Jacki Peterson comes off as a vitriolic, nasty woman. I tried to excuse it in the beginning because she was in denial about her dirtbag son, but since then I've read stories about how she thought Laci was not good enough for Scott, made disparaging remarks about Laci even after she disappeared, lied for Scott and said she gave him the $10 or$15K he was found with when arrested and tried to make up an alibi for him. She trashes her daughter, whom she gave up for adoption, for living in the real world and believing Scott guilty. Then she and her husband have the nerve to scream at Laci's poor parents in court.
The Petersons have no class at all, and you can see maybe where Scott went wrong. That's just how I perceive them based on their words and actions.
The Peterson's are all about "image" and wealth..I think Jackie did have a hard life with her mother ill and dying..father murdered. 3 children out of wedlock, 2 put up for adoption.. Perfect image became more important, it would seem.
Lee seemed to be hard working, hard driving man...and had financial success one failed marriage..He also comes across as a cold man.
They put a lot of hope in Scott to also be a big financial success.
Jackie's way of coping is to put on a happy face when the image has been shaken and things are happening beyond her control..She managed to appear'sweet' to the media ..Lee is the one that publically exposed his temper and disdain for the media, the police or Ron Granski, etc....but Jackie seems to be the one who worked behind the scenes to keep Sharon out of her daughters home, all the while playing the martyr.
Jackie was the one who sent an email requesting that Sharon postpone the funeral until Scott was exonerated and could attend..OUTrageous..Sharon had committed the cardinal sin of ceasing to believe that Scott had nothing to do with Laci's disappearance and death.
Jackie asked Anne Bird to lie about Scott's overtures to the baby sitter when Anne was taking care of "poor Scott" at Jackie's request. Jackie is the one who said she wished Scott could find a girl like Anne's sitter when Laci was still missing.
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Jackie hid her two adopted children from her family until her son found her..I imagine THAT sent shock waves through the family..Jackie handles the upset, smiles and moves on, though.
They treated Scott as the golden child and helped create a narcissistic man with no conscience..I believe they have enabled him. They even acted like his fling with Amber was nothing to be concerned about..boys will be boys..They accepted his lies and he lied even to them. Jackie also lied on the stand ...my opinion. It seems to come easily.
The perfect family with the perfect son isn't selling.
I believe that family is toxic. I once had compassion as they did not kill Laci and their son was a suspect. I did not criticize their supporting their child. I did object to some of their ways of doing so.
They blame Scott's conviction on the Rocha's the police, the media..but never on Scott. I would not doubt they blame Laci at this point.
There..This is my family critique ..May God guide them.
PS..I hear Lee bought a Jaguar when Scott was convicted..Needed that car to drive to the golf course to hunt for the real killer, no doubt./extreme sarcasm.