Many may ask, “Why true crime now?” but there has always been a fascination with cases that lean into the macabre. And if there was one case that captured the attention of the nation, it was the murder of Laci Peterson.
In a devastating case, authorities started to circle the family after the murder of Laci at eight months pregnant. Law enforcement zeroed in on Laci’s husband, Scott, who was having an affair with a woman named Amber Frey.
Scott was eventually sentenced on two counts of murder in 2004. The case became such a phenomenon that it practically became an archetype in fiction, such as Gillan Flynn’s bestselling book, Gone Girl. Though Flynn asserted to Entertainment Weekly that there wasn’t a direct correlation, it isn’t hard to see the connection between Nick and Amy Elliot Dunne in the book.
“I definitely didn’t want to do anything specific. One could point to Scott and [Laci] Peterson — they were certainly a good-looking couple. But they’re always good-looking couples. That’s why they end up on TV. You don’t normally see incredibly ugly people who’ve gone missing and it becomes a sensation. It could be any number of those types of cases, but that was what kind of interested me: the selection and the packaging of a tragedy.”
The case still inspires fascination, as indicated by every piece of media that has covered the mystery.
Every documentary, movie, and podcast that covers Scott Peterson
True to Flynn’s estimation, the Petersons were attention-grabbing because of how they appealed to audiences. They were an attractive couple in Modesto that should not have wanted for anything. But perhaps what created an influx of media coverage were the underlying concerns whether Peterson will be released from prison.
Documentaries covered these concerns years after the official verdict. While circumstantial evidence had piled up, it was shocking that the case featured no forensic evidence. Questioning the verdict crops up in documentaries revolving around Scott Peterson, such as the following.
Documentaries:
- The Murder of Laci Peterson
- Scott Peterson: An American Murder Mystery
The mystery of the Petersons also seemed tailor-made for networks such as Lifetime that tell true stories in their programming. Television movies were released about the murder as well as Peterson’s affair with Frey.
Movies:
- The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story
- Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution
Without a doubt, the most prolific medium that discusses the case is podcasts. True crime is a huge genre, and the following shows discussed the case in some form or another.
Podcasts:
- Crime Junkie
- Straight Up Evil
- Dateline
- Crimes of Passion
- My Favorite Murder
- Wicked and Grim
- Mile Higher
- True Crime Sucks
- Murder Mystery and Makeup
- True Crime Creepers
- Rabia and Ellyn Solve the Case
- Going West
- The Murder Diaries
- True Crime Obsessed
- Crime Weekly
- Booked, Bagged, and Tagged
- Cold Brew Crimes
- Not Another True Crime Podcast
- Criminology
- Timesuck