Peggy Hettrick murder case
The Peggy Hettrick murder case relates to the 1987 murder of Peggy Hettrick in Fort Collins , Colorado ( USA ).
In connection with the murder, Tim Masters was first sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999, then exonerated and acquitted of the murder charge in 2008 with the help of DNA analysis . The Hettrick case gained international attention because Masters was wrongly imprisoned for almost ten years . The case has remained unresolved since the release or the establishment of Masters' innocence.
background
On February 11, 1987, a cyclist discovered the body of 37-year-old Peggy Hettrick, mutilated by knife wounds, especially in the genital area , in a field in Fort Collins . Later investigations show that Hettrick was the victim of a sex crime; her murder was preceded by rape . Coroners dated the death between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m. A single stab in the back of the woman was found to be the indirect cause of death.
Tim Masters, then 15, lived with his father in the immediate vicinity of the field. He saw the body on the way to school but did not report the observation because he mistakenly believed the body was a doll. Master's father, however, reported to the police that he saw his son that morning in the field where the body was found. The Fort Collins police took this as an opportunity to bring Masters straight from the school to the responsible district and question them.
Tim Masters
Timothy Lee Masters (born June 25, 1971 ) was born in Fort Collins and attended high school there . His mother died in 1982 and he has lived alone with his father ever since. After graduating from high school, Masters went to the US Army , where he trained as a mechanic . He was employed there until he was sentenced in 1999.
Investigation and conviction
The police investigations later focused on the 15-year-old Masters, who protested his innocence during several interrogations. Furthermore, no physical traces could be found at the crime scene that would suggest him. Fingerprints and hair found on the corpse did not come from him. However, the officers obtained a house search warrant . The police discovered stacks of papers with drawings made by Masters that reflected fantasies of violence. Even sex crimes had been graphically illustrated by Masters. An extensive porn collection was also found, as well as several knives . The police secured a total of 1,000 papers. Well-founded evidence of Masters as the perpetrator did not materialize, however. Peggy Hettrick's blood on one of the numerous knives could not be found.
In 1992, Masters had a conversation with a former high schoolmate , which allegedly included the murder of Peggy Hettrick. Masters is said to have disclosed details that only the perpetrator could have known. The allegedly new information was passed on to the investigative authorities. Masters was then interrogated again and said he had received the information from an acquaintance in Fort Collins. In 1997, the inspector responsible for the murder passed on the confiscated drawings to a psychologist who began to analyze them. He came to the conclusion that Masters' psyche was dominated by violent and sex fantasies and that he would be a possible perpetrator.
Based on these drawings, especially one depicting the murder of a woman or the mutilation of the vagina , the proceedings against Masters were opened. The jury found him guilty, despite concerns from some jurors, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Appeal process
Masters' attorney appealed against the judgment on several occasions calling one, but this failed. In January 2008, a DNA analysis was carried out on Peggy Hettricks clothes in the Netherlands . The determined DNA profile did not match Timothy Masters. This inevitably proved his innocence. A few days after the results of the DNA test became known, Masters was released from custody by court order.
More suspects
Law enforcement agencies targeted two other people in connection with the murder of Peggy Hettrick. On the one hand, this included Dr. Richard Hammond, who had a previous conviction of sexual offenses. He had secretly filmed women, especially their genitals. Hammond had installed the camera in the ladies room of his doctor's office in Fort Collins. Hammond, like Masters, lived in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene. Hammond died of suicide in March 1995 .
The 2008 DNA analysis found traces of Matthew Zoellner, a former friend of the victim, on Peggy Hettrick. But Zoellner could not be proven to be involved in the crime.
Others
In Germany, the public learned about the Hettrick case in particular through the TV documentary series “ Autopsy - Mysterious Deaths ” on RTL II . However, since the episode came before his acquittal, Masters is consistently portrayed as guilty. The episode ends with his sentencing to life imprisonment.