CO CO - Peggy Hettrick, 37, Fort Collins, 11 February 1987

Sunday's Denver Post had an article with lots of details on this interesting cold case from the 1980s. It may be a classic case of investigator tunnel vision. The detectives focused on Tim Masters, a teenager who lived next to the empty field where the body was found. Masters was convicted in a trail that that focused almost entirely on his drawings. There was no physical evidence or a motive connecting him to the crime. After spending 9 years in jail, Masters was exonerated and released.

So who did kill Peggy Hettrick?

This is a pretty good example how the justice system can go astray and an innocent person be convicted. The police interviewed everyone who lived near where the body was found and a 17 year old high School kid named Tim Masters admitted that he saw the body in the morning on his way to school but thought it was a manikin and didn't report it. The police were suspicious of him and got a search warrant. There was absolutely no evidence linking him to the crime but there was a lot of "artwork" that Tim had done that that was of the "blood and gore" type. It included monsters attacking women; that sort of thing. Apparently none of the pictures resembled Hettrick or the types of injuries she suffered but they did indicate a certain "strange fascination" with violence against women even if there was no indication that he had ever "acted out" that interest.

From what I can tell, Tim was not seriously pursued as a suspect until; all the other leads had petered out. Over the years Colorado Dectives traveled to where ever Tim was serving in the Military to "re-question" him. They ran the "artwork" by the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit but no one from they ever testified. . After 10 years, they found a forensic psychologist in private practice who would testify that the "artwork" proved that Tim had some sort of "compulsion" to hurt women. During this period Tim had been living a normal life, first in the Navy then as a civilian aircraft mechanic. Still, he was brought to trial. The psychologist's testimony plus the unlikelihood of mistaking a body for a manikin was the only evidence introduced at the trial. He was convicted.

The appeals courts eventually found that serious errors were made in introducing the psychological evidence but it wasn't serious enough to overrule the conviction. Eventually a second round of appeals leads the courts to throw out the conviction based on the fact that exculpatory evidence was not given to defense attorneys. (An example was fingerprints were found in Hettricks purse that suggested that someone had been "pawing through it”. The investigators were unable to identify those prints. The defense was not informed that the prints existed)

The defense then arranged for "touch" DNA testing. DNA of a former boyfriend who had hugged and kissed her that night as well as some unidentified DNA was found, but Tim's was not found. This didn't exactly exonerate Tim but it hard to imagine that someone stabbed a woman, dragged he body 30' into the brush and then performed mutilation, would not have left some DNA. The ex-boyfriend had a pretty good alibi but one of the unidentified DNAs probably belonged to the killer.

A Judge threw out the conviction and the state choose to not retry (i.e. drop all charges) and Tim received settlements of $10 Million. One of the detectives is now charged with perjury in the case and is awaiting trial. Two DA's on the case, which later became judges, were censured for failing to turn over required evidence to the defense. The case became the major issue in their re-election bids and both lost.

The situation has become a big story in Colorado. It has become a huge expense to the city of Ft Collins Detectives involved in the case still insist that he is guilty

Thanks for the response, kemo.

I think Masters was the prime suspect from the start. A few minutes from the interview of Tim Masters conducted shortly after the murder should make that clear.

Raw Video: Cop grills 15-year-old Tim Masters - YouTube

The blood on the curb and the drag marks are consistent with a dead or dying victim being pulled from a car and dumped. The lack of signs that she was attacked where the blood trail stars doesn't fit with the idea of Masters attacking her while she walked down the street.

The Denver Post mentioned serial killer Scott Lee Kimball as a possible suspect. He had mutilated a victim in a similar manner and was known to have been in Fort Collins around that time.

Watching the 48 hour mystery, it is sickening what the police did here.

Most heartbreaking. The police departments here in Colorado sure have a lousy track record.

29 years later: The cold case that haunts Fort Collins

http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2016/02/17/29-years-later-cold-case-haunts-fort-collins/80406396/

Hettrick, an artistic redhead who worked at the nearby Fashion Bar ladies specialty store, was stabbed in the back one time — the wound that killed her — and sexually mutilated. Her body was dragged from the west curb at the 3700 block of Landings Drive through the prairie grass, staining it with her blood. Her purse still hung from her shoulder. Her jewelry was all in place, a wide gold bracelet around her wrist, her nails perfectly manicured with pink polish.

It was a gruesome crime — one that lingers in the shadows of Fort Collins history. And we still don't know who did it.

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Explore the unsolved 1987 homicide of Peggy Hettrick, and resulting wrongful conviction of Tim Masters, with the Coloradoan's four-episode podcast, "People v. Masters: Making a Murderer in Fort Collins.

The podcast's first episode is now available on Coloradoan.com, with the remaining episodes to be released each subsequent day. The series will also eventually be available on iTunes.

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Was just coming to post that JWBS. Thanks!

Hey there,

I'm the reporter who put together last year's podcast on Peggy's murder and am now revisiting the case for its 30th anniversary next month. If anyone has any information, ideas or lingering questions in the case they'd like me to explore, I'd be very interested. Thanks!

