The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has a new lead in a cold case murder from 2009 in Templeton.
Investigators have identified a person of interest in the death of Jerry Greer; his son Brian Greer.
Greer spoke with KSBY News on Friday afternoon. He says he is innocent and wants to clear his name.
"I had nothing to do with my dad’s murder. I had nothing to do with my dad’s murder," Greer said, visibly upset by the developments. "I am innocent. I’m innocent."
Greer’s 71-year-old father was found shot to death in his Templeton home. The killer was never caught.
On Thursday, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant at Brian Greer’s home in Paso Robles.
"The sheriff’s department has a very difficult job to do," Greer said. "But I’ve told them all along, I am not their suspect. I am adamant they are wasting their resources and time on me."
The new lead is a direct result of the department’s cold case investigator who was hired in 2016 and has spent hours on the case.
"As a result, we were able to find a person of interest in this case and hopefully bring a little closure to the family as well as to the community," said Tony Cipolla, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.
Detectives collected items from Greer’s home, but details remained tight-lipped on what was taken into custody.
Greer has never been formally charged.
"I feel like that’s next," Greer said. "I think they’re going to charge me and I’m scared. I don’t what to say. The sheriff’s department scares me. They scare me. They’ve dropped the ball, they’ve fumbled, and they continue to fumble and they’re doing damage control and they’re still making mistakes and their level of confidence does not get my vote. I’m sorry, they don’t get my vote, I don’t have a vote of confidence with these people."
He recently retired as a state correctional officer in Soledad. Meanwhile, friends have reached out to Greer in support.
"I’m asking for help, the public’s assistance," he said. "If anybody knows anything that happened to my dad, please step forward, because they’re about to charge an innocent man here."
Crimestoppers have a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for killing Jerry Greer. Call detectives at (805) 781-4500.
