Laci Peterson Was Pregnant When She Vanished — What Happened to Her Child?

It's been two decades since Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, in a case that captivated and stunned the nation. As attorneys with the Los Angeles Innocence Project fought in court in July 2024 to have evidence reexamined, Peterson, from his cell at Mule Creek State Prison in California, continued to insist on his innocence. Now, twenty years on, Peterson is set to share his side of the story in the three-part docuseries Face to Face with Scott Peterson, streaming from August 20.

One of the most crucial and contentious issues during the trial was whether Conner, Laci's unborn son, was born alive or died in the womb. Peterson's defence team argued that Laci had been abducted by an unknown assailant who cut the baby out of her stomach, before dumping both bodies into San Francisco Bay in an attempt to frame him, according to SF Gate. So, what exactly happened to Laci Peterson and her son, Conner?

How Did Laci Peterson Die?

Scott Peterson told authorities that on the morning of December 24, 2002, he left their home in Modesto, California, to go fishing at Berkeley Marina, roughly 90 miles away. He claimed that when he returned hours later, Laci was gone. He reported her missing later that evening.

At the time, Laci was eight months pregnant with their son, Conner, and the couple had planned to raise their child in Modesto, as reported by NBC Bay Area.

For three months, police searched for Laci, but it wasn’t until March 2003 that the investigation shifted from a missing person’s case to a homicide. A month later, the bodies of Laci and Conner were discovered washed ashore in San Francisco Bay, about a mile apart — and just a few miles from where Scott Peterson claimed to have been fishing that fateful day. Due to the condition of Laci’s body, no official cause of death could be determined. When found, her remains were badly decomposed, with her head, arms, most of her legs, and all internal organs except for the uterus missing. A forensic anthropologist testified that her body had likely been submerged in the bay for three to six months. Prosecutors contended that Peterson had murdered Laci and dumped her body in the bay, using handmade concrete anchors to weigh her down.

How Did Laci Peterson's Unborn Son, Conner, Die?

Dr. Brian Peterson, a pathologist who testified at Scott Peterson’s trial, explained that Conner had been protected by the elements of the bay while still in his mother’s uterus. As SF Gate reported, Conner’s body was more intact than Laci’s when it washed ashore.

Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist, noted on Good Morning America that Laci’s body had likely protected the baby for months, with Conner being expelled from her body shortly before the remains were discovered. "It does tell us that the baby was in the womb for many months after Laci was in the water and Laci, in fact, protected the baby until the baby came out shortly before the bodies were found," Dr. Baden said.

Dr. Peterson testified that Conner’s umbilical cord appeared to be torn rather than cut or clamped, which would typically happen after birth. Additionally, the baby’s uterus had not contracted to its normal size, a sign that Conner had not been born yet. Meconium, the first stool passed by newborns, was also found in Conner’s bowels, suggesting he had been alive long enough for the body to produce it.

Dr. Peterson asserted that, despite whatever caused Laci’s death, it was her demise that led to the death of the baby. "Truly, I believe that for whatever reason Laci met her demise, it was her death that caused the death of [the baby]," he stated during the trial.

The key question remained: how did Conner become separated from his mother? Dr. Peterson testified that the baby was "expelled" from Laci’s body after her death. However, Peterson’s defence team speculated that Conner might have been strangled after birth, as twine was found around his neck. Dr. Peterson, however, refuted this theory, pointing out that there were no bruises or injuries to the baby’s neck, and theorised that the twine was simply debris from the water.

Forensic anthropologist Alison Galloway also provided testimony, estimating that Conner’s age at the time of death was between 33 and 38 weeks, based on the measurements of his bones. However, she admitted that this estimate was not precise due to the condition of the body. "I hate to say mushy, but that was sort of the way it was, and that doesn’t allow you to get an accurate measurement," Galloway said, according to News on 6.

The Verdict

On November 12, 2004, after several months of testimony, the jury found Scott Peterson guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Laci Peterson, and second-degree murder for the death of Conner. In March 2005, Peterson was sentenced to death. However, in December 2021, the California Supreme Court agreed with Peterson's appeal and moved him off death row.

As Scott Peterson’s legal team continues their fight for a new trial, the case remains a powerful reminder of how the deaths of Laci and Conner Peterson still raise questions — especially regarding the circumstances surrounding their deaths.