Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"Everyone was super anxious and like the as soon as something suspicious would come out, everyone would report on it as fact. And then there were some things that as they found out weren't true, they would like the media wouldn't even back out. They would just pretend like it never happened." — Ashley Flowers
"I'm not trying to convince you that he's not a slime ball because this dude is gross, but just just keep listening." — Ashley Flowers
"And of course, like I think one of the biggest names in this case at the time was Nancy Grace. And yeah, she's got some like great one-liners about this case, but she says that essentially she wanted to crucify Scott because he quote, rub me the wrong way." — Ashley Flowers
The episode begins by establishing the central mystery of Laci Peterson's disappearance on December 24th, 2002, presenting Scott Peterson's account of the day and highlighting initial questions regarding his activities, including his fishing trip and the assembly of a woodworking tool. The narrative then moves to the initial police involvement, detailing Scott Peterson's demeanor, his first interview, and the emergence of unsubstantiated reports, such as the ordering of adult entertainment channels, which were widely disseminated by the media. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the media's role, particularly the burgeoning 24-hour news cycle, which intensified scrutiny on Scott Peterson and led to speculative reporting and comparisons to other cases, often without substantiation.
Further details emerge regarding the parallel investigation into a robbery across the street from the Peterson residence, where the apprehended suspects made unsolicited comments linking themselves to the "pregnant girl," suggesting a potential connection that was initially kept separate by authorities. The introduction of Amber Frey, Scott Peterson's girlfriend, marks a turning point. The episode details how she became involved with the investigation, recording conversations with Scott, and the police's focus shifting heavily towards these recordings, potentially at the expense of exploring other leads. The episode also touches upon the discovery of a single strand of Laci's hair and rusted pliers in Scott's work shed, and a detective's alleged alteration of reports regarding Laci's prior knowledge of his workshop and boat.
The latter part of the episode explores the significant impact of Amber Frey's public statements and the release of a photograph showing Scott Peterson at a candlelight vigil, which was widely interpreted negatively by the media. Scott Peterson's subsequent interviews, including one with Diane Sawyer, are dissected, with particular attention paid to his use of past tense when referring to Laci, which was perceived as highly incriminating. The episode concludes by emphasizing the lack of concrete leads for the police as Laci's due date passes, while Scott Peterson is the central figure of the ongoing media narrative, leaving the listener anticipating further developments in the case.