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SALT LAKE CITY — Allegations of kidnapping and rape against a Republican fundraiser made big headlines in Utah this year. The case against Greg Peterson looked like it was headed for a jury trial, then the unexpected happened.
He promoted himself as a mover and shaker in Republican politics, but police and prosecutors in two counties said Greg Peterson had a dark side.
"These are some very serious allegations," said Sim Gill, Salt Lake County district attorney.
He is 100 percent innocent, and we plan to vigorously defend this case.
–Cara Tangaro, Peterson's attorney
Salt Lake County prosecutors charged Peterson in July with multiple counts of kidnapping and rape. One month later, Wasatch County prosecutors filed their own sex abuse case against Peterson.
The two cases involved five women who told police they met Peterson on an LDS dating site or at church functions. A couple of them said the assaults happened at Peterson's cabin near Heber City.
Peterson always denied the claims.
"He is 100 percent innocent, and we plan to vigorously defend this case," said Cara Tangaro, Peterson's attorney.
Several women testified against Peterson at a preliminary hearing in August. But the cases ended abruptly on Oct. 23 when Peterson committed suicide at his cabin, two days after posting a $2,000,000 bail.
"This has been a tragedy of a case from the very beginning and there has been nothing good about this case all the way through," said Scott Sweat, Wasatch County district attorney.
Despite the suicide, an attorney for two of Peterson's victims said the women still had a chance to confront Peterson in court.
We certainly believe that we had met the threshold of probable cause. Beyond just the probable cause, we certainly felt there was a reasonable likelihood of success at trial.
–Sim Gill, Salt Lake County district attorney
"They did get to tell their story. They had some cross-examination at that point, so they got a hint of how difficult a trial might be," said Lorie Hobbs of the Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic. "But now they're not going to have to go through that process, which is really going to be a good thing for the victims."
In a suicide note made public last month, Peterson blamed police, prosecutors and his accusers for his death, writing, "you have the blood of an innocent man on your hands."
It's a charge prosecutors dismiss.
"We certainly believe that we had met the threshold of probable cause," Gill said. "Beyond just the probable cause, we certainly felt there was a reasonable likelihood of success at trial."
