Laci Peterson's Parents: What to Know About Sharon and Dennis Rocha

If you were watching cable news back in 2003–'04, you likely remember that for a while, every night, Larry King devoted the full hour of his self-titled CNN talk show to covering the Laci Peterson case. Larry would have on future big names like Nancy Grace and Kimberly Guilfoyle to talk about the new developments, with Nancy especially captivating viewers with her staunch support for victims like Laci.

The Laci Peterson story was a horrific tragedy that gripped America, and it's a case that is still discussed today. The 27-year-old expectant mom went missing from home in Modesto, Calif., on Christmas Eve 2002. After a highly publicized trial, her husband, Scott Peterson, was convicted in the murder of Laci and their unborn son, Conner.

Laci also left behind her grieving parents, who fought to make sure their daughter and grandson received justice.

Laci was born on May 4, 1975, to Sharon Rocha (née Anderon) and Dennis Rocha.

Sharon hailed from the rural small town of Escalon, Calif. When she was a freshman in high school, she began dating her future husband Dennis, who came from a Portuguese family with deep roots in the town, according to Sharon's 2005 book, For Laci. The two met via a mutual friend at a dance, and Dennis was already enrolled in Modesto Junior College at the time.

After Sharon graduated from high school, she and Dennis got married and moved into a home on his family's ranch. Sharon had a short stint at Modesto Junior College before focusing on what she felt were the pressures to "be a wife, not a student," she wrote. The couple had their first child, a son named Brent, in 1971, followed by Laci four years later. And while Sharon loved being a mom, she became concerned that she'd perhaps married too young, and hadn't had enough life experience yet.

Not long after Laci turned a year old, Sharon split from Dennis. Though they briefly reconciled around the holidays that same year, they ended up breaking up for good. A couple years later, Sharon — who had moved to Modesto — met a man named Ron Grantski, who would become her long-term partner until his death in 2018. Ron helped with raising Brent and Laci, and it's been reported that he had a good relationship with Dennis, too.

Dennis ended up moving on as well, remarrying and becoming a stepdad to his second wife's son and then welcoming a daughter named Amy with her. Laci and Brent would spend weekends at their dad's ranch in Escalon, while primarily living with Sharon and Ron in Modesto.

Dennis, the son of a dairyman, originally hailed from Gilroy, Calif., but moved to Escalon when he was young. He joined the Marines Corps Reserves and operated a dairy farm for decades before his retirement, according to The Modesto Bee. He was passionate about team roping and calf roping as well.

After Laci went missing, Sharon, Ron, and Dennis pleaded for help in bringing Laci home, and though they initially rallied around Scott, his disturbing behavior — in addition to the news that he'd been cheating on Laci — had them begging Scott to "end this circus." Dennis ended up quickly buying back Laci's Land Rover that Scott had immediately sold after her disappearance, which allowed authorities to investigate it (they eventually returned it to the family). Sharon and Ron would both testify at Scott's trial as well. At Scott's sentencing, Dennis told Scott he was going to "burn in hell."

After the trial — in which Scott received a death penalty sentence, which later changed to a life sentence — Sharon lobbied for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, a federal law protecting unborn babies. It became known as "Laci and Conner's Law." Sadly, Dennis passed away in December 2018 at age 72.

Sharon told the Modesto Bee after Dennis's death, "Laci loved her dad, and now they will be together again."