Man accused of murdering ex-wife in 1993 pleads not guilty

MORRISVILLE, Vt. (WCAX/Gray News) – A Vermont man has been charged with murdering his ex-wife in a 31-year-old cold case.

Police arrested Carroll Peters for the 1993 murder of his ex-wife, Cheryl Peters.

For thirty years, no charges were brought against Cheryl Peters. Now, Carroll Peters, 70, is charged with first-degree murder for killing his 42-year-old ex-wife on September 2, 1993, in her home.

Police had identified Carroll Peters as a suspect in the case early on, but he had publicly denied any involvement in the crime. Until now, he had never been charged and no suspects had been arrested.

Police arrested Carroll Peters for the 1993 murder of his ex-wife, Cheryl Peters.(WCAX)

“Your Honor, this was an execution-style murder while the victim was sleeping,” Lamoille County Prosecutor Aliena Gehard said in court about the case.

Gerhard says no new evidence has been discovered that would have prompted her to pursue the matter. She credits the work of the Vermont State Police’s cold case specialists who took a fresh look at the case and turned the file over to her.

“We believe we have enough evidence to bring this case to a conclusion,” Gerhard said. “I can only speak for myself. My decision to move forward is that it’s time for justice for this family and for the community. So that’s all I can talk about; I can’t talk about my predecessor’s choice.”

Gerhard took decades-old evidence and presented it to a grand jury. They found sufficient grounds to indict.

“They made it clear that there was sufficient evidence to charge Carroll Peters with first-degree murder,” Gerhard said.

The murder case rocked the community, and for years the family fought for answers. They called for a grand jury three decades ago, but then-State Attorney Joel Page said the state didn’t have enough evidence to prove the charge.

“I think there’s probably enough evidence to establish probable cause against a suspect. There’s clearly not enough evidence at this point to get a conviction,” Page said at the time.

WCAX reporter Brian Joyce spoke with Carroll Peters at a memorial service for Cheryl in 1994.

“Did you kill Cheryl Peters?” Joyce asked.

“No, I didn’t,” Carroll Peters said.

Today, 31 years later, he is charged in the case and is being held without bail.

Because of the grand jury indictment, much of the evidence is not yet public, but more details are expected to be released when Carroll Peters appears in court next week.

In a civil trial, a jury found Carroll Peters liable for the rape of Cheryl Peters two weeks before she was murdered. The jury awarded her children $600,000, paid by an insurance company.