American Murder has hidden Scott Peterson evidence you probably missed

The Peterson case is under the microscope once more following the release of Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson, but there’s one piece of evidence about husband Scott you may have missed. 

Scott Peterson first reported his wife Laci missing on December 24, 2002. She was 27 years old at the time, and eight months pregnant with their first child, Conner. 

What followed was a nationwide search that sparked a media frenzy, with the attention quickly turning to the detectives’ number one suspect: Scott. 

After Laci and Conner’s remains washed ashore not far from where Scott had been fishing on the day of her disappearance, he was arrested and later charged with the murders. 

The case has sparked plenty of debate over the years, firstly due to the fact that the evidence was circumstantial. 

But there were many disturbing details that led to the guilty verdict, many of which are explored in Netflix’s new docu-series. 

With so much to take in, it’s easy to overlook one seemingly minor piece of evidence – the image of Scott’s fishing license, which he bought on December 20. 

Netflix

Look a little closer, and you’ll see it’s only valid for a two-day period. According to Modesto police Detective Craig Grogan, this had been filled out for December 23 and 24 – the period Laci was reported missing. 

Prosecutors argued that this, coupled with other details about Scott’s fishing trip, indicated that it was planned. 

There’s another statement worth taking into consideration here, too. Scott had told numerous people that he was planning on golfing, his preferred sport, on Christmas Eve. 

Speaking in American Murder, Modesto police detective Al Brocchini recalls his initial questioning of Scott, who told him that he was originally going to play golf as planned. 

“He said he was going to go golfing, but because it was too cold he decided he was going to go fishing,” Brocchini explains. 

The documentary then cuts to actual footage of Brocchini’s initial questioning of Scott, where he asks him at what point he made the decision to go fishing instead. To which Scott replies, “That was a morning decision.”

This, alongside the fact that Scott secretly bought a boat and searched San Francisco Bay tides in the days leading up to Laci’s disappearance, raised suspicion. 

Prosecutors argued that the fishing trip couldn’t have been a last-minute decision, as so much planning had gone into it – including the date-specific fishing license. 

Scott’s defense team, however, argued that Scott had purchased fishing licenses in the past. To this day, he maintains his innocence and is currently fighting for a retrial. 

American Murder: Laci Peterson is streaming on Netflix now. You can also read about the one person missing from the docu-series, and find out other TV shows coming to streaming this month.