Village resident Frederick Peterson died of apparent gunshot wounds on Saturday, Jan. 11. A statement from YSPD that night read that a “suspect was quickly taken into custody.” Although the police have yet to publicly identify the suspect, arrest records show that Frederick Dane Muenchau-Peterson, Peterson’s son, was arrested and booked into the county jail on Jan. 11 on several charges, including murder. (Submitted photo)
Village mourns ‘Doc Pete’
- Published: January 22, 2025
Yellow Springs reeled Saturday, Jan. 11, upon learning that it had lost a beloved member of its community: Frederick Peterson, Psy.D., known as “Doc Pete” for his work as a clinical psychologist, and as a friendly, welcoming presence to those who crossed his path.
The YS Police Department released a statement Saturday morning reporting that officers performed a welfare check at Livermore Street residence at approximately 11:21 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Upon arrival, officers discovered a person, now known to be Peterson, with apparent gunshot wounds. According to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, or BCI, Peterson later died from his injuries.
A suspect in connection to the case was “quickly taken into custody without incident,” according to the police statement.
“This case remains an active and ongoing investigation,” the statement read.
At press time, the YS Police Department and BCI had yet to publicly identify the suspect involved in the shooting. However, public arrest records show that Frederick Dane Muenchau-Peterson, Peterson’s son, was arrested and booked into Greene County Jail Saturday, Jan. 11, on charges of murder, felonious assault and improperly discharging a firearm.
The elder Peterson was confirmed as the victim of the shooting by his wife, villager Deborah Dixon Peterson, via Facebook.
In a public statement shared online and with the News, Dixon Peterson wrote that her husband was “taken from us in a senseless act of violence, leaving a void that can never be filled.” She went on to ask for “patience and privacy during this tender time.”
Read the full statement from Dixon Peterson at the top of page 4 in the Jan. 17 issue of the News.
In response to Dixon Peterson’s online statement, a flood of comments was posted by those who knew and loved “Doc Pete,” with folks noting his death as a “huge loss” and describing him as an “incredible person and professional.”
Peterson was a psychologist, writer and educator whose work focused on sexuality and gender and trauma resolution therapy. He was the author or co-author of several works, including 2020’s “The Gender Revolution and New Sexual Health” and a textbook, released in 2022, “Sex and Gender: Current Clinical Concepts and Practices.” He was one of the final clinical fellows of the Masters and Johnson Institute, founded by William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, who were pioneers in the study of human sexuality. He was also, as the News reported in 2022, a passionate educator on issues of cultural diversity and white privilege.
Beyond his professional life, Peterson was an “incredible, loving husband,” Dixon Peterson told the News this week.
“He had this way of instinctively knowing and giving a person what they needed,” Dixon Peterson said. “He has truly been the wind beneath my wings, and I cannot express how devastated I am that he’s no longer in my life.”
She said Peterson loved people, no matter who they were, “warts and all,” and had a talent for “meeting people where they were,” in both professional settings and in his personal life.
“That was probably one of his greatest gifts — he created this space of acceptance, and people responded to that,” she said.
Dixon Peterson said her husband loved being a part of the Yellow Springs community, and was keen to give his “time, money, patience and knowledge” to those around him.
“He was ready to step in, no questions asked,” she said. “I’ve received so many calls and texts and letters from people who are just devastated.”
Dixon Peterson described Peterson as a “devoted family man” who had several children, each of whom he “loved dearly.” She said she mourns “what was taken” from herself and Peterson’s family, but also for the wider community, on which “Doc Pete” left a lasting impression.
“This is so fresh that it hasn’t even rippled out yet,” she said. “You know, you throw a pebble into water and it ripples out — this is going to ripple out for years, and it will affect not only people in the community who have benefitted from knowing him and from his expertise and talents, but the potential people who could have benefitted from him. His death has robbed so many people.”
Peterson was, Dixon Peterson said, the “most beautiful man” she had ever met.
“I was amazed that he chose me and I was humbled on a daily basis to be around him,” she said. “I loved and admired him.”
The News will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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