- - What Happened to Scott Peterson's Parents? Inside Lee and Jackie Peterson's Lives After Laci Peterson's Murder

Kelsey LentzDecember 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM

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Al Golub-Pool/Getty; Frederic Larson-Pool/Getty

Scott Peterson appears at a hearing in Stanislaus County Superior Court, Jackie Peterson, the mother of Scott Peterson along with Scott's father, Lee Peterson walk to the lobby of the San Mateo Superior County Court House -

Scott Peterson was convicted of killing his wife, Laci Peterson, and unborn son in 2004

His parents, Jackie and Lee, stood by their son's side and insisted on his innocence

Jackie died in 2013, and Lee died in 2024

It’s been over 20 years since Scott Peterson was charged with the murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, but his family still maintains his innocence.

On Christmas Eve in 2002, Laci, who was eight months pregnant with her and Scott’s first child, was reported missing from their home in Modesto, Calif. Four months later, her remains were discovered in the San Francisco Bay along with the remains of the couple’s unborn son, who they had planned to name Conner.

Scott was then arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of his wife and the second-degree murder of his son. It was also revealed that Scott had been having an affair with a woman named Amber Frey.

Scott’s parents, Lee and Jackie Peterson, had seen the couple just four days before Laci’s disappearance. “We were all putting our hands on [Laci’s] stomach ... Scott was trying to find the baby for us so we could feel it kick,” Jackie recalled during a July 2004 interview with Barbara Walters. She added that Scott and Laci were “ecstatic” about becoming parents.

Lee and Jackie stood by their son throughout the trial, including when Scott was eventually found guilty. They also continued to believe in his innocence until their deaths in 2013 and 2024. Several surviving members of Scott’s family are still working to clear his name, and in 2024, his case was taken on by the Los Angeles Innocence Project.

Here’s everything to know about what happened to Scott Peterson’s parents after Laci Peterson's death.

Lee and Jackie welcomed Scott in 1972

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Jackie and Lee Peterson, Scott Peterson's parents, leave the San Mateo County Courthouse

Lee and Jackie welcomed Scott, their only child together, on Oct. 24, 1972. The couple wed the year prior and raised Scott in San Diego.

Lee worked for a trucking company before he started his own shipping and packing business, and Jackie owned a clothing boutique in La Jolla called The Put On.

During a 2004 interview with SF Gate, Lee and Jackie described Scott as the “perfect” son growing up, noting how he never got into trouble and loved golfing, fishing and Cub Scouts.

"We'd tell him, 'You're a lucky man.' He never got in a scrape," Lee told the outlet. "He was like Mr. Perfect."

Lee and Jackie had a large blended family

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Jackie Peterson (R), mother of convicted murderer Scott Peterson, and her sister Susan Caudillo leaves for the lunch break from the San Mateo Superior Courthouse

In addition to Scott, both Lee and Jackie had children from previous relationships. Lee had three children from his first marriage, daughter Susan and sons Joe and Mark, while Jackie had a son named John.

Jackie also had two children whom she gave up for adoption, who reconnected with the family years later.

During their interview with SF Gate, the couple compared their family dynamic to the Brady Bunch.

Jackie’s father was murdered

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Scott Peterson's mother, Jackie Peterson (R), holds hands with her daughter-in-law, Janey Peterson, as Scott's father, Lee Peterson, walks behind them

When Jackie was just 2 years old, her father, John Latham, was attacked and killed outside of his tire shop in San Diego, per SF Gate.

Shortly after his death, Jackie’s mother struggled to care for her and her siblings. Jackie was then sent to what she described as an orphanage when she was 5 years old, where she was raised by Catholic nuns.

Jackie opened up about her traumatic childhood while testifying during the penalty phase of Scott’s trial.

Lee and Jackie saw Laci four days before she went missing

Modesto Police Department/ZUMA Press/Shutterstock

Laci Peterson and Scott Peterson

During a sit-down interview with Walters in July 2004, Scott’s parents revealed that they had seen both him and Laci just days before she went missing, claiming that everything seemed fine between the couple.

Jackie added that Scott was “very excited” about becoming a father, and that he and Laci had tried to get pregnant for three years. She also recalled the moment she found out Laci was missing.

“The phone rang and I answered it. Scott was sobbing on the phone, and all I could hear was ‘Laci’ and ‘Miss,’ ” Jackie told Walters. “I thought she had miscarried, and my heart just sank ... and then he told me she was missing.”

Of their marriage, Jackie claimed: “They backed each other up all the way ... they were totally dedicated to each other.”

Lee and Jackie testified during Scott’s death penalty sentencing

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Jackie Peterson (C) and Lee Peterson (R), parents of Scott Peterson, arrive at the San Mateo Superior Courthouse for the penalty phase

Both Lee and Jackie testified during the penalty phase of Scott’s 2004 trial, urging the jury to spare him from the death penalty.

"He's an exceptional young man and he's my son," Jackie said during her testimony, per CBS News. "I know he's not perfect ... but he is genuinely a loving, caring, nurturing, kind, gentle person."

She continued: “I really feel if you were to take Scott away from us — they were like a family, Laci, Conner and Scott — it would be a whole family wiped off the face of the earth.”

During his testimony, Lee described Scott as his “best friend” and said he helped bring their family “closer together,” according to SF Gate. Scott’s half-sister Susan also testified, noting that she was worried about her parents' health.

“I see the pain in their faces every day,” she said of Lee and Jackie. “I can't imagine it getting any worse than having him put to death. We're sticking together, we're strong, we're supportive of him 100 percent, but I don't think my parents will make it if he goes."

Scott was ultimately sentenced to death. However, years later, in 2020, the California Supreme Court overturned his death sentence, citing significant errors in jury selection during the original trial. He was resentenced to life in prison the following year.

Jackie died in 2013

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Jackie Peterson, mother of Scott Peterson, enters the courthouse for the Scott Peterson double murder trial at the San Mateo County Superior Court

Jackie died of cancer in 2013. She had been suffering from respiratory issues for several years and used an oxygen tank throughout Scott’s trial.

Lee reportedly took Jackie home from the hospital to care for her in her last days.

Lee died in 2024

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Lee Peterson, father of convicted murderer Scott Peterson, leaves the San Mateo Superior Court

On Nov. 9, 2024, Scott’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, shared on Facebook that Lee had died. “We said our tender goodbyes to my father-in-law last week. Rest in perfect peace, Pops,” she wrote alongside a photo of Lee holding his great-grandson.

Janey, who is married to Scott’s older half-brother Joe, has been actively working to clear Scott’s name and even became an attorney to assist with the case.

“There's evidence that was completely ignored that shows Laci was alive after he left for the day,” she said during a 2021 appearance on Today. “But also, there was no evidence that he had anything to do with what happened to Laci.”

“We don't have justice," Janey added. "This crime is not solved.”

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