Whatever became of the real life army Lt in anatomy of a Murder after his aquittal on murder charges?

Answer 1

The movie 'Anatomy of a Murder' was based on a real case, but the names in the movie were changed. The original murder took place at the Lumberjack Tavern in Big Bay, Michigan, in the early morning hours of July 31, 1952. The defense attorney at the trial was future Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker. Justice Voelker used the "pen name" of "Robert Traver", when he was a member of the Marquette County Prosecutor's Office (and was first doing his writing). This is because he wanted to prevent a perceived "conflict of interest". The Lieutenant in question was named Coleman A. Peterson. Peterson was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation after the trial, and he was released 30 days later. According to the New York Daily News, Peterson and his wife were divorced six months after the trial, and he died in a plane crash in Alaska a few years later.