Scott Peterson Biography

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AKA Scott Lee Peterson

Born: 24-Oct-1972
Birthplace: San Diego, CA

Gender: Male
Religion: Roman Catholic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Criminal

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Murdered pregnant wife Laci

Scott Peterson's father worked for a trucking company, and later owned a packaging business. His mother owned a tiny boutique in Modesto, California, called "The Put On". She brought Scott to work with her when he was an infant, and ran the shop while he played or squealed in his crib behind the counter. As a boy, Peterson was rarely in any trouble, and acquaintances describe him as "quiet and polite". In elementary school he was a crossing guard. In high school he did odd jobs at a golf course, and lettered on his Catholic high school's golf team.

He was working as a waiter in a San Luis Obispo café, and attending Cal-Poly, when he met his future wife, then Laci Rocha. Peterson was promptly smitten with the brunette, and they moved in together, then married in 1997. Very pregnant, Laci was last seen alive on Christmas Eve in 2002. Her decomposed body and the corpse of her fetus were later found in San Francisco Bay, about 90 miles from the Petersons' home.

Peterson initially denied having anything to do with his wife's abduction, claiming he had been away on a fishing trip, alone. He later admitted that he had been having an affair with a masseuse from the nearby city of Fresno. Peterson claimed that he and his wife had been trying to repair their relationship, until her disappearance and death.

In January 2004, a survey was conducted as part of a criminology class at California State University, to determine whether Peterson could get a fair trial in Modesto. The survey was cited by the judge in announcing his decision to move the trial to a more distant location. It was later revealed, however, that the survey had been largely faked, with many of the criminology students simply making up answers instead of conducting the required interviews with area residents. Criminology, of course, is a degree that often forms the foundation for successful careers in law enforcement.

Father: Lee Peterson (retired, owned a packaging firm in San Diego)
Mother: Jacqueline Peterson
Brother: John Peterson (half-brother, b. circa 1966)
Sister: Susan Peterson (half-sister, b. circa 1960)
Brother: Mark Peterson (half-brother, b. circa 1962)
Brother: Joe Peterson (half-brother, b. circa 1963)
Wife: Laci Peterson (m. 9-Aug-1997, pregnant at the time of her death)
Mistress: Amber Frey (masseuse, affair while Laci was pregnant)

High School: University of San Diego High School (1990)
University: Arizona State University (dropped out)
University: Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA (transferred to Cal-Poly)
University: BA Agricultural Business, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1997)