What Happened To Laci Peterson's Family?

When Laci Peterson went missing shortly before Christmas Day in 2002, her loved ones feared that they would never see her again. After spending time with her sister on December 23, the woman vanished and didn't turn up again until nearly four months later. Unfortunately, at that point, her body had apparently decomposed beyond recognition.

During that period, someone had ended the life of Laci and her unborn baby, leaving her family devastated. Over the last 20 years, they've had to try and come to terms with their loss and the idea that Laci's own husband was likely responsible for the crime. A lot has changed since the woman's body was found washed up on the shore of San Francisco Bay, which begs the question: what happened to Laci Peterson's family?

Scott Peterson is still in jail, having been convicted of the crimes

There was plenty of evidence that suggested Scott Peterson might have been responsible for Laci Peterson's untimely passing. This included an alleged affair where he called himself a widow weeks before Laci went missing and a bag full of cash, clothes, and survival gear which suggested he was planning to flee. Many people were certain of Scott's guilt throughout his trial, and he was ultimately charged in November 2004 for the crimes. The judge who sentenced him for ending the lives of his wife and unborn son reportedly called the crimes "cruel, uncaring, heartless, and callous." He's now living a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. His fate would have been more fatal had the California Supreme Court not enacted some notable changes in 2020.

Sharon Rocha has sued Scott Peterson several times and written a bestselling book

One person who has been somewhat prominent in the public eye since the disappearance of Laci Peterson is her mother. Sharon Rocha was understandably distraught when she learned that someone had cruelly taken her daughter from this world. She's wanted to see Scott Peterson pay for what happened, and that means more than just rotting in a cell for the rest of his life. It seems that the woman has sued her former son-in-law a couple of times over the years, including shortly after Laci passed away. She wanted to stop the man from receiving the $250,000 from Peterson's life insurance, which she was ultimately successful in. Years later, she sued him for the wrongful termination of her daughter and unborn grandson, although this was later dropped without explanation. Along with this, Sharon has also written a bestselling book, helped create the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, and even given money to search and rescue organizations.

Laci Peterson's siblings have tied the knot and had kids of their own

When Laci Peterson passed away, she left behind three siblings. These were older brother Brent, half-sister Amy, and step-brother Nathan. Not much has been seen of these three since the discovery of Laci's body, with the woman's siblings not interested in being in the public eye. However, we know that both Brent and Amy are apparently married with kids. Apparently, there are six children in the family who have had to grow up without an aunt in Laci or a cousin in her unborn baby. It's possible that one of Peterson's siblings was the one who told People magazine that the family was distressed by the California Supreme Court's decision in 2020. It seems they were eager for the man to leave this world, especially given he'd been sentenced so many years earlier. However, the publication never revealed who actually spoke to them.

Laci's father and “other father” both passed away within months of one another

Unfortunately, not everyone who cared about Laci Peterson is still with us. Over the last five years, both the woman's father and “other father” reportedly passed away. The latter - Ron Grantski - was apparently the first to go, losing his life at the age of 71. Months later, Dennis Rocha passed on in his sleep. He was 72. The loss of these two men in pretty short succession probably hit the family hard. However, at least there was nothing malicious behind their passings. Unlike Laci, their lives weren't cruelly cut short at the hands of another. Still, after the trauma that they'd all experienced with Peterson's loss, it can't have been easy for the family to say goodbye to more loved ones.

The Peterson family will never forget Laci or the horrible way in which she was taken from this world. They'll never be able to forgive the person responsible for the crime who left them all so devastated 20 years ago. However, it's good to see that despite the horrid circumstances of Laci's passing, her family has been able to live on and find some happiness.