that keep viewers hooked from start to finish.

Per usual just a cash grab via Netflix,far as the docu series.. Wasn't anything new to an old case or even relevant,which changes the final outcome.

You find yourself watching just a rehashing of things mixed with a few,updated sprinkles of memories or opinions.

Do I think Scott is innocent,not exactly! However feel sometimes,police or the public just want for peace of mind closure.. Why truly innocent people can get convicted,not saying that's fact in this case.

It's an unfortunate case & the only real victims was,Laci/Conner & certain loved ones.

I'm sorry but Amber F is not some person I feel that was in the dark about so much with Scott,feel she only came forward/helped the cops to save herself in one way or another.

Watch only if you like this type of series,but otherwise skip it.

There are cases where guilt is so evident that investigating feels almost redundant. Scott Peterson is one of those names that leaves little room for suspense: from his cold demeanor to his flimsy alibi, from adultery to indifference in the face of his pregnant wife's death - everything screams guilt. American Murder: The Laci Peterson Story doesn't stray from that path. The documentary retells the facts with clarity and a moving respect for the victims. And yet, there's a sense that more could have been unearthed - not to exonerate, but to explore the whole picture.

This isn't about reopening fringe theories or downplaying the crime. Scott killed. The series doesn't hesitate to say it - and neither do I. But there's something unsettling about such a linear narrative, one that only grazes the cracks in the case. The robbery that occurred in the neighborhood around the same time, the strategic leak of the mistress's photo - none of this absolves Scott, but it's not irrelevant either. The issue isn't with the mismatched pieces, but with the choice to only explore them at surface level. The leaked photos, for instance, are mentioned like a footnote, when in reality they lay bare the calculated use of information. The monster needed to be assembled - and the media, enthusiastically, delivered the image. That could have been a powerful point of confrontation: to what extent did the media and the police act as strategic partners in shaping a publicly condemned image?

I understand the series' main focus is elsewhere: to honor Laci, to preserve the memory of a brutally silenced victim. And in that, the documentary is sensitive, careful, respectful. But by prioritizing emotion, it sacrifices part of the complexity. Scott's family appears, but without any real space for confrontation. It's as if the documentary is saying: "We already know everything. Let's just tell it properly." But telling it properly sometimes also means dissecting the failures.

American Murder is competent. It works like an extended newscast: it revisits the facts, reenacts the tragedy, and delivers solid moments - especially when we hear from two of the jurors, whose human perspectives briefly disrupt the rigidity of the narrative. But it doesn't go beyond that. It doesn't challenge. It doesn't provoke. And perhaps that was a conscious choice. Some documentaries only aim to remember who the victim was. And in that sense, it fulfills its role.

But great documentaries know: even when the answer is obvious, there are still questions worth asking. There's something Gone Girl about Scott - and it's not just the physical resemblance to Ben Affleck. It's the behavior. The detachment. The composure. The way he performs innocence in front of the cameras, as if coldness alone could hold up the charade. But the performance slips - and the fall, here, is public. Still, the documentary lacks a certain dose of confrontation. It's missing the questions that prod at the role of the media and the police - not to defend the indefensible, but to understand how, even when everything seems obvious, there are still narrative choices that shape what we call the truth. Scott fell in the public square - and rightly so. But perhaps it would be worth going beyond the fall and examining, with more rigor, who built the stage.

I recently watched the documentary American Murder: Laci Peterson (2024) on Netflix. The story follows a seemingly perfect couple in California who are expecting a baby when the wife, Laci, mysteriously disappears. Family and friends on both sides do their best to find her-but one person doesn't seem to be trying very hard or explaining himself clearly: the husband. Could he be responsible, or is this just the way he processes grief?

This series is directed by Skye Borgman (Girl in the Picture). The case was unfolding right around the time I graduated college, and I remember thinking the entire time how obvious it seemed that the husband did it. The documentary doesn't reveal much that I didn't already know, but it does a great job of showing the perspectives of both families. I also appreciated how the police investigation was laid out chronologically, giving a clear picture of how the case came together. Amber Frey is also portrayed really well-honestly, the side chick turns out to be the real hero of the story.

