Why Scott Peterson's Peacock Doc Bothers Me

Netflix

Peacock and Netflix have both released Laci Peterson docuseries with seriously different bents. The Peacock doc features a multi-part interview with Scott Peterson. Why does that bother me? It comes as Peterson continues his legal odyssey and attempts to sway public opinion in his favor.

With the release of Netflix’s moving docuseries on the Laci Peterson case, the public is reacquainting itself with the tragic fate of the Modesto mom-to-be. It arrives on the fast-approaching 22nd anniversary of Laci Peterson’s disappearance on Christmas Eve 2002. 

If that seems like an odd sense of timing, you must consider Scott Peterson’s recent legal bids. In the years since his conviction for double murder, Peterson has successfully gotten off death row. He is now serving life and has gotten the Los Angeles Innocence Project to take up his cause. 

It is incredibly important to clarify that the LA Innocence Project and the Innocence Project are not the same. While I do not think anything will come of their investigation, I welcome it. Test away. Prosecutors who know they have the correct party should never fear the truth. 

Nevertheless, we have to ask.

Is the media in Scott Peterson’s corner? “48 Hours” recently gave his supporters a platform despite their easily debunkable claims. In twenty years, no issue Peterson supporters have pointed out has left a personal question mark.

Regardless, Scott Peterson and his supporters have been persuasive enough to find believers. You can imagine my surprise when Bailey Sarian said she had questions about Scott Peterson’s guilt, and she has not been the only true crime YouTuber to say so.

Would this have been the case if cameras had been allowed in the courtroom during the trial? We will never know. If Scott Peterson ever gets a new trial, it should be streamed for transparency.

For its part, the recent Netflix docuseries on Laci Peterson exposes the multiple layers that comprise this ever-twisting case. The part of me that wants to ignore the Peacock doc also wants to know if it asks Scott Peterson the tough questions? 

To turn the tide, Scott Peterson needs to address the most damning elements in the case against him. It is more than popular culture had to say then and now. 

For those of us paying attention in real time, I can attest there was no rush to judgment. It is a huge issue in true crime and the community that follows it.

Why Coverage Matters

By the time you argue on behalf of someone truly guilty of the public’s rush to judgment – the public has stopped listening. It is like a car alarm. People have grown tired of hearing it. They are numb to its potential implications.

Elaborate frame-ups are a staple of Hollywood lore. If you paid attention to a Massachusetts courtroom this summer, you watched evidence of such a scenario exposed in real life. In contrast, the mainstream media has not been as ravenous to cover that angle.

Is there any such proof of a frame-up with Scott Peterson? For those new to the Laci Peterson case, “American Murder” drives home a multitude of facts surrounding his conviction. Peacock has a lot of hurdles to clear, which its previous original work, “Myth of the Zodiac Killer,” could not do in proving its theory. Time will tell if Scott Peterson’s claims fare better.