Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson revealed how authorities apprehended Scott Peterson for the murder of his wife, Laci Peterson. Reports indicate that Laci disappeared from her house on December 24, 2002. Four months later, authorities discovered her body on the shoreline of Point Isabel and arrested Peterson. The case went to trial, and it was revealed that renowned lawyer Mark Geragos would be representing Peterson.
According to KRDO News, Mark Geragos entered the State Bar of California in 1983 and later joined his father’s law firm, Geragos & Geragos. In 1997, Geragos became popular when he represented Susan McDougal. The court convicted McDougal of fraud in the Whitewater case. However, Geragos joined the case and represented her in an embezzlement case in which the court acquitted McDougal. Moreover, he has represented Michael Jackson, rapper Nate Dogg, Gary Condit, Winona Ryder, Colin Kaepernick, and Jussie Smollett throughout his career.
Per the documentary, Mark Geragos became Scott Peterson’s attorney as he made frequent appearances on Larry King LIVE. He even talked about the case on numerous occasions. In one instance, Geragos said that people can condemn Peterson for his character flaws, but that doesn’t make him a murderer. Thus, the Peterson family hired Mark Geragos as Scott Peterson’s attorney in Laci Peterson’s murder trial.
Who is Scott Peterson’s former lawyer, Mark Geragos?
During the trial, Mark Geragos tried to prove that Scott Peterson was not guilty of the murder of Laci Peterson. Initially, he proved the prosecutors wrong by saying Peterson lied about Laci watching TV before her disappearance. He also questioned the credibility of certain police officials investigating the case. Meanwhile, he shared that burglary could be connected with the disappearance. However, Amber Frey‘s testimony changed everything.
Mark Geragos questioned Frey in the court and asked about her affair with Scott Peterson. In the documentary, Frey revealed that Geragos got “agitated” when she didn’t answer his questions as he thought. Even though he tried to picture Scott Peterson as innocent, the jury found him guilty and gave him a death sentence. However, in August 2021, the court overturned the death sentence and gave him life imprisonment.
In January 2024, the LA Innocence Project filed an appeal on behalf of Scott Peterson. Per People Magazine, the organization revealed that “new evidence” shows that the accused is innocent and had nothing to do with the disappearance and murder of his wife, Laci Peterson. After the appeal, attorney Mark Geragos stated that Peterson had a good chance of getting out. Geragos told People Magazine, “I do. I’ve always felt this way. You’re talking to somebody who has been pilloried for the last 20 years for having the temerity to say that I think he’s innocent.”
American Murder: Laci Peterson is available to stream on Netflix.
