A beautiful young mother vanishes in Utah - and her husband's story raises questions
Scott Peterson's long-awaited capital murder trial got under way Tuesday with a prosecutor meticulously listing lies, caddishness and suspicious behavior he said implicated the fertilizer salesman in the death of his pregnant wife.
Scott Peterson's lawyer hinted Wednesday that the body of the double-murder defendant's pregnant wife was dumped into a narrow canal in the San Francisco Bay by transients.
After seven days of tumultuous deliberations that saw the removal of two jurors and a mutiny against the foreman, a jury convicted Scott Peterson Friday of first-degree murder in the slaying of his pregnant wife.
Mark Hacking is accused of killing his pregnant wife, Lori, in Salt Lake City. Scott Peterson is accused of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, in Modesto, California. Meanwhile, as their cases play out before a national audience, countless other husbands and boyfriends stand accused of the same crime in courtrooms across the country.
Here is some background information on some of the key players in the Laci Peterson case and trial:
Members of the jury that convicted Scott Peterson of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son attended the sentencing Wednesday out of what some of them said was a need for closure.
A California judge Wednesday sentenced Scott Peterson to die by lethal injection for killing his pregnant wife and her fetus, calling the deaths "cruel, uncaring, heartless and callous."
Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his pregnant wife Laci and dumping her body in San Francisco Bay, will learn Wednesday whether he will face the death penalty for the crime.
On a quaint village street in New York, a million miles from Modesto, sits my favorite independent bookseller.
Scott Peterson shouldn't hold his breath for a prison visit from Amber Frey.
Action on a jury's recommendation to kill Scott Peterson by lethal injection for murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, could be decades away in the state that has more than 600 people on death row.
Jurors who decided that Scott Peterson deserves to die say his lack of emotion played a large role in their decision.
Laci Peterson's stepfather said Scott Peterson "got what he deserved" when the jury in his murder trial recommended Monday that he die by lethal injection for killing his 27-year-old pregnant wife.
A number of jurors broke into sobs Tuesday as Laci Peterson's mother recalled her first Mother's Day without her daughter -- a day she spent lying on the floor crying.
The California Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider an appeal by convicted murderer Scott Peterson seeking a new jury and venue change for the penalty phase of his trial.
Attorneys for convicted murderer Scott Peterson Wednesday asked the California Supreme Court to change the location of the penalty phase of Peterson's trial and let a new jury decide whether he deserves to die.
A judge postponed the penalty phase of Scott Peterson's trial until after Thanksgiving to allow the convicted killer's defense time to file appeals and line up witnesses.
Attention turned Saturday to the life-or-death choice facing jurors who convicted Scott Peterson of killing his pregnant wife and their unborn son.
Here are the key dates in the Scott Peterson trial:
Attention turned Saturday to the life-or-death choice facing jurors who convicted Scott Peterson of killing his pregnant wife and their unborn son.
The jury in the Scott Peterson double murder trial has reached a verdict, which is expected to be announced later today.
Jurors in double murder trial of Scott Peterson on Monday will inspect the aluminum boat prosecutors say the defendant used to dump the body of his pregnant wife into San Francisco Bay, Court TV reported Friday night.
With the state crime lab working overtime to identify the bodies of his wife and child, Scott Peterson scheduled a golf game with his brother, according to a tape played for jurors Monday at his capital trial.
The judge in Scott Peterson's murder trial refused to dismiss the charges against him Monday, saying there is sufficient evidence to continue the proceedings.
A judge Tuesday recessed Scott Peterson's double murder trial until Monday just as the defense was to begin presenting its case.
An expert on tides and currents testified Monday that the bodies of Laci Peterson and her fetus may have been dumped into San Francisco Bay near the spot where her husband claims to have gone fishing the day of her disappearance.
The double murder trial for Scott Peterson, who's accused of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, was adjourned early Tuesday after an earthquake rumbled through the region, shaking jurors and the judge.
