David Peters

Disclaimer: While place descriptions and news events may coincide with the real world, all characters and the plot are fictional. 
== Biography ==
=== Early Years ===
David was born and raised in the foster care system in Alaska, then worked for ARCO as a roustabout on the North Slope. He took a leave of absence, and studied engineering for four years at Portland State University. 
David met Madeline Matthews at university, they were married and Ryan was born. While Bill Matthews offered him a job, David turned him down. So he worked two weeks on, two weeks off.
David noticed Ryan seemed more injury-prone than normal, but he'd had a rough-and-tumble childhood himself, so he accepted Madeline's explanations. Then David Jr came along and for a couple of years the injuries subsided. They were happy, and David Sr was glad to that the senior Matthews were close by to help Madeline.
In 2002, David learned of the death of his youngest son, and life-threatening injury to Ryan, when was arrested at the airport on his way back from Alaska. The charges were murder, attempted murder, and a dozen other things. He tried to tell the DA that he was working, but because he had agreed to take another man's shift, he wasn't on the company work schedule. He was sentenced to life. For the first couple of years, he was suicidal, and didn't feel he could trust anyone. Then in 2006, Janet Matthews started to visit David in prison monthly, telling him that they had custody of Ryan - and to behave himself as 10-year-olds had accidents too. That woke David up, and he pushed his attorney to get his payroll records and file an appeal. While that was making its way through the courts, Janet would tell him about the artist who used Ryan as a model, about things that should never happen to a young boy. David feels guilty for not having protected Ryan better.
David Peters is Ryan Matthew's father. David was released from jail in 2008 when his conviction was overturned. Ryan was 12-years-old.
When he was released from prison in 2008, David found Ryan, and watched him play soccer. Ryan seemed happy, so David returned to work on another job on the North Slope in Alaska. Janet paid him a final visit to promise that if David returned to Alaska, and kept his mouth shut, Ryan would be fine. He flew down every couple of months, but didn't see any physical signs of abuse. And then the senior Matthews left and moved to San Diego, and Ryan stayed in Portland to go to college.
David now believes it was the senior Matthews that perpetrated the abuse of Ryan, probably with Madeline's knowledge or collaboration. As soon as he was aware of Rafael, he flew down to warn Ryan that the senior Matthews were evil.
David gives Ryan his contact information, and a journal that he kept of everything Janet Matthews told him during the prison visits.
== Physical Appearance ==
David is under 50-years-old. He is about 6-foot-2, but broader than Ryan through the chest and shoulders. His skin is sun-damaged, with lines at the corners of his eyes. His hands are calloused, and his knuckles scarred from manual labor.
He has re-married and they have a couple of small children.
Category:Character