My brother has been behind bars for more than 3 years for a crime he did not commit. My father, a hard working farmer, has sunk everything he has into legal help to have the first faulty conviction overturned yet Utah County attorneys continue to waste tax payer dollars pursuing a second case against him with no valid evidence. How much more will we allow the misuse of resources and endless persecution of an innocent man?

Conrad and Heidy were married July 11, 2009 on a mountain in Park City, Utah. Their love story was beautiful and when they found each other they truly found happiness. 

Just over three years later, on September 30, 2012 Conrad called 911, panicked and desperately seeking help for his wife. After attempting to render aid, his anguish grew as he waited for help to arrive. In the frenzy that followed Conrad was denied access to his wife while aid to Heidy was further delayed. Heidy died from a gunshot wound to the head that night at the hospital.

Over the next nine months, police served multiple search warrants and thoroughly investigated Conrad Truman based exclusively on his behavior that evening and their claim that Conrad killed his wife in order to obtain almost 1 million dollars of life insurance. Additionally, they claimed that Heidy could not have moved after being shot and they claimed she was located 12 feet from where the shot occurred.

Detectives and prosecutors compiled an effective presentation which they used to coax the state medical examiner into changing the cause of death on Heidy Truman’s death certificate from“could not be determined” to “homicide.” At that point, Conrad Truman was arrested and held for over a year pending his trial.

At trial, Truman’s defense effectively showed that the the insurance policies the prosecutors put forth as a motive were non-existent. The prosecutor said a motive wasn’t necessary to convict him. The defense also showed that Conrad and Heidy Truman had a loving relationship and that there was no evidence of marital discord. The prosecutor admitted this but said it wasn't relevant. 

What was not presented were the results of gunshot residue tests which were gathered the evening of the incident. Even though the lead detective requested the results and admitted nobody actually knew what happened. What was also not presented were ACCURATE measurements of the scene which proved Heidy did not move.

Given the extensive efforts by prosecutors to mislead the jury, Conrad was eventually convicted and sent to prison.

After the conviction, new legal representation dug in and compelled the gunshot residue to be tested and other evidence which was withheld or falsely represented. The new legal team found that the measurements used in the initial trial were inaccurate and that the information provided to the state medical examiner included a large amount of inaccurate and even falsified information. They also found the results of the gun shot residue showed that Heidy Truman fired the fatal shot that took her life. Looking at the new information the state medical examiner changed Heidy’s death certificate back to “could not be determined.”

Based on the inaccuracies presented to the jury, Conrad Truman was granted a new trial. 

Now a new set of prosecutors are vigilantly wasting taxpayer dollars and keeping an innocent man behind bars because they're not willing to face the reality of their error. Tell the Utah County Prosecutors that they need to be better stewards of our resources and drop the case against Conrad Truman and focus on real issues facing our citizens.