It was Christmas Eve 2002 and while most families in Modesto, California, were cheerfully preparing for the holiday, Laci Peterson's family was experiencing worry and dread.

That day, 27-year-old Laci, eight months pregnant, had vanished without a trace. With her broad smile and all-American good looks, the story of her disappearance gripped the nation.

Suspicion quickly fell on her husband, Scott, who told police he had last seen her that morning at home, before he left on a fishing trip. As the search for Laci grew more intense, however, some observers felt Scott appeared strangely disconnected. Then, when a woman named Amber Frey revealed she'd had an affair with Scott less than five weeks before his wife's disappearance, Scott Peterson became the prime suspect.

In April 2003, Laci and the body of her 8-month old unborn son washed ashore, not far from where Scott said he'd gone fishing. When the police went to arrest Scott, it looked like he was about to flee. He had grown a goatee, dyed his hair blonde and was carrying $15,000 in cash.

The trial started in June 2004. Crowds gathered at the courthouse. The prosecution argued that Scott Peterson was a man who felt trapped by his marriage and the impending birth of his son, a man who wanted to live more as an unattached playboy than a devoted father and husband.

The defence, led by high-powered attorney Mark Geragos, claimed there was no direct evidence to link Peterson to the crime. While he might have been a cad and a liar, the defence argued, he was no killer. The defence's arguments weren't enough and when the guilty verdict finally came down, hundreds cheered on the courthouse steps. Several weeks later, in a far more sombre occasion, the world learned Scott Peterson had been sentenced to death.

Now, while the Peterson saga continues to spark debate among outside observers, American Justice brings you inside for a look at the case, featuring perspectives from two of the jurors responsible for deciding Scott Peterson's fate.