Case overview
Peggy Hettrick was found dead in a Fort Collins field in February 1987, sexually mutilated and killed hours earlier. Tim Masters, a teenager who lived near the scene, was convicted of her murder in 1999 based on circumstantial evidence and psychological profiling, then exonerated in 2008 after DNA testing excluded him and raised questions about investigative tunnel vision. The case remains unsolved, with no confirmed suspect and disputed evidence that shaped two decades of legal proceedings.
The discovery
On the morning of February 11, 1987, Peggy Hettrick’s body was discovered in an open field near Tabernash Drive in Fort Collins, Colorado. The 37-year-old woman had been stabbed and sexually mutilated. Her body showed signs of being moved after death. Investigators determined she had been killed elsewhere before being left in the field. Hettrick had last been seen alive the previous evening, leaving a friend’s home around 9 p.m.
Tim Masters, then 15 years old, lived in a mobile home roughly 100 feet from where Hettrick’s body was found. He told police he had seen what he thought was a mannequin or doll in the field while walking to school that morning but did not report it. Investigators noted his proximity to the scene and his failure to stop or alert authorities. No physical evidence linked him to the crime at that time.
The investigation stalls
The case went cold for more than a decade. Investigators collected evidence from the scene, including biological material, but forensic technology in the late 1980s was limited. No arrests were made. Hettrick’s death became one of several unsolved homicides in Larimer County during that period.
In 1998, Fort Collins police reopened the investigation. Detectives focused on Masters, who by then was serving in the U.S. Navy. They obtained a search warrant for his childhood home and recovered notebooks containing violent drawings and writings. Investigators also consulted forensic psychologist Reid Meloy, who reviewed the materials and provided a profile suggesting Masters exhibited traits consistent with sexual homicide offenders.
The arrest and trial
Masters was arrested in August 1998 and charged with first-degree murder. The prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence: his proximity to the crime scene, his behavior on the morning of the discovery, and the psychological interpretation of his drawings. No physical evidence, including fingerprints, DNA, or fibers, connected Masters to Hettrick or the crime scene.
The trial in 1999 featured testimony from Meloy and other experts who argued that Masters’ artwork and writings were consistent with a violent sexual offender. The defense countered that the drawings were typical of a teenage boy interested in horror and fantasy genres, and that the prosecution had built a case on speculation rather than evidence. The jury convicted Masters of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The exoneration
In 2008, Masters’ defense team, led by attorney Maria Liu, requested DNA testing on biological evidence collected from Hettrick’s body. The testing, conducted using technology unavailable during the original investigation, excluded Masters as a contributor. The results also revealed the presence of DNA from an unknown male.
The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the findings and agreed to vacate Masters’ conviction. On January 22, 2008, Masters was released after serving nearly ten years in prison. The district attorney acknowledged that the original investigation had focused prematurely on Masters and failed to pursue other leads. Masters later received a settlement from the city of Fort Collins and Larimer County after filing a civil rights lawsuit.
The unresolved questions
The DNA profile obtained in 2008 has not been matched to any individual in state or federal databases. Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest since Masters’ exoneration. The case remains open, but no significant developments have been reported in recent years.
The original investigation’s reliance on psychological profiling and circumstantial evidence has been criticized by legal and forensic experts. Meloy’s testimony, which played a central role in Masters’ conviction, was later described by some reviewers as speculative and not grounded in empirical evidence linking the drawings to the crime. The case has been cited in discussions about wrongful convictions and the risks of overreliance on behavioral analysis in the absence of physical evidence.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Drawing Accusations” (Investigation Discovery)
- Book: “Witch Hunt” by Marc Pease
- Podcast: “Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom”
