The episode ‘Housemate From Hell’ from Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever covers the story of the tenant from hell, Scott Pettigrew, who turned a friendly favor into a nightmare for the 66-year-old woman.
In 2016, 50-year-old Scott Edmund Pettigrew moved into the Cathedral City, California, home of his friend and coworker, Anita Mimie Cowen.
Almost immediately, they started having serious issues as Scott stopped paying rent and left the home an absolute mess.
Eventually, on June 9, 2016, Anita sought a protection order and requested the judge to evict him. She said, “I am terrorized daily in my own home. Escalating each day, I need help.”
On June 10, Judge James A. Cox granted a protection order, stating Scott had to remain five yards from Anita. But this didn’t stop Scott; four days later, he took the life of Anita Cowen.
Worst Roommate Ever
IMDb DocumentaryCrime ThrillerWhen Alex Miller let Jed Creek rent her room via Craigslist, she had no idea that he was a notorious serial squatter and that he would slowly use his knowledge of tenancy laws to kick her out of her own home.
| Director | Domini Hofmann |
| Release Date | March 1, 2022 |
| Studio | Blumhouse Television |
| Cast | Alex Miller, Susan Miller, Arleen Hairbaedian |
| Runtime | 47 minutes |
| Writers | Domini Hofmann |
| Rating | TV-MA |
Scott Pettigrew currently rents a room from his new landlord, the California State Prison, Corcoran
On the day Scott Pettigrew took Anita’s life, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department officers fatefully arrived at her home to serve Scott with a restraining order.
Later that evening, Scott argued with Anita while she was on the phone with her son. Hearing the yelling and ranting, Anita’s son instructed her to turn on her audio recorder.
While driving to Anita’s home, her son called the police to ask someone to check on her. At 11:42, officers discovered Anita floating in the backyard pool, unresponsive, with cuts and bruises all over her body.
Later, they found Scott lying in his bed with scratches all over his body and quickly arrested him. While searching, they found a digital audio recorder on the kitchen floor.
So, Anita had managed to tape her murder. They played the minute-long recording in court during Scott Pettigrew’s preliminary hearing.
In August 2019, a jury convicted Scott Pettigrew of homicide, elder abuse, and violating a protective order. Furthermore, the judge sentenced him to 25 years to life in prison.
He is currently serving prison time in California State Prison, Corcoran. The second season of Worst Roommate Ever will cover the whole story of Scott and Anita.
Additional Information
- In Scott Pettigrew’s 20s, he dated a guy named Rob Salcedo for 12 long years until 2002.
- In 2012, one of his roommates, Julie Russell, allegedly went through a horrific experience of staying with him.
- Despite their hard fight to lower the charges, Scott and his counsel could not convince the jury that the murder wasn’t premeditated.
- While the horrendous case of Scott Pettigrew is getting global attention, there is no dedicated Wikipedia page covering the crime story.
