(CNN) -- Tim Masters squarely blames Fort Collins, Colorado, police and prosecutors for his inability to land gainful employment and for his not having a wife and kids at this stage in his life.





Tim Masters, left, stands with attorney David Wymore, right, before Masters' release from prison last year.





In 1987, Masters became the prime suspect in the slaying of Peggy Hettrick, a 37-year-old found in a field near his house. Among the reasons police said they focused on Masters was that he failed to report the body after he found it and his childhood drawings and stories suggested he was fixated on death.





Masters was convicted of murder in 1999, but a judge last year threw out the conviction and released him from prison, citing new evidence that did not implicate Masters. Masters now has a lawsuit pending against several police officers, ex-prosecutors and the city.





The city of Fort Collins has asked a federal judge to dismiss the case.





Now 37, Masters sat down for a phone interview with a CNN reporter who covered his case and subsequent release. He said he still holds a grudge against the police and prosecutors who put him behind bars.  Watch Masters the day after his 2008 release »





He's living in Greeley, Colorado, and doesn't get back to Fort Collins much, but he does love traveling. Most notably, he's traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to appear on a talk show with Richard and Selma Eikelenboom, the Dutch forensic scientists who discovered the DNA evidence that ultimately freed Masters.





Things can be tough sometimes, but anything is better than prison, Masters said of his first year as a free man since being imprisoned.





CNN: How have things been in the year since your release?





Masters: It's a struggle to earn enough money to pay my bills and everything, make a living. Other than that, life is good.





CNN: Do you have a job?





Masters: I buy stuff at auction and I sell it on eBay.





CNN: Do you have trouble finding a job because of your time in jail?





Masters: Yeah, I think that has a lot to do with it. The first thing that comes up on a background check is "charges dismissed -- first-degree murder."  Watch Masters thank those last year who worked to free him »





CNN: How else have you been keeping yourself busy?





Masters: Pretty much work. That's it.





CNN: Describe a typical day.





Masters: The big challenge is, first of all, you've got to find out where the auctions are. Once you get that down, then you go to the auctions. Another disadvantage I have is I'm a little outdated on the prices of things, so I'm thinking things are worth a lot less than what they're going for. So I have to learn what things are worth now. I go to the auction, and I bid on stuff. I try and buy it cheap enough that I can make a profit on it, load it into the truck, bring it back to the house. I have shelves all in my basement full of just odds and ends. I put it all on the shelves. I do research on the computer and find out which ones I can actually make a profit on, and I list those. You list the item on eBay and let it run its course through the auction for usually seven days. If it sells, you pack it and ship it off. If it doesn't sell, you can either re-list it as an auction item, re-list it as a store item or throw it in the trash.





CNN: What kind of money do you make in a typical week?





Masters: Not enough.





CNN: What do you enjoy doing most that you weren't able to do in prison?





Masters: Travel. I've been to see my sister about four times since I've been out. She's in California. I have an uncle
Who relies on eBay for income? Who  says he's still getting used to cell phones?
Masters Tim Masters,
question: Who relies on eBay for income?, answer: Masters | question: Who  says he's still getting used to cell phones?, answer: Tim Masters,