A Fort Collins police lieutenant was formally served Friday with a summons accusing him of eight counts of felony perjury in a case that saw Tim Masters spend more than nine years behind bars before being freed by DNA evidence.
Lt. Jim Broderick, who was placed on paid leave by Fort Collins police officials after he was indicted by a grand jury, is scheduled to appear in court July 19. Broderick was accused of making false statements in court documents and in testimony at hearings and Masters’ 1999 trial.
Masters was convicted of killing Peggy Hettrick, 37, on Feb. 12, 1987, in south Fort Collins.
In 2008, his conviction was overturned after his attorneys uncovered numerous documents that had not been given to his original lawyers and skin-cell DNA testing found genetic material on Hettrick’s clothing from a former boyfriend.
Masters ultimately was paid a total of $10 million by the city of Fort Collins and Larimer County to settle civil lawsuits.
