Milton woman fights to free ‘wrongfully convicted’ husband

For years, Milton resident Heather Wlasiuk has been fighting to free her husband Pete Wlasiuk from jail in New York, because, she says, he was wrongfully convicted of killing his wife almost 20 years ago.

Now, through its continued work in the wrongfully convicted community, the nonprofit Center For Factual Innocence has taken up the cause and put Pete’s name on the hood of a car that will be racing in the General Tire 150 Friday, March 12, in Arizona. The center is run by James Douglas Lewis Jr., and Pete’s name and the center’s logo will be on D.L. Wilson’s No. 12 car.

It’s great to be getting the extra exposure for the cause, said Heather, during a recent interview.

Peter was found guilty of second-degree murder for the killing of his then-wife Patty and given a sentence of 25 years to life in 2002. Peter, an Army veteran, and Patty were in a car accident in which Patty drowned. More than once, court officials from Chenango County, N.Y., have argued successfully that Peter murdered Patty, then staged the accident.

He’s been fighting for his release ever since. In 2006, the state appeals court overturned the guilty verdict. In a retrial, Pete was found guilty again, but again the decision was overturned in 2011. In a third trial, in 2012, Pete was again found guilty. In 2016, Pete had an appeal denied.

Heather said she had been studying criminal justice when she came across Pete’s case. She said she first made contact with Pete around 2015 as an advocate, but after years of communication – letters, phone calls – a relationship developed. They married in November 2019.

Heather said there’s an appeal in process right now. She declined to get into the details because the case is ongoing, but she said the legal team has found 300 Brady violations related to exculpatory evidence. A Brady violation occurs when the government fails to disclose evidence materially favorable to the accused

Heather said the case has been fully briefed, but at this point it’s a waiting game to find out when the judge will make a decision about a retrial.

“They’ve not given us a timeline on when the judge will make a decision,” said Heather.

Heather said Pete would already be home right now through parole, but since he doesn’t have remorse, he’s not.

“It’s a catch-22,” she said. “He would have to admit wrongdoing and show remorse, but he’s not going to say he’s guilty of her murder.”

The upcoming race will be the second time Wilson, a Texas-based driver, will have Pete’s name on the hood of his car. He finished 26th in the Daytona race in March for the ARCA Menards Series 2021.

Wilson’s upcoming race is the General Tire 150 Friday, March 12. The 150-lap race is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., eastern time, and will take place on the one-mile paved tri-oval track in Avondale, Ariz. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV Motorsports Network with livestreaming available via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

After this weekend, Wilson is next scheduled to race Saturday, April 24, at Talladega Speedway in Alabama.

Heather said it would be great if Wilson won the race, but ultimately she doesn’t really care. It’s about getting exposure for the cause, she said.

For more information on Heather and Pete Wlasiuk, go to the Facebook page of Operation Free Pete.