A former biotech executive convicted of shooting his ex-business partner and brother in law in La Jolla was sentenced on Friday to 50 years in prison, plus two additional life terms.
After learning his punishment, Hans Peterson, 50, read a long statement, blaming the crime on his prescription drug, Klonopin.
He said he was a normal man until he was prescribed a high dose of that drug, which made him angry, paranoid and forced him to black out.
“We’re here today because of violent, disturbing and heinous acts that I committed against Steve Dowdy and Ron Fletcher under a Klonopin blackout,” he said. “It felt like a dream to me.”
Peterson was convicted in March of two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Jurors determined he tried to kill his estranged wife’s brother, Ronald Fletcher, and former business partner Steven Dowdy.
At Friday’s sentencing, he pointed a finger at the Food and Drug Administration, arguing that the agency allowed a “drug worse than heroin” be prescribed to him.
In September 2013, Peterson fired shots at the La Jolla homes of Dowdy and Fletcher.
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Fletcher was hit in the stomach, but he managed to grab the gun from Petersen and hold him there until police arrived.
The defense never disputed that Petersen carried out the double shooting. They argued that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs at the time.
Prosecutors said, however, the evidence showed Petersen had minimal amounts of medication in his system on that morning.
