Peggy Hettrick, a victim of a notorious 1987 murder case, shares her harrowing story. She delves into the chaotic aftermath of her death, including the initial misdirection of the investigation toward Tim Masters, a teenager who stumbled upon her body. The podcast reveals how Masters faced wrongful suspicion due to his art and background, leading to years of emotional turmoil. As the cold case reopens, unsettling questions about evidence mishandling and justice surface, shedding light on the complexities of the legal system.
The Peggy Hettrick case highlights the consequences of aggressive police interrogation methods and the dangers of relying on circumstantial evidence for convictions.
The investigation later revealed significant oversights, such as failing to scrutinize Dr. Richard Hammond, raising doubts about the integrity of the initial inquiry into the murder.
Deep dives
The Gruesome Murder of Peggy Hetrick
In February 1987, Peggy Hetrick was found brutally murdered in Fort Collins, Colorado, with signs of a violent attack and sexual mutilation. The shocking nature of the crime rattled the close-knit community and highlighted the urgency for law enforcement to solve the case. Initial investigations led to the suspicion of a young teenager, Tim Masters, who lived nearby and discovered the body but failed to report it, claiming he thought it was a mannequin. Officers noted his graphic drawings and fascination with violence, which intensified the focus on him as a prime suspect despite a lack of physical evidence connecting him to the crime.
The Flawed Investigation and Interrogation
Tim Masters was subjected to extensive and aggressive police interrogation, lasting over ten hours, where detectives pressed him repeatedly regarding the murder. During this process, officers seized upon circumstantial evidence, including drawings that displayed violent themes, ultimately portraying them as indicators of his guilt. However, many crucial pieces of exculpatory evidence that would have cleared Masters were not disclosed to the jury, leading to a wrongful conviction. This heavy-handed approach to policing and determination to frame Masters as the suspect raised serious questions about the integrity of the investigation.
Tim Masters' Wrongful Conviction
In 1999, after years of being monitored as a suspect, Tim Masters was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison based largely on dubious interpretations of his drawings and testimonies about his psychological state. The prosecution's case relied heavily on fear and emotional appeals rather than substantial forensic evidence, leaving many convinced that Masters was innocent. Despite a background filled with artistic expression, the jury was persuaded by related themes in his work, which were misleadingly portrayed as direct evidence of guilt. Yet, Masters maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration, believing in the possibility of exoneration as questions about his trial surfaced.
Emerging Evidence and Questions About Other Suspects
Years later, investigative efforts led to the resurfacing of evidence regarding Dr. Richard Hammond, a local eye surgeon who had previously engaged in voyeuristic behaviors and lived near the crime scene. Police had failed to thoroughly investigate Hammond, whose history of sexual misconduct bore unsettling similarities to the Hetrick murder case, and they disregarded the potential implications of his proximity to the crime. Furthermore, suspicious activities conducted by Hammond raised concerns about whether he could have been involved in the murder, as exculpatory evidence in Masters' case was actively concealed. The lack of investigation into Hammond and the destruction of key evidence from police archives undermined the validity of the initial trial against Tim Masters and prompted calls for a re-examination of the case.
Part one of the investigation into the murder of 37-year-old Peggy Hettrick. In February 1987, her mutilated, half-naked body was discovered in a field near the Colorado home of Tim Masters, a 15-year-old boy. He told police he had seen the body on his way to school but, thinking it was a mannequin, did not report it. Masters then became a suspect when police searched his home and found a collection of knives and his graphic drawings of murder and mutilation. But police couldn't find any evidence linking him to the crime and he was not arrested. The case went cold, but ten years later, police would re-open their investigation into Masters. “48 Hours" correspondent Susan Spencer reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 12/24/2011. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.