On the night of December 27, 1986, Cara Knott called her parents to let them know that she was on her way home from Escondido. When she did not make it home, her parents called the police right away. The next morning, Knott was found dead at the bottom of a canyon near Mercy Road in Rancho Penasquitos. She had been strangled with a piece of yellow rope and her skull had been smashed. Acting on little physical evidence and a few citizens' reports, police were led to and arrested California Highway Patrolman Craig Peyer for the crime. The ensuing investigation led to more than twenty reports of "bizarre and frightening" behavior by Peyer, from women who had been stopped in the same area where Knott had been found. According to the investigation, Peyer's behavior escalated over time as he used his position as a Law Enforcement officer to "hunt women" while on patrol.
             This abhorrent deed is a slap in the face to all who have sworn to serve and who have taken the law enforcement code of ethics to heart. The first paragraph of the law enforcement code of ethics states "As a law enforcement officer my fundamental duty is to serve mankind, to safeguard lives and property." Peyer did not serve anyone but himself, and certainly did nothing to safeguard life. The first paragraph also goes on to say that an officer should protect those who are incapable of protecting themselves. This certainly did not happen when Peyer pulled Knott over for a traffic violation. The fourth and final paragraph of the law enforcement code of ethics discusses the badge office being held as a symbol of public faith and trust. By committing his deeds, Peyer put the police service and all of those who hold this code in a very bad position. And while Peyer may have been the first California Highway Patrolman to commit murder while on duty, he certainly has not been the first to prey upon others while working as a...