Vermont man pleads not guilty in 1993 murder of estranged wife

HYDE PARK, Vermont (WCAX) – A Vermont man pleaded not guilty Friday to murdering his estranged wife more than 30 years ago.

Carroll Peters, 70, of Morrisville, was arrested Thursday in connection with the 1993 murder of Cheryl Peters after a Vermont state grand jury returned an indictment on first-degree murder.

Cheryl Peters, 42, a laboratory technician at Copley Hospital, was found shot to death in her Morrisville home on September 2, 1993.

On Friday, Carroll Peters was ordered remanded in custody without bail and is due back in court next week to take part in an evidentiary hearing.

Police identified Carroll Peters as a suspect in the case from the beginning, but he publicly denied any involvement in the crime. He was never charged and no suspect has been arrested to date.

Lamoille County Attorney Aliena Gerhard said in an interview that there was no new evidence in the case.

The Vermont State Police have hired two cold case specialists. One of them has been working on the case for six years and brought it to the attention of the district attorney's office several years ago, Gerhard said.

“I want to move this forward, I want to find justice for this family and for our community,” Gerhard said. “This violent crime has torn this community apart.”

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