Murder of Laci Peterson - Disappearance and Discovery of The Bodies

Disappearance and Discovery of The Bodies

Apart from her husband, the last two people known to have spoken to Laci before she disappeared were her half-sister, Amy Rocha, and her mother, Sharon Rocha. Amy cut Scott's hair, with Laci present, on the evening of December 23, 2002. Later that evening, Sharon talked to Laci on the telephone around 8:30 pm. Shortly after 10:15 am the following morning, a neighbor found the family dog, a golden retriever named McKenzie, running loose in the neighborhood, wearing a collar and a muddy leash. The neighbor then returned McKenzie to the yard. Laci's 1996 Land Rover Discovery SE sport utility vehicle was in the driveway, and her purse, containing her keys and cell phone, was on the table inside the house.

When Scott Peterson returned home from fishing that evening, he discovered Laci was not there. Some reports state he washed his clothes, ate some cold pizza, cleaned up the kitchen, and took a shower. Then, at roughly 5:20 pm, he called Sharon Rocha to ask if Laci was with her. When Sharon replied that Laci was not there, Scott said, "Laci's missing." Sharon later said that she knew in her heart something horrible had happened to her daughter. Scott stated that when he left that morning, Laci was planning to buy groceries for their Christmas get-together and walk the couple's dog, McKenzie, in nearby East La Loma Park.

Laci's parents called the police at 6 pm. A search of the park and surrounding areas immediately ensued. Police, family members, friends, and neighbors searched widely on foot, in all-terrain vehicles, patrol cars, and sport utility vehicles, helicopters equipped with search lights and heat sensors, water rescue units, search dogs, and horseback teams. Law enforcement agencies from several counties became involved. Police suspected foul play, doubting that Laci would vanish on Christmas Eve without contacting anyone. At a press conference, detective Al Brocchini said, "That is completely out of character for her."

A $25,000 reward was offered, later increased to $250,000, and finally to $500,000 for any information leading to her safe return. Posters, blue and yellow ribbons and fliers were circulated, and the original, basic version of LaciPeterson.com website was launched by a husband of one of Laci's friends. Friends, family, and volunteers set up a command center at a nearby Red Lion Hotel to record developments and circulate information. Over 1,000 volunteers signed up to distribute information and to help search for Laci. Critics alleged that this was another example of missing white woman syndrome, and that similar cases (primarily that of Evelyn Hernandez) were being ignored by the media and the community. However it should be noted that it was the immediate family and friends of Laci and the Rochas who organized the initial search and vigil for Laci; in the first two days, up to 900 people were involved in looking for Laci, before community officials or police directly participated in the actual search and prior to significant media coverage.

On April 13, 2003, a couple walking their dog discovered the decomposing but well-preserved body of a late-term male fetus on the San Francisco Bay shore in Richmond's Point Isabel Regional Shoreline park, north of Berkeley. One day later, the body of a recently-pregnant woman, wearing cream-colored maternity pants and a maternity bra, washed to shore one mile away from where the baby's body was found. The exact cause of the woman's death was impossible to determine as a result of decomposition; the body was decapitated, both forearms were missing, the right foot was severed, and the left leg from the knee down was missing. Later reports from the medical examiner revealed that there were injuries, two cracked ribs, that happened at or near the time of death. DNA tests verified that they were the bodies of Laci Peterson and her son, Conner. Mother and fetus had not been separated by coffin birth, as had been speculated. Rather, Laci's upper torso had been emptied of internal organs and that allowed the fetus to pass through a perforation in the top of the decomposing uterus.