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SALT LAKE CITY — People who knew Greg Peterson are still reeling from the news of his death. Some who say their experiences with Peterson were not positive have mixed reaction to the rape suspect's apparent suicide, while his friends are baffled and say they didn't see it coming.
Peterson continued to claim his innocence to his friends right up until his apparent suicide Tuesday night.
Peterson said he was innocent of the rape and assault charges against him in a short Facebook message to friend Rob Joseph.
"Absolutely innocent. Unconstitutional witch hunt," he wrote in private message.
Joseph just saw it yesterday, not long before he saw that Peterson had taken his life.
"I looked at this message and was going to respond and didn't have a chance to respond," Joseph said.
Peterson's friend says, his suicide is not an admission of guilt.
"Unfortunately, in this case, I really believe that Greg was tried and convicted in the media and unfortunately, he took the easy way out," Joseph said.
"I know a lot of people that have been in his situation or similar situations where they really feel there is no future." Rob Joseph said.
Peterson sent Joseph the message on Sunday and changed his profile photo. In Peterson's last public post on Sept. 24, he also maintained his innocence.
"I know a lot of people that have been in his situation or similar situations where they really feel there is no future," Joseph said.
Peterson's suicide came four days after he posted his $2 million bail with the help of All Out Bail Bonds.
"Generally, with higher bail amounts like Mr. Peterson's was, generally people just don't have that kind of money," said Sgt. Cammie Skogg with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office.
Typically, bail bondsmen require the client to pay 10 percent of the bail. The company puts up the rest. They get the money back, once the case is closed.
Yesterday, the owners of All Out Bail Bonds went to Peterson's Heber cabin to recharge his ankle monitor. They found his body in the upstairs bedroom with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office.
"We just went through a terrible deal losing a client," said owner Steve Brown in a phone interview.
His partner, Brian Cogburn, told KSL, "It's horrible for anyone to have to go through this."
Apparently, no one saw it coming. On Peterson's Facebook page, another friend posted that Peterson called him Monday evening. They had a brief talk and there was no indication, Peterson was suicidal.
Peterson ended his message to Joseph by saying, "Stay tuned. God Bless."
"I can only believe he was trying to spare his family from the pain he was dealing with, the shame of it all," Joseph said.
Acquaintances with uncomfortable memories have mixed reactions.
Haley Hayes and Jason Arthur Jones were casual acquaintances of Greg Peterson's. After hearing about his death, they're shocked and hope justice will be served for all parties involved in Peterson's sexual assault case.
Hayes and Jones say they both had an uncomfortable run-in with Peterson at a church party. Haley says she easily could have been one of Peterson's victims.
"(Peterson) wouldn't let me go," she said. "He kept talking and wanted me to leave with him."
She said she would have left with Peterson that night, had Jones not stepped in.
"(Peterson) started being a little more aggressive with me," Jones said, "which I replied and said, ‘Greg, if you continue with these types of behaviors, I have no problem having the bishop remove you from this party.'"
But today they have mixed emotions over Peterson's suicide.
"I felt just sick, and devastated," Hayes said. "He must have just not had any other way out, when he looked at his prospects for the future."
I'm glad that threat is no longer there for innocent women. At the same time, I wouldn't wish suicide on anyone.
–Jason Arthur Jones
Jones said, "It's a mixed bag of feelings because on one side I'm glad that threat is no longer there for innocent women. At the same time, I wouldn't wish suicide on anyone."
They both hope Peterson's alleged victims will be able to find some sort of closure.
"Maybe this way, the true judge will be able to give true justice," Hayes said.
"I think that some people will feel that justice was served, served by Greg himself," Jones said. "I think that others will feel that Greg escaped justice because he took suicide over going through a trial."
Peterson, a GOP activist, was charged with raping several women. A bail bondsman checking on Peterson's ankle monitor found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday evening in his Wasatch County cabin.
Peterson was next set to be in court in early November. Now the Salt Lake County District Attorney says the case will ultimately be dismissed.
Greg Peterson's attorneys say Peterson "always maintained his innocence and was confidant that had a jury been presented with the entire case, he would have been acquitted."
