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Jamie Lee Peterson is an American prisoner, who was convicted for the 1996 rape and murder of Geraldine Montgomery of Kalkaska, Michigan. Peterson has since maintained his innocence. A campaign for his release has been promoted online.

Crime and conviction

Geraldine Montgomery, a 68 year old widow who worked as a teacher’s aid at the public elementary school, was found dead in the trunk of her car on October 6, 1996. There was evidence of sexual assault and death by inhalation of car exhaust. Peterson was arrested after a lengthy investigation. He was charged that on 5 Oct 1996 he entered her home, raped her and stole property. He then forced her into the trunk of her car, turning on the ignition and leaving the car running in the enclosed space of the garage. She died of asphyxiation from breathing the vehicle fumes.

David Heymes, a Kalkaska police officer, testified that Jamie Peterson admitted he sexually assaulted Montogomery and left her in the trunk with the car running. Jamie made multiple and varied confessions, one in which he told police he was not involved with the crime. The confessions became the central argument in Prosecutor Donnelly’s case, which ultimately led to Jamie's conviction. Donelly said Peterson knew details of the murder, such as how Montgomery was beaten, details only the killer would know.

Robert J. Carey, Peterson’s court appointed defense attorney, argued that Jamie's statements were false confessions, which were the result of two circumstances. The first being that Jamie suffers from organic brain damage, and the second being that police interviewing techniques fed Jamie information and coerced false confessions from Jamie, an idea that Carey addressed during the trial. Carey attempted to show that the confessions were false and unreliable and adds to his argument supporting Jamie's innocence with the fact that no physical evidence, DNA, fingerprints, or eyewitness reports placed Jamie Peterson at the crime scene.

The trial lasted for 18 days and the jury deliberated for 9 hours before reaching the guilty verdict.

Aftermath

In April 1997, in response to the forensic DNA testing results from LabCorp which did not incriminate Peterson, Police Chief Mel Hill issued a statement, “The community is reminded to continue taking reasonable precautionary measures in their activities and in securing their homes.”

Attorney Al Millstein represented Jamie during his appeal in front of the Michigan Court of Appeals and State Supreme Court. The appeal was unsuccessful. Jamie is now serving his 16th year of a life sentence without possibility of parole, at Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee, Michigan.

Sixteen years later, in May 2012 Robert Carey asked the Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners to order the prosecutor to submit the DNA evidence to the FBI’s nationwide CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), which stores DNA profiles to assist in identifying perpetrators of crimes. Carey wanted to see if the DNA at the 1996 crime scene matched other people who have been arrested or questioned in the country since the DNA was collected in 1996. These DNA databases were not available at the time of the trial. The Kalkaska board declined and referred the issue to then prosecuter Kurt Metzger. Metzger is no longer prosecutor and no progress has been reportedly made.

At present, local officials have not found a match to the DNA from the pubic hair and semen samples found on Mrs Montgomery from her rape and murder in 1996. No efforts are being reportedly made toward finding the person who matches the DNA.

Free Jamie Peterson campaign

Several citizens have come together to form a group called Free Jamie Peterson, coordinated via the website "freejamiepeterson.com" and Facebook. They identify themselves as “a group of compassionate people joined together because we care. We will use web, print, and film media to ensure his story is not forgotten and justice is given a second chance.” At present they have a website, facebook page, and e-mail list, but very little activity on any of these.