Drawn to Injustice: The Wrongful Conviction of Timothy Masters

by Timothy Masters, Steve Lehto

  Timothy Masters was a lonely, troubled teenager with a penchant for gory artwork when he first saw Peggy Lee Hettrick…   …her dead, mutilated body nearly frozen in the early morning of Fort Collins, Colorado. Not believing it could really be a dead body, thinking he was the victim of yet another prank by his abusive classmates, the fifteen-year-old didn’t go to the police—but they came to him. So began a decade-long investigation led by a relentless detective who was sure that Masters was the killer, even without a shred of physical evidence. Against all reason, a conspiracy of silence and circumstantial evidence eventually put Masters behind bars. Only the determination of a lone investigator who believed the young man was innocent would reveal the shocking truth, and free Masters after ten years in prison. This is the compelling true story of one life ended in blood and murder, one life ruined by coincidence and prejudice, and justice long denied but finally found.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 5, 2012

Reviews

[Bill Baltas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book and became upset with the police department, the DA, and justice system. There are a few a parts of the book that need further explanation, but it is a good read.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book, both for its intriguing subject--wrongful convictions--as well as its exceptionally written storyline. In every chapter of the book, I was astounded over the events that occured in this man's life. It is a very compelling story of a man whose earnest voice speaks volumes of how easily corruption and deceit can fuel obsessions to the point of tormenting a man for years. This book does an amazing job of intertwining facts of the case along with providing emotional aspects that draw you in and will not let go. Highly recommended you will not want to put this one down!

[Kailee Galassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book stand out is its raw honesty and meticulous detail. Masters doesn’t just recount the events; he takes the reader into the emotional and psychological toll of being vilified by a system that failed him. Lehto’s contribution ensures the legal and procedural missteps are laid bare, providing a chilling reminder of how easily the pursuit of justice can go astray.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system, wrongful convictions, or simply a story of courage against all odds. Drawn to Injustice is a poignant reminder that the fight for justice is never over and that it can take just one determined individual to make a difference.

[Jennifer Davis]

This book was very well written and informational. I feel so awful that this happened to this person. But thank goodness people stepped in and helped him. But the police and prosecutors should be behind bars now ,for what they did yo this poor man.

[Laura Porritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well laid out and detailed account of what happened to Tim. His descriptions of what he went through in the navy and in prison were heartbreaking.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story that everyone needs to read.

[Jennifer Defoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard for me to review this one without judging what happened to Timothy Masters. He was accused of a murder he clearly didn't commit and was convicted because a detective didn't want to admit he'd made a mistake?!?!?! I know that kind of stuff happens more often than we know of, but it just killed me to read this story. Throughout the entire thing I just wanted to smack the detective and the prosecutors that were working on this case.

Having said that the story was really good. It was filled with suspense, I think it's because we obviously know how it ends, and all the major plot twists, but I wanted to know exactly how these things played out. With each new chapter I couldn't help but try to figure out what was going to happen in that chapter. It really made me not want to put this one down. I just wanted to keep reading because I wanted to know how this all happened. This one would have made a really good fiction book. Master's life had so many twists in it that I kept thinking to myself "I can't believe this really happened". But it did, which is so sad.

The writing was really good too. Everything just flowed. The writing was more like a conversation than a report or a listing of facts. That's a weird way to describe it, but it was just so easy to read, it felt so natural. I liked that Masters gives us a peek into what was going on in his head while all of this was going on. I can't really imagine going through what he went through, but having his "commentary" made it at least a little more understandable.

This is a well-written book about a horrible tragedy and how it ruined one man's life. It sickens me that this happened, but I'm glad that Masters had the courage to put his story out there. It was enjoyable to read and it brings light to a flaw to our justice system that likely still claims victim today.

Just a note: my copy was an ARC. There are supposed to be some pictures in the final release, these were not included in the ARC.

[Denise Sayles-Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book written by the author. I like true crime, especially when written by the main character's perspective. Other accounts can come across as very dry, like reading a scientific analysis. The main characters can tell us how it felt and what they were thinking. This book is a fine example of that.

[Ally Cabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I liked how this book was written. There weren't any emotional soapbox speeches ("oh, poor me. Look how I was wronged", etc.). The story was presented in a straightforward manner and the lies and cover-ups that came to light were written well enough to evoke emotion without sounding too over the top. Tim's family history and the events leading up to his arrest and during the time of his incarceration were well organized although there were a few short sections (a paragraph or two) that seemed out of the blue. It was definitely an interesting look into what can happen in our justice system.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story. You know how you see a story on the news and think "Oh, I just know he or she did it." Well, you'll probably never think that again after you read this book.

[Shamesdean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read about the perseverance of one man, his family and a legal team working to get aa wrongful conviction overturned.