The prosecutor’s role was to present the State’s case against the defense, demonstrating evidence indicating Mr. Masters’ involvement in Peggy Whittier’s murder. This included proving that he possessed the knife, created specific drawings, neglected to report seeing Piggy’s DOD, and was near the crime scene during the time of the homicide. These factors raised suspicions about his guilt.
Although law enforcement dedicated multiple years to collecting evidence, they were unsuccessful in finding significant findings. In contrast, Mr. Masters’ defense attorney fought for his innocence and sought to establish his lack of guilt.
His attorney filed a petition for a new trial based on insufficient evidence presented in the initial trial. The defense team was unaware of additional suspects related to the case. One such suspect was Richard Hammond, an actor residing near the crime scene during that period. Dr. Hammond had a history of recording multiple females in 1995 and his residence was positioned just 100 yards away from Piggy’s murder site, with his bedroom facing the exact location where her body was found.
Hammond was arrested for being a sexual voyeur and he took his own life about 48 hours later in 1995. Despite not being seen as a suspect in the Whittier case, recent court papers revealed that he knew her. The evidence and expert testimonies confirmed Mr. Masters’ innocence in the previous suspected case, leading the judge to authorize a retrial. In this matter, it is the judge’s duty to ensure fairness and maintain supreme power, tasked with weighing the rights of the accused perpetrator against those of society.
The judge decided that Peggy Hitchhiker’s case would have a new trial due to withheld evidence from the previous trial. In this new trial, Mr. Masters was found innocent and released from prison. As a result, the judge concluded that Mr. Masters had been wrongly convicted and he sued for millions of dollars. The prosecutors faced difficulties in this case as they were given old evidence which did not establish a connection between Mr. Masters and Peggy Whittier’s murder. The only evidence against him consisted of his knife collection, drawings, and a date.
Masters death was used as evidence against him in a case where his defense attorney faced difficulties in proving his innocence. It took several years for the case to reach a judge who would listen to their argument that the investigators had withheld evidence from the court. The judge also assisted Mr. Master in obtaining a settlement after he sued the State for convicting him of a murder charge based on insufficient evidence. The new judge agreed that the case deserved a new trial, considering all the newly discovered evidence.
