MUS-2026-0039
Archive card
MUS-2026-0039
Homicide
- Incident
- 1987
- Indexed
- Oct 2, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- Fort Collins Police Department
- Location
- Fort Collins CO
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Peggy Hettrick, 37, was found stabbed and mutilated in a field in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1987. A teenager was convicted of the murder in 1999 on circumstantial evidence, then fully exonerated by DNA testing; the conviction was vacated and he received $10 million in settlements. The real killer was never charged. The case has a Wikipedia page, a Crime Junkie episode, Investigation Discovery coverage, and an exoneration litigation record.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 1987
Peggy Hettrick, 37, is found stabbed and mutilated in a Fort Collins field.
- 1999
A teenager is convicted on circumstantial evidence.
- 2008-2011
DNA testing fully exonerates him; the conviction is vacated, with $10 million in settlements.
- 2026
The real killer was never charged. The case remains unsolved.
Key people
The people in the file.
37, of Fort Collins, Colorado. Found stabbed and mutilated in a field in 1987.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the Fort Collins Police Department. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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