I've seen a lot of true crime documentaries like this, and I always wonder-while divorce is hard, isn't it easier than this?

In conclusion, American Murder: Laci Peterson is a solid, well-produced documentary that's worth a watch. I'd give it a 7/10.

This is one of the better true crime docs I've seen, and I've seen a lot.

True crime is a tough genre, as there's sometimes too much emphasis on the procedural aspect while forgetting that this happened to a real person with a real family.

This series made me feel like I understood the person Laci was and why people loved her. The interviews from her friends and mother especially showed so much of her personality and heart when she no longer can. Knowing the person she was made me all the angrier when they examined the evidence towards her husband. How someone can snuff out a life like that and then go on as if nothing happened is something I will never understand.

I'm too young to have seen any of the media surrounding this when it happened, so I'm glad they put out this series to show another generation what happened ( And to prevent the husband from ever leaving prison. I know there are still people saying he is innocent which astounds me.)

Overall a good true crime docuseries that respects the victim and displays the facts while still showing other's opinions. Would recommend.

Netflix restrained itself from padding this documentary to excruciating lengths as it normally does with such crime docs.

It was very well done, I remember the case from years ago and everyone suspected the husband then and it took far too long for the prosecution to get their ducks in a row.

Even though the outcome was known the pacing was terrific and the slow dawning of truth in Laci's family is heartbreaking in light of their supporting her husband initially.

Even though it's an old case now the devastation of the loss was deeply felt by this viewer, a testament to the skills of the doc makers in piecing it all together.

Peterson still won't admit his guilt.

8/10.

Almost 20 years after the facts took place, Netflix comes with this 4-part documentary about the "Scott Peterson"-case. A case that drew international attention at the time, because of the shocking developments that occured in the weeks after his wife was reported missing.

Already lots of video material is available on YouTube, that goes into detail of this case, including many professionally made documentaries. Some 10 years ago, a blockbuster movie was released named "Gone Girl", which is said to be partially based on - or at least inspired by - the events that took place in this case.

The timing of this Netflix documentary on this case - as mentioned 20 years after the facts - may have to do with two new developments:

First, Scott Peterson is currently - throught the "LA Innocence Project" - requesting for a new trial. This based on possible new evidence of a burnt-out van that was found some days after the disappearance of his wife took place. Scott Peterson's defense team is nowrequesting DNA retesting of items that were found 2 decades ago in this burnt-out van.

Second, is the release of a new documentary series from a competing streaming service, i.e. "Peacock", which is about to appear as of 20 august. Coincidentally just a week after Netflix' release.

I watched the 3-part Netflix documentary, and I personally have to admit that it does not bring anything that I did not yet know already. Some content - in the form of some snippits of an interview with Amber Frye - were of some interest to me, but did not bring anything new to the table. The vast majority of the Netflix documentary was just a mere review of the case. And for the latter, I suggest you watch a way shorter documentary on YouTube. The Netflix documentary even ends with the suggestion he still is on death row. Well, on appeals, Peterson already got it reversed to "life without the possibility for parole".

Instead, what I am really looking forward to, is the already mentioned Peacock series that is bound to be released a week after this Netflix documentary. This Peacock documentary looks to bring way more new items, since it directly involves both the "LA Innocence Project" and prison-interviews with Scott Peterson himself.

So I suggest to any possible viewer, to wait for the Peacock documentary to become available. And if you are not yet informed of the case itself, just watch a way shorter documentary on YouTube.

Concluding, I would score this Netflix documentary 5.1/10, resulting in a 5-star IMDb score.

A very thorough documentary. There were so many shaky things about Scott. For example not taking the polygraph test, telling Amber that his wife has died before actually killing her. It surely was him and so justice was done. It was a heinous crime that he cimmitted. People say was it necessary to make a dicumentary on this. Well yes, it is helpful for many women out there who might be in a similar situation. It us so sad that a girl full of life, who just wanted to live a happy life, the monster taken that away from her. I just look at her smile and it brings tears in my eyes. She didnt deserve to die like that.

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.