Two Journalists Investigate Boy's Murder

In June 1996, 12-year-old Danny Meyer took...Danny Meyer took a shortcut.Danny took a shortcut through the woods going to a Little League game in Maybrook, NY, a town about an hour north of New York City.

Danny missed the game. His mother grew suspicious and reported him missing around 1 pm. Hours later, the search hit a devastating break.

The same day Danny's mother reported him missing, children walked through the woods along the shortcut Danny used to reach the baseball field. This is whenthey found his bodyface down on the ground.

They told the police about the discovery. The police started an investigation into his death.

After the investigation started,Two local journalists investigated.Times Herald-RecordThe Times Herald-Record.Reporter Leigh Hursey and graphic artist Stephen Mellus decided to trace Danny's steps and figure out how the murder happened. The journalists then found a young man hanging from a tree.

Hursey asked the man.The two cut the man down from the tree. The man thanked Mellus "at least three times" for saving him.When Hursey and Mellus found the man, he was

leaning against the treeand his foot touched a red bike below him, which alerted both journalists.After cutting the man down, the journalists questioned him about what happened. He replied, "A man did it," claiming someone raped him and tied him to the tree with a telephone wire.

Mellus said he was immediately

suspicious of the storyand how the man thanked him much. "But at that point I was happy we got him down from the tree and he was alive," Mellus said.Mellus became more suspicious after they removed the wire from the man's neck and the supposed victim claimed he hung there for an hour. However, red marks around his neck vanished fast, showing he was there for much less time.

"He seemed stunned, confused, evasive with his answers. I was immediately suspicious of this whole story," Mellus said.

Hursey added the man gave very different answers when asked his age.

After questioning the man, police became suspicious of his story too. They interrogated him more and finally found he was responsible for Danny's murder.

Police questioned the man. They found his story suspicious. Police took him for more questioning and found he killed Danny Meyer.

Police trooper William DeBlock said about the journalists, "They were out there doing their job."

After the investigation, police arrested Juan Peinado and charged him with Danny Meyer's murder. DeBlock said he appreciated the journalists and their initial suspicions about Peinado.

Police arrested suspect Juan Peinado and charged him with killing Danny Meyer. DeBlock expressed gratitude for the journalists and their early suspicions about Peinado.

"I can see some people writing this guy off as unstable, cutting him loose, and sending him on his way, and we might not have ever come across him," he said. "They [Hursey and Mellus] sensed that something might not be right and saw that it got to the right people."

Police said Peinado was 20. Family Court records showed he was only 17. Peinado and Danny supposedly knew each other for about a year. During this time, Peinado had "limited intellectual capacity," his lawyer reported.Peinado's lawyer reported that he gave Danny three gifts.Peinado reportedly gave Danny three gifts.

In 1997, the court asked Danny Meyer's best friend, TJ Malone, to testify for his late friend. During the trial, Danny's friend struggled to give his testimony without crying.

"You were very brave," Danny's father told TJ.TJ told Danny's father after he left the stand, "You have more courage than many grown men."TJ said this after leaving the stand.

Peinado confessed to Danny's murder, but the judge later ruled the confession inadmissible.

Peinado appealed the murder conviction ruling in 1999 after his conviction.The court ruled Peinado's confession inadmissible.The court found the confession inadmissible because it came after too long an interrogation session.

Investigators found evidence to convict Peinado. This included hair and blood samples, plus clothes he wore during questioning. Peinado also admitted his crime.Peinado admitted his crime to fellow inmates while in prison.His conviction stood. The appeal was thrown out. He continued to serve a sentence of 25 years to life.

Peinado did not give a motive for the murder or the hanging. However, he left a suicide note.The note found in his bedroom stated he wanted a burial next to his "good friend" Danny.The note said he wanted a burial next to his "good friend" Danny.

In January 1997, locals built a playground and named it after Danny Meyer. Danny made a lasting impact on his community. Resident Rhonda Malone said, "We are not building this for a boy who died."Resident Rhonda Malone said this.She said at the time, "We are building it for a boy who lived so well."

About 500 local residents helped build the playground. This gave Danny's family and the town some comfort after his death.

In 2016, roughly 20 years after Danny's death and 19 years after the community built the playground, the village of Maybrook rededicated the recreation area to Danny to recognize his impact.

The village website read:

On June 15, 1996, a tragedy struck our village, taking the life of 12-year-old Danny Meyer. Friends, residents, and local businesses raised money for a playground in the Village of Maybrook for young Danny Meyer. This year marks the 20th anniversary of young Danny's passing.

"Danny's memory and love for life will always be remembered in the Village of Maybrook," the dedication ended.