Erin

ColoradoanErin said:

Hey there,

I'm the reporter who put together last year's podcast on Peggy's murder and am now revisiting the case for its 30th anniversary next month. If anyone has any information, ideas or lingering questions in the case they'd like me to explore, I'd be very interested. Thanks!

Erin

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Welcome! As someone who has lived in Colorado (almost) all of my life, I've followed Peggy's murder case and the subsequent events involving Tim Masters closely and with much interest. Your podcast was great! Hopefully WS and our members can help garner interest in this case leading up to the 30th anniversary.

The body lying in the field shattered that illusion of unquestioned safety in a growing Front Range city. But as officers lifted her from blood-stained prairie grasses, who could have known that 30 years later Fort Collins would still be asking the question that troubled the city on that day:

Who killed Peggy Hettrick?

On the 30th anniversary of her death, The Coloradoan also asks "who was she?" — the dreamy 37-year-old redhead whose untimely death was ultimately lost in a tale of tunnel vision, politics and allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

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Murder in Fort Collins: Who was Peggy Hettrick?

I don't know where else to put this, but there's a user on YouTube that's been posting videos for months now, linking various unsolved murders and missing persons cases in Colorado. They just posted another last night, and it points to Hettrick. It's generally thought this is an ARG, but I've never seen one using actual unsolved cases. Given the nature of the later HD videos, the suggestion is the unsub has started again or never stopped, just started disposing of bodies rather than dumping them.

I figure this is a perfect thing for Websleuths to get involved with. You guys likely know more about the different victims he references than anyone 'playing' this 'ARG'. IF this is actually someone involved with the crimes, this could be the next BTK: an unsub from years back coming 'out of retirement' to taunt authorities.

The YouTube account in question is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN6lfthWfZXIHcBmrwBPylQ

A YouTube channel I watch, ReignBot Horror, recently did a video on this, which is how I found out about it. She summarizes it well, here's her video. https://youtu.be/oTd1cDywYOo

If this belongs somewhere else, please move it and let me know, with my apologies, I'm new.

On February 11, 1987, the ghost white body of 37-year-old department store employee Peggy Hettrick was spotted by a cyclist riding past an empty field in the then-small Colorado city of Fort Collins. She had been stabbed once in the back, dragged through the field and sexually mutilated. Her purse still hung from her shoulder, no sign of a robbery.

In the years that followed, a neighbor boy remained police's top suspect and, in 1998, was arrested for and convicted of the crime. He spent 9 years in prison before advances in DNA testing cleared his name and pointed, instead, to another man in Peggy's life.

In the 30 years since her murder, questions and theories have swirled around the Front Range city where she met her grisly end. Where was she heading that night? Who had she called? What about that guy she was dating nobody could ever find again? Or the skilled surgeon who lived nearby?

On February 11, 1987, as police processed the scene -- taking casts of footprints and tire tracks, lifting her body from the blood-stained prairie grasses -- who could have known then that 30 years later, we'd still be asking: "Who killed Peggy Hettrick?"

I'm a reporter for the Fort Collins Coloradoan and recently put together a story and podcast focused on the mysterious murder of Peggy Hettrick. I haven't seen her name in any previous threads so if anyone knows anything about this case, please let me know.

Story: http://www.coloradoan.com/story/new...trick-murder-cold-case-fort-collins/97378070/
Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/people-v.-masters-making-murderer/id1085120793?mt=2

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Pegg...UICCgB&biw=1366&bih=659#imgrc=LcxF9h3RoXTVnM:

Peggy Hettrick

Interesting case, looking forward to reading more about it.

ColoradoanErin said:

On February 11, 1987, the ghost white body of 37-year-old department store employee Peggy Hettrick was spotted by a cyclist riding past an empty field in the then-small Colorado city of Fort Collins. She had been stabbed once in the back, dragged through the field and sexually mutilated. Her purse still hung from her shoulder, no sign of a robbery.

In the years that followed, a neighbor boy remained police's top suspect and, in 1998, was arrested for and convicted of the crime. He spent 9 years in prison before advances in DNA testing cleared his name and pointed, instead, to another man in Peggy's life.

In the 30 years since her murder, questions and theories have swirled around the Front Range city where she met her grisly end. Where was she heading that night? Who had she called? What about that guy she was dating nobody could ever find again? Or the skilled surgeon who lived nearby?

On February 11, 1987, as police processed the scene -- taking casts of footprints and tire tracks, lifting her body from the blood-stained prairie grasses -- who could have known then that 30 years later, we'd still be asking: "Who killed Peggy Hettrick?"

I'm a reporter for the Fort Collins Coloradoan and recently put together a story and podcast focused on the mysterious murder of Peggy Hettrick. I haven't seen her name in any previous threads so if anyone knows anything about this case, please let me know.

Story: http://www.coloradoan.com/story/new...trick-murder-cold-case-fort-collins/97378070/
Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/people-v.-masters-making-murderer/id1085120793?mt=2

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Thanks for posting this information. This case sounds familiar. I'd love to listen to the podcasts, but after an hour or so of fiddling with my PC, it's just not compatible with the Apple software. I'm hoping the same information is available in your news articles.

