Where Are Scott Peterson’s Parents Now? What Happened to Them After Their Son Was Convicted of Murdering Laci Peterson

For more than two decades, Scott Peterson has sat behind bars for the murders of his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn son Conner. But through it all, two people never stopped believing in his innocence: his parents, Jackie and Lee Peterson.

Jackie and Lee were unwavering pillars for their son from the moment Laci vanished on Christmas Eve 2002. They were by his side during the trial, the guilty verdict, and the death sentence. They insisted, up until their last days, that Scott was not a killer.

The couple had seen Laci just four days before she disappeared. During a 2004 interview with Barbara Walters, Jackie recalled the family gathering around Laci’s belly, feeling the baby kick. She described Scott and Laci as “ecstatic” about becoming parents.

Lee and Jackie welcomed Scott in 1972, their only child together. Lee ran his own shipping business, and Jackie owned a boutique in La Jolla. They called Scott a “perfect” son who never got into trouble, according to a 2004 interview.

Their family was large and blended. Lee had three children from a previous marriage, and Jackie had a son, plus two children she had given up for adoption who later reconnected. They likened their dynamic to the Brady Bunch.

Jackie’s own childhood was marked by tragedy. Her father was murdered when she was just 2 years old, and she was sent to an orphanage at age 5, raised by Catholic nuns. She spoke about this trauma during the penalty phase of Scott’s trial.

During that same penalty phase, both Lee and Jackie took the stand to plead for their son’s life. Jackie told the jury Scott was a “loving, caring, nurturing, kind, gentle person.” Lee called him his “best friend.”

Scott was sentenced to death in 2005, but the California Supreme Court overturned that sentence in 2020 due to errors in jury selection. He was resentenced to life in prison the following year.

Jackie died of cancer in 2013, after years of respiratory problems. Lee reportedly brought her home from the hospital to care for her in her final days.

Lee passed away in November 2024. Scott’s sister-in-law Janey Peterson, who has worked tirelessly to clear Scott’s name, announced the loss on Facebook. “Rest in perfect peace, Pops,” she wrote.

Janey, an attorney, has said there is “evidence that was completely ignored” and that “this crime is not solved.” In 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project agreed to review Scott’s case, and a new A&E special examines alternative theories.

Scott Peterson’s parents are gone now, but their belief in their son never wavered. With new eyes on the evidence, could the story take another turn?