Peyer Jury Continues to Deliberate

Jurors in the retrial of former California Highway Patrol Officer Craig Peyer completed their first full day of deliberations Wednesday without reaching a verdict.

Peyer, 38, is charged with the murder of college student Cara Knott, whose body was found in a ravine on Dec. 28, 1986. Prosecutors say Peyer pulled Knott over at the Mercy Road exit on Interstate 15 and strangled her after a struggle. Peyer’s first trial ended in February when jurors announced that they were deadlocked on the murder charge after seven days of deliberations.

Also Wednesday, a San Diego man who was interviewed as a possible juror for the case was found innocent of a contempt-of-court charge.

During a morning hearing, Superior Court Judge Richard Huffman told Lionel Joyce that he acted improperly by discussing the case with a friend at the same time he was under consideration as a juror for the trial. But Huffman seemed persuaded by arguments by Joyce’s attorney, Judy Conard, who said her client never tried “to deceive the court” about his conduct.

Last month, Joyce was chastised harshly by Huffman after the judge learned that the prospective juror had a conversation about the case after being advised not to discuss it. Huffman warned Joyce at the time that the contempt charge was a serious matter and that he should “bring an attorney” for the hearing.