Laci Peterson's parents are "taking a break from the case" after run-ins with their former son-in-law's parents and a local police officer, a source close to the family said Monday.
Scott Peterson's strange driving patterns dominated testimony at his double-murder trial Thursday as prosecutors questioned seven undercover agents who tracked the fertilizer salesman after his wife disappeared.
A computer forensics expert who studied Scott Peterson's Web-surfing habits in the weeks surrounding his wife's disappearance told jurors it was possible that Laci, not Scott, was using the couple's laptop computer the morning of December 24, 2002.
Scott Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey, wrapped up her testimony in his double murder trial Tuesday after cross-examination in which the defense sought to emphasize that Peterson repeatedly told her he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance.
When Laci Peterson's mother learned about Scott Peterson's affair with a masseuse, she angrily called her son-in-law and accused him of murder.
A California judge brought Scott Peterson's double murder trial to a sudden halt Wednesday amid an evidentiary dispute that put off cross-examination of Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey, until next week.
Scott Peterson told Amber Frey, his one-time mistress, that she had no reason to fear for her life after his wife's disappearance, according to taped telephone calls played for jurors at his double murder trial Monday.
The jury in Scott Peterson's murder trial heard hours of recorded conversations Wednesday between him and his one-time lover, Amber Frey, during which he declared they "could be wonderful together."
Scott Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey, took the stand at his capital murder trial Tuesday and portrayed the fertilizer salesman as an attentive, but deceitful lover who wooed her with over-the-top romantic gestures while concealing his marriage from her.
She's been described as a mistress, a massage therapist and lithesome blonde, but this week Amber Frey gets a new designation: Witness No. 102.
Testimony Tuesday from Scott Peterson's former lover revealed he told her a string of lies as their relationship progressed, including denying he was married and saying he celebrated New Year's 2003 near the Eiffel Tower.
Taped telephone conversations between Scott Peterson and his former mistress, Amber Frey, are expected to make up the heart of testimony when Frey takes the stand in Peterson's double murder trial Tuesday morning.
A judge adjourned the Scott Peterson murder trial Thursday to allow for the testing of new evidence in the case potentially helpful to Peterson. It is scheduled to resume Tuesday.
Prosecutors zeroed in on Scott Peterson's Web surfing Wednesday in an attempt to prove he began plotting his wife's murder weeks before she vanished.
In the end, the spots on the kitchen floor weren't blood, the hair in Scott Peterson's toolbox wasn't Laci's, and the police detectives' "perfect" anchor theory did not hold.
A detective accused of embellishing his testimony at Scott Peterson's murder trial was previously accused of making inflammatory statements on the witness stand to force a mistrial in a case where the prosecution's evidence was crumbling.
Using dramatic re-enactment photographs, prosecutors illustrated for jurors Wednesday their theory of how Scott Peterson disposed of his pregnant wife's body -- by loading it into his fishing boat and dumping it into the San Francisco Bay.
The woman who introduced Scott Peterson to his eventual mistress testified Wednesday in Peterson's double murder trial that when she first met him, Peterson never mentioned being married.
A police detective Thursday admitted in Scott Peterson's double murder trial that he omitted information that showed Laci Peterson may have been in the warehouse where her husband's boat was stored.
One day after he was dismissed from the jury in Scott Peterson's double-murder trial, Justin Falconer said jurors should be separated from everyone at the courthouse to avoid interaction.
The judge in the Scott Peterson double murder trial removed one of the jurors Wednesday, but refused a defense motion for a mistrial.
Did $100,000 in diamonds, sapphires and other gems play a role in Laci Peterson's murder?
Scott Peterson had proof of his alibi close at hand when police questioned him a few hours after his pregnant wife was reported missing, an investigator testified Tuesday.
Defense attorneys in Scott Peterson's double murder trial have sought to portray their client's Modesto neighborhood as an area prone to robberies and homeless people in an effort to raise doubts that the defendant killed his pregnant wife, Laci.
Scott Peterson might have had more motive than a mistress to kill his pregnant wife, prosecution witnesses implied at his capital murder trial Tuesday.
