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Laci Peterson Case:
Laci Peterson Case:
Behind the Scene

Amber Paro

Forensic Science 101, Section
Professor Beth Butin
November 22, 2005
Laci Peterson Case:
Behind the Scene

Almost every little girl dreams of having that fairy-tail life which includes: the perfect wedding, the perfect husband, and perfect house with the perfect family. Take for example, Laci and Scott Peterson. To the people who knew them they were the “perfect couple” with the “perfect lives”. They had a nice home, good circle of friends, great jobs and seemed to never fight (Fleeman, 2003). But unfortunately life isn’t a fairy-tale and things don’t always go perfectly. It become evident the day Laci’s husband killed her that their “perfect” marriage was no more. Because life isn’t a fairy-tale, it makes a person wonder, “Can you fully trust the people around you?” The Laci Peterson case is one that touched the heart of millions of people and opened the eyes of a nation. It all started on the evening of December 24, 2002, when Scott Peterson, husband to Laci Peterson, called his mother-in-law and asked if she had seen or talked to Laci. When Sharon Rocha replied she hadn’t, Scott said “Well she’s missing” (Fleeman, 2003). The words “she’s missing” struck Sharon as peculiar. She wondered to herself why not “out” or “gone” and then all of a sudden this terrible feeling ran through her and she knew immediately that something was terribly wrong (Fleeman, 2003). This was the beginning of what would be one of the most devastating days of Sharon Rocha’s life. Laci Denise (Rocha) Peterson was born May 4, 1974 to Sharon and Dennis Rocha. Ever since Laci was a baby she was known for her big grinning smile and large dimples. People used to say that her smile hinted at a devilish side to her (Fleeman, 2003). As an adult she still had that beaming smile that people couldn’t resist wanting to get to know. Because of that smile, millions of people couldn’t resist wanting to help find



References: Fleeman M. (2003). Laci: Inside the Laci Peterson Murder. New York; St. Martin’s Press James, S. (2005). Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques. New York; Taylor & Francis Group Lee, H. (2006). Dr. Henry Lee’s Forensic Files. New York; Prometheus Books Meloan, C. (2004). Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, New Jersey; Pearson Prentice Hall

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