CALIFORNIA V. PEYER

California v. Peyer
Case Title: Defendant Craig Peyer
Superior Court Case Number CDC# D-93018
Crime: Penal Code 187 (first-degree murder)
Offense Date: 12-27-86
Date Convicted: 6-22-88
Judgment: 25 years-to-life
Case Location: San Diego

SYNOPSIS/EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In the early morning of 28 December 1986 Cara Knott’s Volkswagen (VW) was discovered abandoned off of the Mercy road off-ramp, East of Interstate 15 (I-15) in San Diego. The keys were in the ignition, and her personal belongings to include a credit card were inside the car, unfortunately there was no signed of the 20 year old university student. The previous night around 8 p.m. Cara had called her parents to notify them that she was on her way home from her boyfriend’s house in Escondido, a drive that normally would take about 45 minutes. When she had not arrived by 10 p.m. her family went out to search for her along I-15. It was Cynthia (Cara’s sister) and her husband that found Cara’s VW on the side of the isolated off-ramp; Cara’s body was subsequently found in a creek bed 65 feet below. Cara had been strangled and thrown off the nearby bridge.
A couple of issues troubled the homicide investigators; why did Cara stop her car (which was in good working order) on one of the coldest nights of the year and why did she stop on a road that at that time led nowhere? Also, there was no sign of theft since her belongings were still in the car and there were no signs of a struggle or sexual assault. Her passenger door was locked but the driver’s window was partially rolled down. These clues led homicide investigators to believe that she had stopped for someone she trusted, maybe a policeman. Homicide detectives began to suspect one of their own; they focused their attention on California Highway Patrolman (CHP) Craig Peyer after several women came forward with stories of Peyer stopping them at the Mercy Road exit.

FINDINGS: Besides the unusual number of women that stated officer Peyer had stopped them at the exact same exit where Cara Knott had been murdered, investigators also found a ticket written by Peyer alongside the same stretch of I-15 around the time of the murder. In addition, two women working at a service station on the night of the killing testified that they had seen blood and scratch marks on Peyer's face when he stopped for gas sometime before 10 p.m (a self-defense instructor testified during court proceedings that Cara Knott had been a student in his class in which she was taught to strike at an assailant's face when attacked). A fellow CHP officer also testified that the night of the murder Peyer appeared to have scratches on his face; Peyer told coworkers that he had slipped and fallen against a chain-link fence after refueling his patrol car at CHP headquarters. After Peyer’s arrest was made public, more than 20 women came forward and informed police and identified him as the highway patrolman who had stopped them at the Mercy Road exit.
In 1986 DNA testing was not available, however, during court proceedings, a serologist informed the court that genetic markers in a drop of blood found on Cara's boot matched markers that would be found in the blood of fewer than 1 percent of the state's population (Peyer fell in this group). A fiber expert testified that a gold thread on Cara’s sweatshirt was consistent with the CHP shoulder patch on Peyer's uniform jacket. In addition, Prosecutor Joe Van Orshoven showed the jury a 46-inch nylon rope found in the trunk of Peyer's patrol car, which matched the marks found on Cara’s throat. Lastly, Michelle Martin came forward and testified that she recognized Peyer as the same officer she had seen stopping a VW at the Mercy Road ramp on the night of the murder.
DISCUSSIONS: Judge Huffman who presided upon both trials made note that the CHP’s failure to take action when several women reported Peyer’s strange behavior contributed and encouraged him to continue harassing women while on duty. He also pointed out that a mother called the CHP to complain that Peyer had forced her daughter to stop on the darkened Mercy Road off-ramp one full month prior to Cara’s murder and the CHP still did not investigate one of their own.
Peyer was a well liked CHP officer who was often selected to tape “freeway safety” spots with local TV stations. He was considered an exemplary officer with an untarnished record, therefore what at the time were considered trivial complaints would not have been taken seriously. One of Peyer’s ex-wives declared during the trial that he had a Mr. Macho complex and utilized the badge as a means to flirt with young girls. If the CHP had taken complaints from citizens more seriously and investigated them, they probably would have discovered Peyer’s narcissistic ways.
CONCLUSION: Peyer was so amped up by his power that he liked to brag, “There are two people you don’t piss off in this world: God and a Highway Patrolman–and not necessarily in that order.” Peyer was a liar who fabricated stories in order to pull women over on the freeway and display his authority; he took advantage of his position of trust and confidence. On the other hand, he also had the ability to become friendly with an easy manner, a loving, affectionate and concerned human being; someone that would lend a hand when needed. The prosecutor and the defense painted two very different pictures of the same man. The facts are that the evidence against him was staggering, Judge Huffman commented that “he was absolutely convinced to a moral certainty” that Peyer killed Cara Knott. Since blood was collected from Cara’s boot at the time of the investigation, just recently Peyer was offered the opportunity to provide his own DNA in order to prove his innocence, he declined.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Continued psychological testing (after recruitment) or simply speaking with a psychologist may identify officers that develop the “God” syndrome. Peyer was a respected 13 year veteran that hid his dark side effectively. In addition, following up on citizen complaints will curtail officers from thinking they can do no wrong and will not be reprimanded. The police/sheriff department must maintain a professional atmosphere at all times and hold its officers accountable when they need to.

REFERENCES

Jennifer Warren. Opening Arguments Made in Peyer Retrial. Los Angeles Times (May 18, 1988) http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/craig-peyer/recent/3 (accessed March 2, 2013)

H.G. Reza. Judge Delays Sentence, but Calls Peyer a Killer. Los Angeles Times (July 21, 1988) http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-21/local/me-9032_1_craig-peyer (accessed March 2, 2013)

H.G. Reza. An Emotional Judge Gives Peyer 25 Years for Killing Cara Knott. Los Angeles Times (August 4, 1988) http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-04/local/me-9995_1_cara-knott (accessed March 2, 2013)