Kriti Mehrotra
When 8-month pregnant Laci Peterson vanished without a trace left behind on Christmas Eve 2002, it changed the entire trajectory of the Rocha family for more reasons than one. That’s because, as carefully explored in Netflix’s ‘American Murder: Laci Peterson,’ she not only went missing, but it gradually came to light that it was her husband, Scott Peterson, who’d killed her and their unborn child. Obviously, her entire family was affected by this, especially her father, Dennis Rocha — she was the apple of his eye and he was incredibly excited to be a grandfather.
Dennis Rocha Was Dedicated to His Family
On July 19, 1969, Escalon, California, native Dennis tied the knot with his long-time partner Sharon Anderson, and the two subsequently settled down in the nearby area. That’s where they welcomed Brent Rocha in 1971 and Laci Rocha in 1975, whom they raised with as much love, care, and affection as possible despite their own differences. In fact, even when they separated in late 1976 — when their youngest was merely a year and a half old — they were determined to do so amicably so that their kids could always have two active parents in their lives, and they did.
The truth is Sharon soon found the love of her life in Ron Grantski, whereas Dennis later tied the knot with Nancy Hazard and welcomed a daughter, but they remained in the picture. In fact, Brent and Laci essentially grew up with two full-fledged families as they had Dennis, Nancy, half-sister Amy, and step-brother Nathan Hazard on one side and Sharon, Ron, and step-brother Darrin on the other. They truly were a perfect blend together, therefore, of course, when news came to light that Laci was missing, Dennis was right at the forefront with the rest of the family hoping to find her.
Dennis Rocha Stood Strongly Against Scott Peterson’s Claims
While the entire family was searching for Laci and her unborn son Conner – handing out flyers, participating in searches, volunteering at tip centers, and giving interviews – Dennis found it strange that her husband wasn’t as active of a participant. “My gut instinct had told me something was not right with Scott,” he once said. “I’d gone to their home so I could speak man to man with him. There were a lot of things that didn’t add up.” Therefore, when it was brought to light that he had a girlfriend, his and Laci’s family’s trust in him completely vanished, a fact they made publicly known.
While Dennis had once said, “Please, please help us find Laci. I’ll never be able to rest until we find her. It’s just eating me up inside not knowing where she is,” his tone changed when Scott vehemently proclaimed his innocence. He asserted, “Every word that comes out of Scott’s mouth is a lie! He’s a liar and a cheat, so why should we believe anything this man says when he’s been cheating on my daughter?” So, yes, he was relieved when a jury found him guilty of murder in 2002 and sentenced him to death, but little did he know his penalty would be changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2021.
Dennis Rocha Passed Away in December 2018
While Laci’s surrogate father, Ron, sadly died in his sleep on April 8, 2018, following a lengthy battle for his health, her biological father died on December 9, 2018, at the age of 72. His precise cause of death has never been made clear, but it is believed this lifelong Escalon resident, US Marine Corps Reserve veteran turned retired dairyman, as well as proud father and grandfather, died of natural causes. Despite the fact he and Nancy had long divorced, they maintained an amicable bond, so he is survived by her, his sister, Robin Rocha, son Brent Rocha and his wife, daughter Amy Woodard and her husband, stepson Nathan Hazard, as well as 6 grandchildren.
Read More: Ron Grantski: How Did Laci Peterson’s Stepdad Die?
