Standing Behind Him! Meet Scott Peterson’s Parents and Siblings Who Believe in His Innocence

Scott Peterson was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2004 for the deaths of his 8-month-pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Connor. Despite his life sentence, his parents, Lee and Jackie Peterson, have believed in their son’s innocence.

Who Are Scott Peterson’s Parents?

Scott was born on October 24, 1972, to his father, Lee, and Lee’s second wife, Jackie. Scott has a half-sister named Susan Caudillo and an older brother named Joe Peterson.

Scott Peterson’s Parents Believe He Is Innocent

Despite Scott being found guilty of the murders, his family — similar to Scott himself — has maintained that the Modesto, California, native did not commit the murders. After Scott’s conviction in 2004, Lee took the stand to plead with the jury to spare his son from the death penalty and instead sentence him to life in prison.

Lee called his son his “best friend” and painted him as a motivated man who “worked his way through college,” holding as many three jobs at a time.

“I guess you would say deeply saddened,” he said while reflecting on how Laci’s death and his son’s guilty sentence have affected him, according to the SFGATE. “All the emotions you might associate with someone losing someone you love and now having your son in this kind of jeopardy. It’s beyond belief. It’s not something I ever thought I would have to go through.”

Meanwhile, Susan feared for her parent’s health if Scott was sentenced to death. “We’ve gone through this now for two years and tried to keep a strong face,” she told the jury. “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 Peterson’s Family Support After Laci Peterson’s Death

Although she had a lot of love for Laci, Scott’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, was also vocal about being on his side throughout the investigation. She spoke about the case in the August 2024 Netflix documentary American Murder: Laci Peterson.

“We didn’t have time to grieve Laci when we found out she was gone because Scott was arrested. Laci was part of our family,” Janey explained. “We went from looking for her and the moment we found out she was dead, he was arrested. We’re fighting for his life. Here we are 20 years later, trying to right this injustice.”

A note at the end of the documentary revealed that since her brother-in-law’s conviction, she has “obtained a law degree in an effort to fight for her brother-in-law’s freedom.”

“When they read the verdict thought my heart was beat[ing] really loud and I missed the word not. Then they said it again and it felt very quiet in the courtroom and very surreal and out of body. But you could hear the crowd outside,” she recounted. “I just remember looking out at the sea of people and thinking, ‘They have no idea what just happened the last four months in this courtroom.’”

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Where Is Scott Peterson’s Family Now?

Scott’s mother died at the age of 70 in 2013 after a battle with cancer. According to Radar, Jackie spent her final days comfortably at home after her husband took her out of the hospital to personally care for her.

As for Scott’s father, his current whereabouts are unclear.