Man: Neighbor killed by owl, not husband

DURHAM, N.C., May 26 (UPI) -- A former neighbor of a Durham, N.C., man convicted of his wife's murder claims the death was not caused by a human, but rather by an aggressive owl.

Larry Pollard claims his deceased neighbor Kathleen Peterson was killed by an owl attack in December 2001, not by her husband, novelist Mike Peterson, who is serving a life sentence in prison for the crime, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer reported Monday.

Pollard, who formerly worked as a lawyer, said he has spent years gathering information that indicates Kathleen Peterson's wounds were caused by an owl, not by assault with a fire poker. He said that despite repeatedly informing the media of his theories, he has not presented his ideas to the Durham district attorney.

"I want it to be the best I have," Pollard said.

Durham District Attorney Jim Hardin, who led the prosecution of Peterson, said he has heard of the owl theory and discussed it with medical examiners. He said they dismissed the idea.