'The Murder Of Laci Peterson' Has A Lot Of Ground To Cover

The 2002 Laci Peterson disappearance and murder shocked the nation. The subsequent arrest, trial, and conviction of her husband Scott Peterson (he was sentenced to death and is sitting on death row) was documented on TV and in newspapers and magazines across the country. Now, 15 years after the crime was committed, A&E is airing a documentary series called The Murder of Laci Peterson that will examine the crime, ensuing investigation, and trial in its entirety, with never-before-heard audio phone calls of Scott from in prison. Obviously it has a lot to cover in this case, so how many episodes is The Murder of Laci Peterson?

The limited series is going to be six episodes according to an A&E press release. A&E's website says that the series will deliver, "For the first time, a definitive factual account by those who lived and breathed it every day.”

There are always certain high profile cases that grip the public's attention but Laci and her unborn son Connor's murders truly touched a nerve with the entire nation. She was a particularly sympathetic victim and the case and trial that followed became a national obsession.

As A&E reports, 27 year-old Laci, who was eight and a half months pregnant at the time, disappeared from Modesto, California on Dec. 24, 2002. During the long investigation, news broke that Scott had been having an affair. According to People, the woman, Amber Frey, contacted police after recognizing Scott on television. She claimed that he had allegedly not told her he was married, and she was willing to help with the investigation in any way she could.

Soon after, in April, 2003, E! News reports that Laci's dismembered body was found along Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, with her unborn son Connor's body washing ashore not far from her. Only a few days later, Scott was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. At the time, the New York Times reported that he had dyed his hair a different color, had $10,000 of cash on him and was arrested about 30 miles away from the Mexican border. According to E! News, after a nine month trial, Scott was ultimately convicted of two counts of capital murder, for Laci and for Connor. He was sentenced to death on March 16, 2005 and is still on death row.

This limited docuseries is diving deep into a case that is disturbing and gripping, but also offers another view of an extremely high profile case since it includes audio from Scott himself. To hear what Scott has to say about the case and his conviction, watch The Murder of Laci Peterson, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on A&E.