Sumith Prasad
Peacock’s documentary series ‘Face to Face with Scott Peterson’ explores the nuances of the murders of Laci and Conner Peterson through the observations of several journalists and legal analysts, including Mike Gudgell. The journalist covered the crime for ABC News during the early 2000s before leaving the country to report two major wars in Asia. Even though his professional obligations took him away from the case, Gudgell was invested in several aspects of the investigation, making him pursue these elements independently. As an investigative journalist, he played a key role in highlighting numerous factors that seemingly support Scott Peterson’s claim of innocence.
Mike Gudgell Investigated Laci and Conner Peterson’s Murders For Over a Decade
Mike Gudgell is a Seattle-based journalist who joined ABC News as a producer. As a reporter, he covered the disappearance and murder of Laci Peterson and the subsequent trial and conviction of her husband, Scott Peterson. At the time, he was also highly critical of how the media handled and covered the case, stressing how the same could interfere with the fair trial an accused should receive. “I can’t disagree that some of the coverage in some of the media was inaccurate and full of speculation,” Gudgell told ABC News in 2004 following Scott’s conviction.
After the trial, Gudgell’s focus changed to the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. He was ABC’s longtime bureau chief in Baghdad, Iraq. He covered several stories for the network concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan until 2016. Even while he was covering these armed conflicts in Asia, Gudgell wanted to unravel the mysteries behind Laci’s murder. The not-guilty verdict that concluded Scott’s trial was highly unsatisfactory for the journalist. “The verdict was unsatisfactory; I was really conflicted about the case because there wasn’t any explanation of really — what happened to Laci was really a mystery,” he told ABC News’ Dan Noyes in 2024.
Gudgell then started delving into several significant aspects of the case, including the orange van that was found burned near Laci’s house. In 2015, he met with the Modesto Fire Department’s fire investigator, Bryan Spitulski, who informed the former that the van contained a mattress that had a visible red-brown stain. After a preliminary test, Spitulski presumptively concluded that it was blood. Gudgell eventually started collaborating with Janey Peterson, Scott’s sister-in-law, who has been fighting for the convicted murderer for years. Their efforts led them to the Los Angeles Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that has been trying to prove Scott’s claim of innocence since this year.
Mike Gudgell Battled Prostate Cancer During the Mid-2010s
While Mike Gudgell was invested in the specifics of the murder case, he was also battling prostate cancer, which was discovered “too late.” His doctors informed him that the cancer was not curable but treatable. He dealt with the illness with his wife, Peggy, and daughter, Robyn, by his side. “Mike is a hardworking man who has sacrificed months if not years of time with his family for his work, having worked away from home as a producer for ABC for years. Mike and Peggy are the best kind of people. Caring, generous, and giving of their time,” their family friend Filina Niemeyer wrote in 2016 after learning about the illness.
Gudgell remained “positive and optimistic” during the treatment with the help of his family. “Peggy and Robyn are with me for every step of what I know will be a difficult journey,” he wrote to his well-wishers. The journalist underwent surgery in addition to chemotherapy. He also registered at the National Institute of Health in Maryland to administer the immune vaccine PROSTVAC. In September 2017, Gudgell revealed that his cancer stopped growing while he was preparing for radiation therapy despite the immune therapy not working for him. “Good news has been rare during this journey. I have more time. Every day is a miracle. My heart is full with your help, thoughts, and prayers. It’s what sustains me,” he added at the time.
Mike Gudgell Remains Committed to Proving Scott Peterson’s Innocence Even Today
Mike Gudgell currently identifies as a member of the “semi-retirement club.” “After a few months as a member of [the semi-retirement] club, I ask myself, several times a day, how I had the time to work. My life is that busy,” he shared around mid-2024. Earlier that year, when the Los Angeles Innocence Project decided to support Scott Peterson’s legal team to prove his claim of innocence, the organization submitted a declaration by Gudgell at the San Mateo County Superior Court. “My investigation revealed that there were a number of people involved in planned burglaries in the La Loma neighborhood around the Christmas holiday in 2002,” Gudgell wrote in the declaration.
The Peterson family, as the show reveals, credits Gudgell for unearthing significant pieces of evidence concerning the case. “I think there’s enough evidence that it’s probable that someone else may have committed a crime, enough evidence for law enforcement to investigate further,” the investigative journalist told ABC7 News in January 2024. As the LA Innocence Project continues to explore different aspects of the case, Gudgell is expected to collaborate with the organization with Janey Peterson. As the show reveals, he believes that Scott is innocent, and his efforts to prove his innocence are far from meeting their ends.
While not investigating the case, Gudgell seemingly spends his time with his family. His daughter, Robyn, is a screenwriter who wrote ‘The Only Boy In New York,’ which was featured in LA Festival 1st Scene Script Reading. She aspires to turn the project into a feature film. She currently works as a production assistant at Levity, an “eCommerce-specific video strategy agency.” He is also a philanthropist who has donated to various organizations such as the Foundation Fighting Blindness, No Kid Hungry, and The Ocean Cleanup. As the world awaits more developments concerning the case, we can expect Mike Gudgell’s findings to be part of the same.
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