Scott Peterson, who was convicted for the 2002 murder of his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn son Conner, admitted to having an extramarital affair.
According to People, the confession is made on Face to Face with Scott Peterson, a new three-part docuseries where the 51-year-old speaks out for the first time on camera in nearly 21 years.
“It’s horrible,” Scott said from behind bars about cheating on Laci with a massage therapist named Amber Frey, per the magazine. “I was a total a-hole to be having sex outside our marriage.”
In the docuseries, the former California-based fertilizer salesperson continues to deny involvement in the disappearance and death of his wife and unborn son. He also claims that the “so-called investigation” by law enforcement officials ignored leads and relied on circumstantial evidence—eventually leading to his conviction of double murder during the highly-publicized, five-month-long trial in 2004.
“I regret not testifying [at my trial], but if I have a chance to show people what the truth is, and if they are willing to accept it, it would be the biggest thing that I can accomplish right now—because I didn’t kill my family,” he said, per People.
According to NBC News, a then 27-year-old Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant with their son when she was killed in December 2002, just five years after they wed.
Prosecutors said at the time that Scott had dumped her body in the Berkley Marina at the San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve in an attempt to make it appear as if she had gone missing. Laci and Conner’s bodies eventually washed ashore in April 2003, just two miles from where Scott claimed to have been fishing. The prosecution also believed that he had regrets about becoming a father and saw the murder as a means to get out of paying spousal and child support.
The magazine also notes that at the time of his arrest, Scott had $15,000 in cash and bleached hair, with prosecutors believing he was attempting to flee to Mexico.
Scott was found guilty of first-degree murder for Laci’s death and second-degree murder for Conner’s death, per CNN. Although he was initially sentenced to death, the decision was overturned in August 2020. He was resentenced to life without parole the following year.
The docuseries also features Scott’s sister-in-law Janey Peterson, who became a lawyer to assist in the fight for his freedom.
“Scott lied about cheating and that was upsetting,” said Janey. “But he wasn’t charged with infidelity. He was charged with murder.”
Face to Face with Scott Peterson premieres on Aug. 20 on Peacock.