Evelyn Hernandez was a 24-year-old pregnant woman with a five-year-old son named Alex Hernandez. She went missing just days before she was due to give birth to her second child. Her disappearance received some media attention, but it paled in comparison to a much more infamous case that shares disturbing similarities: the murder of Laci Peterson.
The two cases are inextricably linked, as both women were pregnant and disappeared within months of each other. Laci Peterson went missing from her home in Modesto, California, in December 2002, while Evelyn Hernandez disappeared from San Francisco just seven months earlier. The cases have been compared and contrasted in the media, with some suggesting that the attention given to Laci’s case was due to her race and socioeconomic status, while others argue that it was simply a matter of timing and luck. Regardless of the reasons, both cases remain unsolved, leaving family members and loved ones searching for answers.
Evelyn Hernandez’s Disappearance
Timeline of Events
On May 1st, 2002, 24-year-old Evelyn Hernandez, who was pregnant with her second son and only a week from her due date, went missing along with her 5-year-old son, Alex. According to Voices for Justice Podcast, Evelyn called one of her sisters in the morning, dropped Alex off at pre-school, ran a few errands, picked Alex back up, and ended the night by talking to her other sister about her upcoming baby shower. However, she never showed up for the baby shower and was never seen again.
Investigation Progress
The investigation into Evelyn Hernandez’s disappearance was launched immediately, but it did not receive much media attention until a much more infamous case that shares disturbing similarities, the murder of Laci Peterson, was reported. According to Crime Junkie Podcast, the police initially suspected that Evelyn’s ex-boyfriend was involved in her disappearance, but they did not have enough evidence to charge him. In 2003, a year after Evelyn’s disappearance, her remains were discovered in a shallow grave in the San Francisco Bay Area, but her son, Alex, was never found.
Public Response
The public response to Evelyn Hernandez’s disappearance was initially minimal, but it gained more attention after the discovery of her remains. According to Daily Crime, Evelyn and Alex’s case has been noted for its similarity to the murder of Laci Peterson by her husband, Scott Peterson. Evelyn and Alex’s case has also been featured in several true crime podcasts and documentaries, including “The Vanished” and “Voices for Justice.”
Comparative Analysis: Laci Peterson Case
Case Similarities
The case of Evelyn Hernandez and Laci Peterson share several similarities. Both were young women who were pregnant when they went missing. Evelyn Hernandez disappeared on May 1, 2002, while Laci Peterson went missing on December 24, 2002. Both women were last seen in the late stages of their pregnancy. Hernandez was only a week away from giving birth, while Peterson was due to give birth in February 2003.
Both cases also involve the disappearance of a child. Hernandez’s five-year-old son, Alex, was with her when she went missing. Peterson’s unborn child, Connor, was also missing. In both cases, the bodies of the victims were eventually found. Hernandez’s torso was found in the San Francisco Bay, while Peterson’s body and the body of her unborn child were found washed ashore in the same bay.
Media Coverage
The media coverage of the two cases differed significantly. While the Laci Peterson case received extensive media coverage, Hernandez’s case received little attention. According to SFGate, Hernandez’s case “barely registered in the community and in Bay Area television news shows and newspapers, while the eyes of the nation seemed to be fixed on the search for Laci Peterson.”
The difference in media coverage may be due to the fact that Peterson was a middle-class white woman, while Hernandez was a Latina immigrant. The media may have viewed Peterson as a more sympathetic victim, and her case may have been seen as more newsworthy due to her husband’s involvement and the fact that she was due to give birth on Christmas Eve.
Legal Outcomes
The legal outcomes of the two cases also differed. Peterson’s husband, Scott Peterson, was eventually convicted of her murder and the murder of their unborn child and sentenced to death. In contrast, no one has been charged with Hernandez’s murder, and her case remains unsolved.
The disparity in legal outcomes may be due to the difference in media coverage and public attention. The extensive media coverage of the Peterson case may have put pressure on law enforcement to solve the case and bring someone to justice. In contrast, the lack of media attention on Hernandez’s case may have led to less pressure on law enforcement to solve the case.