Prosecutors began laying out their case against Scott Peterson Thursday with witnesses describing their encounters with his wife, Laci, the last day she was seen alive by anyone other than her husband.
The baby of murder defendant Scott Peterson was born alive, his attorney declared Wednesday, saying the baby's umbilical cord had been cut.
After three months of jury selection and motions, the trial of Scott Peterson, accused of killing his wife and unborn son, opened Tuesday with the prosecution pointing out inconsistencies in Peterson's behavior.
A California judge on Thursday set a May 7 hearing for arguments on a change of venue in the trial of accused wife-killer Scott Peterson.
A prospective juror in the Scott Peterson trial was dismissed from the case Tuesday after a weeklong investigation.
A prospective juror in the Scott Peterson trial will soon appear in a hearing to determine whether she said the defendant is "guilty as hell" and she intended to make sure the double murder suspect "got everything he deserves."
A state wastewater inspector was picked Monday as the first of what will eventually be 80 people eligible to be jurors in Scott Peterson's murder trial.
Scott Peterson introduced himself to the first 100 prospective jurors in his double murder trial as jury selection got under way.
The jurors who will hear arguments in the murder trial of Scott Peterson would also decide whether Peterson would receive the death penalty if he is guilty, a California judge ruled Thursday.
The judge in the Scott Peterson murder trial ruled Tuesday that he must preview all court filings to determine if they contain sensitive materials that might fall under a protective order.
A judge Monday rejected a request by Scott Peterson's attorney for a different judge to testify about why he authorized wiretaps of Peterson without a court reporter present.
The judge in Scott Peterson's murder trial ruled Tuesday that evidence dealing with the electronic tracking of Peterson after his wife's disappearance will be admitted in the trial.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in Scott Peterson's murder trial are due in court again Tuesday to argue whether information gathered from tracking Peterson's vehicles by satellite after his wife disappeared should be admitted as evidence.
Scott Peterson's attorney is expected to argue Wednesday that the tracking information prosecutors contend reveals Peterson's whereabouts after his wife disappeared is unreliable and unscientific.
The parties in the Scott Peterson double murder trial were in court Monday to consider a number of issues, including sequestering the jury.
A woman who said she saw Laci Peterson alive and well the morning authorities allege she was dead at the hands of her husband has died.
Citing the continued media storm surrounding the case of a California man accused of killing his wife and their unborn child, a judge Monday barred cameras from the coming trial.
Defense attorneys for Scott Peterson, who is accused of killing his wife and their unborn son, filed a motion Friday asking for a delay in the case.
For the second time in a week, a new judge was appointed Tuesday to hear the murder trial of a California man accused of killing his wife and their unborn son.
A judge on Friday delayed the trial of a California man charged with killing his wife and their unborn child for at least a week during a hearing to determine the court calendar.
The murder trial of Scott Peterson will be delayed and get still another new judge after the district attorney in the case Thursday challenged the state chief justice's appointment of Judge Richard Arnason, announced only the day before.
A judge experienced in death-penalty cases and who one California attorney says has a reputation for maintaining tight control of the courtroom was assigned Wednesday to the trial of Scott Peterson.
The judge in the murder case of Scott Peterson Tuesday ordered the trial moved to San Mateo County, rejecting prosecution arguments that his decision to order the change was based on falsified survey data.
A judge likely will decide Tuesday the location of the trial of a California man accused of killing his wife and their unborn child.
A judge Wednesday refused to dismiss murder charges against a California man accused of killing his wife and their unborn child, ruling that prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
The likely location for the murder trial of Scott Peterson, charged with killing his wife and their unborn child, has been narrowed to four counties, a California state court official said.
A judge agreed Thursday to move Scott Peterson's murder trial outside of Peterson's hometown of Modesto, California, after the defense argued pre-trial publicity clouded the potential jury pool.
A California judge will hear arguments Thursday over whether a man accused of killing his wife and their unborn child can get a fair trial in his hometown.
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