Timothy Masters

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	9.5
Year Crime:	1987
Year Convicted:	1998
Year Cleared:	2011
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Colorado
County or Region of Crime:	Larimer
City of Crime:	Fort Collins
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Timothy Masters was wrongly convicted in 1998 of the 1987 murder of Peggy Hettrick in Fort Collins, Colorado. At the time of the murder Timothy Masters was 15-years-old. He was convicted based on circumstantial evidence. Masters was sentenced to life in prison. The Touch DNA technique was used to exclude Masters of being the killer and he was released on January 25, 2008 after 9-1/2 years of wrongful imprisonment. In October 2008 Masters filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Fort Collins, several current and former Fort Collins police officers, and Larimer County prosecutors for wrongful arrest, conviction and imprisonment. On February 16, 2010 Larimer County agreed to settle Masters' claims against the county for $4.1 million. Also in 2010, The City of Fort Collins settled Masters' claims for $5.9 million. So he settled his lawsuit for a total of $10 million. On June 28, 2011 a grand jury investigating Hettrick's murder ruled Masters was not a suspect, formally exonerating him. In June 2012 Masters' book about his case was published, "Drawn to Injustice: The Wrongful Conviction of Timothy Masters," By Timothy Masters and Steve Lehto (Berkley Books, 2012)."
Conviction Caused By:	Conviction based on circumstantial evidence.
Innocence Proved By:	"Conviction overturned and released on January 22, 2008, and the charges were dismissed at the request of the prosecution three days later on January 25. On June 28, 2011 a grand jury investigating Hettrick's murder ruled Masters was not a suspect, formally exonerating him."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$10 million total. $4.1 million (Larimer County, 2010) and $5.9 million (City of Fort Collins, 2010)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	26
Age When Released:	36
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Free man -- tim masters released after nine and a half years in prison, The Tribune (Greeley, CO), January 23, 2008"
Information Location 1:	http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080123/NEWS/86208907&parentprofile=search
Information Source 2:	"DA files motion to dismiss charges against Timothy Masters, By Andra Coberly (staff writer), The Tribune (Greeley, CO), January 26, 2008"
Information Location 2:	http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080126/NEWS/493465739&parentprofile=search
Information Source 3:	"State investigation into peggy hettrick murder case slowed by evidence fight, AP, The Tribune (Greeley, CO), August 2, 2008"
Information Location 3:	http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20080802/NEWS01/991700368/1051/NEWS&parentprofile=-1
Information Source 4:	"Colorado -- Wrongly Convicted Man Sues, New York Times, October 22, 2008"
Information Location 4:	http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/us/22brfs-WRONGLYCONVI_BRF.html?ref=us
Information Source 5:	"County settles for $4.1 million in wrongful imprisonment suit, CNN.com, February 16, 2010"
Information Location 5:	http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/16/tim.masters.settlement/index.html
Book About Case:	"Drawn to Injustice: The Wrongful Conviction of Timothy Masters, By Timothy Masters and Steve Lehto (Berkley Books, 2012)"
Book Information:	http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120607/NEWS01/306070035/Tim-Masters-book-details-life-hounded-by-Fort-Collins-police?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1
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Timothy Masters

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

9.5

Year Crime:

1987

Year Convicted:

1998

Year Cleared:

2011

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Colorado

County or Region of Crime:

Larimer

City of Crime:

Fort Collins

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Conviction based on circumstantial evidence.

Innocence Proved By:

"Conviction overturned and released on January 22, 2008, and the charges were dismissed at the request of the prosecution three days later on January 25. On June 28, 2011 a grand jury investigating Hettrick's murder ruled Masters was not a suspect, formally exonerating him."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$10 million total. $4.1 million (Larimer County, 2010) and $5.9 million (City of Fort Collins, 2010)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

26

Age When Released:

36

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Free man -- tim masters released after nine and a half years in prison, The Tribune (Greeley, CO), January 23, 2008"

Information Location 1:

Information Source 2:

"DA files motion to dismiss charges against Timothy Masters, By Andra Coberly (staff writer), The Tribune (Greeley, CO), January 26, 2008"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

"State investigation into peggy hettrick murder case slowed by evidence fight, AP, The Tribune (Greeley, CO), August 2, 2008"

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

"Colorado -- Wrongly Convicted Man Sues, New York Times, October 22, 2008"

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

"County settles for $4.1 million in wrongful imprisonment suit, CNN.com, February 16, 2010"

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

"Drawn to Injustice: The Wrongful Conviction of Timothy Masters, By Timothy Masters and Steve Lehto (Berkley Books, 2012)"

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