When Scott Peterson was convicted in 2004 of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child, Amber Frey suddenly found herself at the center of one of America’s most high-profile murder trials.
Now, as A&E’s Scott Peterson: The New Evidence takes another look at the case, many viewers are wondering what happened to the woman whose testimony became a key part of the prosecution’s case.
The two-part documentary reexamines Peterson’s 2004 conviction following the deaths of Laci and Conner in December 2002. According to the docuseries, the Los Angeles Innocence Project believes new evidence could support Peterson’s claim that he was wrongfully convicted. Hosted by former defense attorney Chris Pixley, detectives and investigators on the case, as well as key witnesses and other experts.
With all the renewed attention on the case, the spotlight is back on Amber Frey, whose testimony became a key part of the prosecution’s case and who helped put Peterson behind bars.
Now, over 20 years later, where is Amber Frey now?
How did Amber Frey meet Scott Peterson?
Born February 10, 1975, the massage therapist met Peterson through a friend, and he quickly charmed her. According to Frey in the Netflix documentary American Murder: Laci Peterson, Frey was initially told that Peterson was not married, but then changed his story by implying that he was a widow. The two quickly entered a relationship.
How did Amber Frey find out about Laci Peterson?
Amber did not watch television, but after a police officer friend sent her a newspaper clipping about Laci Peterson’s disappearance, she contacted authorities. The friend advised Frey to come forward after learning about her relationship with Scott Peterson.
On December 30, 2002, as per court documents, Frey contacted the Modesto Police Department to talk to the investigators on the case, gave testimony, and offered pictures of herself and Peterson.
How did Amber Frey help the case against Scott Peterson?
Shortly after she contacted Modesto police regarding his missing wife, she began to record her conversations with Peterson. “That was a scary choice to make,” Frey said in a Snapped Notorious interview. “Because there was a missing pregnant woman, and I had been recording the conversation the whole time, the right thing was to go to the Modesto police department.”
She subsequently recorded dozens of phone conversations with him and testified during his 2004 capital murder trial, providing the crucial evidence needed to secure his conviction for the murders of Laci Peterson and their unborn son.
One of her recordings included a call during a candlelight vigil for Laci where Scott Peterson told Frey he was attending a business trip in Paris.
“Amber came across as one of the most credible people you could ever hear testify,” said Frey’s then-attorney Gloria Allred in A&E’s docuseries The Murder of Laci Peterson. “And Scott Peterson on those recordings came across as one of the biggest liars one could ever hear.”
Where is Amber Frey now?
In 2005, Frey released her book, Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson, which offered a detailed description of her experiences as a key part of Peterson’s trial. Still a massage therapist and health advocate, Frey prefers privacy, but will occasionally step into the public eye to revisit the case. She participated in the Netflix docuseries American Murder: Laci Peterson.
In September 2015, Frey appeared on Today, where she gave an update on her life and her children. “I’m still very recognizable; it’s not really ever gone away in that sense, a recognition,” Frey said. “Very proud mother of my two children, doing great. It’s been a road. It’s been a journey.”
Now the mother of two adult children, Amber lives a largely private life. Based on her Instagram posts, she spends much of her time with family and friends, attends church, enjoys live music, and maintains a healthy lifestyle.
In 2006, she married a police officer, though the marriage ended in divorce two years later, according to Yahoo. Over the years, she has also owned Euphoria Day Spa in California and served as an ambassador for the fitness and energy drink brand Bucked Up.
Frey has consistently maintained that Peterson is guilty and has stated that if a new trial were granted, she would be prepared to testify again.
Scott Peterson: The New Evidence, Friday, July 17, 8/7c, A&E