Kriti Mehrotra
When 8-month pregnant Laci Peterson disappeared from her Modesto, California, home on Christmas Eve 2002, no one could have ever imagined how the search for her would pan out. That’s because, as explored in Netflix’s ‘American Murder: Laci Peterson,’ many initially believed she would soon be found safe and sound, only for the reality to be much, much different. The 26-year-old, unfortunately, went from apparently walking her loving dog McKenzie in nearby Dry Creek Park to her remains being recovered alongside those of her son in April 2003.
McKenzie Played a Key Role in The Way Laci Was Reported Missing
According to official records, it was when Laci’s husband of five years, Scott Peterson, had returned home at around 5 pm from a spontaneous fishing trip that he noticed something was amiss. Although the back gate was shut, per his statements, the Golden Retriever they shared — named McKenzie by Laci when she got him — was running around in the backyard with his leash on. He actually didn’t find this strange at first since he allegedly knew his wife had planned on taking him for a long walk, yet things changed once he realized his wife wasn’t home or running chores.
That’s when Scott contacted Laci’s parents, ostensibly thinking she might be at their place since the couple had long decided they were to spend Christmas Eve with them, but to no avail. He then immediately uttered the word “missing,” which ultimately resulted in an extensive search for the pregnant 26-year-old, yet he was not at the forefront of any volunteering group.
It later came to light that a neighbor had recognized McKenzie running around, dragging his leash in the street at roughly 10:30 am, so they were the ones to return him before closing the gate. They had simply assumed the dog had run off, but a witness did later come forward to claim they had indeed seen a heavily pregnant woman walking a brown Retriever in Dry Creek Park. However, since it could never be confirmed if the woman they had seen was Laci, and since Scott’s ensuing behavior was raising a lot of concerns, he was arrested once the bodies were found.
McKenzie Reportedly Lived a Happy Life
While McKenzie was crucial in Laci’s case, the fact he couldn’t communicate precisely what had transpired or if he had seen anything going awry at homemade focusing on him was rather moot. He was thus returned to the family, who then decided it would be best if he was given to one of Scott’s close relatives to be taken care of for good, which is supposedly exactly what happened. It has never been specified which relative he went to, yet Scott’s mother, Jacqueline “Jackie” Latham Peterson, did once state he was leading a happy, healthy life in San Diego, California.
But alas, considering all this occurred more than two decades ago, it goes without saying McKenzie has since passed but is now probably walking alongside his rightful owner, Laci, wherever they are. We should also mention that the two adult Siamese mix cats Laci had — Siam and Gracie — were given to one of her closest friends, Stacey Boyers, to take care of.
Read More: Brent Rocha: Where is Laci Peterson’s Brother Now?
