Fort Collins officer accused of perjury in Masters' case pleads "absolutely innocent" - The Denver Post
Fort Collins officer accused of perjury in Masters' case pleads "absolutely innocent" - The Denver Post
FORT COLLINS — Police Lt. Jim Broderick told a district judge Friday he is prepared to prove his innocence against claims that he manufactured a murder case against Tim Masters.
When Weld District Judge James Hartmann asked Broderick if wanted to enter a plea to the remaining seven felony perjury charges against him, Broderick responded: "Absolutely innocent, your honor."
No trial date was set Friday, but Hartmann did schedule a May 2 motions hearing. He also scheduled a March 2 hearing dealing with a prosecution subpoena of Fort Collins police records related to the case.
Broderick, 53, is accused of repeatedly lying during the prosecution of Masters, who was convicted in 1999 of the murder of Peggy Hettrick in 1987. Masters, who was 15 when Hettrick was murdered and mutilated, served nearly 10 years in prison before the conviction was overturned in 2008 when DNA testing pointed to another potential suspect, who has not been identified.
Broderick was indicted in June for perjury related to the original arrest affidavit filed against Masters, during a preliminary hearing and during the murder trial.
Broderick's lawyers say prosecutors have withheld contradictory information, and they have attacked the validity of witnesses used against Broderick.
Broderick declined to comment after Friday's hearing.
Last week, Hartmann tossed one count listed in the indictment against Broderick. That charge alleged Broderick committed perjury in the affidavit he drafted in 1992 for a warrant to arrest Masters.
But his lawyers argued that Broderick never took an oath that the information in the indictment was true. Broderick drafted the affidavit at the request of Fort Collins Detective Linda Wheeler-Holloway because she considered Broderick to be a better writer.
Wheeler-Holloway presented the affidavit to a district judge and was given the oath.
The affidavit states there were "sexual-homicide profile characteristics that point to Timothy Masters" and that "the FBI Behavioral Science Unit was consulted in March 1987 for a profile on this case and were . . . given drawings and facts surrounding the investigation."
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