Scott Peterson‘s ex-girlfriend Amber Frey spoke out about their relationship two decades after he was convicted for the murder of wife Laci Peterson.
Frey made a surprise appearance in Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson as she recalled meeting Scott in November 2002. After Scott told Frey he was single, they started dating and weeks later she found out that his wife, Laci, went missing while eight months pregnant.
“I was called a mistress. But that was so absolutely far from what I was,” Frey said in the doc while reflecting on the aftermath of her romance with Scott coming to light amid his wife’s disappearance.
The three-part docuseries featured voice recordings that Frey made of her conversations with Scott after she realized he lied to her. Scott’s affair with Frey led investigators to a potential motive once Laci’s remains were found in January 2003.
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Director Skye Borgman exclusively told Us Weekly about how she was able to get Frey involved in the project.
“We reached out to her. And there were quite a few conversations about why would this be a story that she’d want to tell now. Because she has stayed out of the spotlight for quite some time — as have Laci’s family and friends. It really just got to the point where she felt like it was something that she could do for Laci,” Borgman said earlier this month. “That’s really why so many people participated in this is because it was something that they could do for Laci to bring Laci into a place where she was more than just a murder victim. They could really paint a portrait of who she was.”
Borgman praised Frey for her courage, adding, “She brought a lot of bravery to what she did. And she really wanted to be able to tell the story — not for her. I don’t think she really wanted to have the spotlight on her at all. But she really wanted to do it for Laci.”
American Murder: Laci Peterson is currently streaming on Netflix. Keep scrolling for the biggest takeaways from Frey’s appearance in the three-part docuseries:
How Scott Peterson Came Into Amber Frey’s Life
“When I first met Scott Peterson, I was living in Madera, Rolling Hills. I had just graduated from massage school and my really good friend at the time told me about this guy that she had met,” Frey recalled. “She said he was funny, easy to talk to, he was nice looking and he was looking to meet The One. As a single mom, that was something I was open to and wanting in my life.”
Frey, who was a single mother to daughter Ayiana, thought Scott was a good match for her.
“He was interested in my life and my daughter and he was very sweet with her. Our time together — it just flowed,” she said about how she started dating Scott after they met in November 2002. “I asked if he had ever been married. He said no. I asked if he had children and he said no, never wanted to. I believe he said Ayiana would be enough for him.”
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When the Lies Started to Come Apart
Weeks after they became an item, one of Scott’s employees ran into Frey’s best friends. Ultimately, the truth about Scott’s marriage came up, which Frey didn’t know about until he confessed in December 2002.
“I got a call from Scott asking if I was home and that there was something he needed to tell me. He showed up, he looked upset and almost scared,” Frey told the cameras. “He said he had lied about being married. At this point he is crying and having a hard time talking. He said he lost his wife and it would be the first holidays without her. I remember just comforting him, understanding this must be very hard.”
Scott didn’t tell Frey the whole truth and she “didn’t want to pry” for more information. Later that month, Frey was alerted to an article written about Laci’s disappearance and Scott’s efforts to bring her home.
How the Police Got Involved After Amber Frey Put the Pieces Together
“I was definitely in shock. Couldn’t stop crying, just in disbelief. Everything was a lie and it was terrifying,” Frey shared about when she learned Laci was missing. “I called the Modesto Police Department.”
According to Frey, there was “very little innocence” in Scott’s behavior. This influenced her decision to allow the authorities to record every conversation she had with Scott from then on out.
“I can’t say my heart ever stopped pounding or my hands stopped sweating every time I anticipated a call,” she said. “That never changed.”
Frey and Scott remained in communication into January 2003. By then, their relationship made headlines and Scott came clean about Laci’s ongoing case.
“What I remember hearing then was him trying to sound very innocent, even though he’s just lied to me for months. Listening to this, it almost sounds like he was the victim,” Frey noted after listening to the recordings again in present time. “I got a sense of relief being able to confront him without having to carry on the whole facade of our relationship. But at the same time I was hoping in continuing those conversations I might get out of him in regard to what happened to Laci.”
That same month, Frey took part in a press conference where she denied being Scott’s mistress.
“I am very sorry for Laci’s family,” she said in the footage featured in the Netflix special. “And the pain this has caused them and I pray for her safe return as well.”
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When Did Amber Frey Meet Laci Peterson’s Loved Ones?
Laci’s family and friends showed their support for Frey’s actions after the fact. Laci’s friends Lori Heintz, Stacey Boyers and Rene Tomlinson specifically recalled meeting her and thanking her moments after her press conference.
Frey, who quickly cut off contact with Scott, also met with Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha.
“Sharon asked if I would be open to meeting with her. I said I would. She had a calendar and she wanted to fill in that calendar,” Frey shared. “She needed that validation of was he really working or was he with you? Scott isn’t who he even led them to believe he was.”
What Led Amber Frey to Take the Stand
“When I first sat on the stand, I wasn’t just sitting there alone. But I was sitting there for Laci and her unborn child,” Frey told the cameras about Scott’s 2004 murder trial. “For the first time there was clarity as far as who I was and my relationship with Scott.”
Frey wasn’t prepared, however, for her private conversations to be played in court.
“I had no idea that those were going to be played publicly for other people to hear,” she said while getting choked up. “People were hearing conversations that I thought were only meant for the police department but not everyone. That was a little hard.”
Frey’s attorney Gloria Allred praised her client for taking the stand. According to Frey, Allred offered to work for her “pro bono” and their good connection made Frey want the lawyer by her side.
“I was very concerned. It seemed as though every day there were stories about Amber coming out. Of course, it would be and was in the interest of the defense and supporters of the defense to undermine her credibility. That was key,” Allred explained. “The court of public opinion is also very important.”
The attorney added: “She held her head high when she did testify. I think she earned the rest of the jury. They saw the real Amber Frey. Not the mistaken stereotypes.”
In November 2004, Scott was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Laci and the second-degree murder of their infant son. He was originally sentenced to death before that was overturned in 2020. One year later, Scott was re-sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole as he maintained his innocence.