ETA: The links to the podcast from the linked Coloradan article works ok. Trying to sort through all the information about Peggy's murder contained in the podcasts. Most of it focuses on the teen who was wrongly accused and convicted, so it's kind of difficult to organize the actual evidence of the case.

Link from Wikipedia that has some information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Hettrick_murder_case

Have listened to the podcasts and looked around the internet. It helps to set aside all the information about the arrest and wrongful conviction of the teenage boy who lived nearby. Same with the subsequent legal problems involving some LE and prosecutors after the wrongful convictions. They're interesting, but not much help in trying to learn facts about Peggy's murder investigation.

Some information gleaned:

Peggy didn't own a car, she walked everywhere, regularly.

She had gone out for a drink after work. Went home but couldn't get in because her temporary (female) roommate had locked the door. Returned later and got in, changed her clothes and went back to the Prime Minister bar.

She called and wanted to meet with her ex-boyfriend. He was at the PM bar with a new girlfriend. She had talked to him some in the parking lot, its believed that's when his touch DNA was transferred to her clothing.

She left the PM bar after midnight to walk home. On the way she was attacked and killed.

Her body was found the next morning by a bicyclist, in a field just a few blocks from the PM bar on the route she would have taken to walk back to her apartment.

Ex-boyfriend had alibi from woman he was with at the PM bar who had gone home with him and stayed until about 3:30 am.

Blood evidence experts believe she was stabbed inside someone's car as she was trying to escape. A scuff on her boot looked as though it had been dragged along pavement as she tried to get out of a car going at a low speed. Stab wound in her back (the only one and the fatal blow) indicated she bled to death while sitting against a solid vertical surface. Holes in jacket and blouse were off about 2" from the wound, indicating someone grabbed her jacket from the left and stabbed her, possibly as she was exiting the car.


Same experts theorize that, after stabbing, she was taken elsewhere, sexually mutilated then washed up and dumped in the field where she was found.

Footprints in the field showed someone dragged her there. Shoe prints were from a pair of Thom McCan man's dress shoes. Based on drag marks, some speculate her body was dumped by two men. No information on whether there were more than one set of footprints. Assume LE still has this info and are not releasing it?

Suspect later surfaced when a Dr. Hoffman, who lived nearby the body dumping scene, was arrested for having cameras in the restroom of his home, with films of women using the restroom there. He was reported by a young woman who was house sitting for the family and found them. He had a stockpile of films of women's vaginal areas, as well as bags of women's personal items, jewelry, etc. His master bedroom window overlooked the field where Peggy's body lay. After his arrest for the obscene peeping videos, he went to a Denver hotel where he committed suicide using an IV drip of cyanide.

All evidence from Dr. Hoffman's arrest and search of his home was destroyed by LE.

Later examination of Peggy's clothing by experts in touch DNA determined the touch DNA from her ex-boyfriend was found inside the waistband of her slacks.


IMO, the Dr. Hammond suspect seems very likely given the proximity to the crime scene, the genital mutilation and his fetish with women's vaginas. Crime records indicate the perp zig zagged a bit before placing Peggy's body facing east, where it would be visible to his master bedroom window. He also didn't go to work to perform scheduled eye surgeries the day after Peggy's death.

The 6th podcast of the reporter hints that her ex-boyfriend may still be suspect, given his touch DNA found on the inside of Peggy's waistband. If so, how was he able to get the woman he was with that night to give a false alibi. It didn't sound as though she had known him for very long.

Assume more can be learned from LE files, but not all of them have been released to the public, news media or other investigators?

Season 1 EP5: Peggy Hettrick Part 3 - KCSU FM

Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Peggy Hettrick

VIDEO

Feb 23 2023
''The murder of Peggy Hettrick in 1987 was once considered solved, and a man served nearly a decade in prison, until a new piece of DNA evidence was discovered.''

dotr said:

VIDEO

Feb 23 2023

Cold case: Murder of Peggy Hettrick in 1987 still unsolved

The murder of Peggy Hettrick in 1987 was once considered solved, and a man served nearly a decade in prison, until a new piece of DNA evidence was discovered.

www.9news.com

''The murder of Peggy Hettrick in 1987 was once considered solved, and a man served nearly a decade in prison, until a new piece of DNA evidence was discovered.''

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Retired Det. Holloway still thinks it can be solved. She thinks the DNA from Peggy's former boyfriend found inside the waistband of her slacks is relevant. She says the couple had broken up.

Det. Holloway still keeps the case files in her basement.

I don't know if anyone follows this thread. I was 11 when this occurred and remember it well. Police in Colorado sure have a habit of destroying evidence and having tunnel vision. Anyways, the Dr. is probably the most likely suspect, but how did he get her in his car? She walked all the time so I don't see her accepting a ride, especially from a stranger. I think she would be more apt to get in a car with someone she knew. Anyone know if they looked at her circle of friends and other ex's besides the one at the bar?