Peterson Arraignment Delayed 10 Days

Ex-Cop Will Answer Murder Charge May 18 Because Neither Of His Lawyers Showed Up Today

(CBS/AP)  Drew Peterson will have to wait more than a week to answer allegations he drowned his third wife in a bath tub.

A judge continued the former police sergeant's arraignment to May 18 because neither of Peterson's attorneys were at the Friday hearing.

Peterson was charged with murder Thursday in the 2004 death of Kathleen Savio. He's also a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy. He's denied wrongdoing.

Peterson didn't speak in court except to tell the judge he understood the continuance.

But the 55-year-old was cracking jokes when he arrived.

Wearing a red jail jumpsuit, Peterson was brought in handcuffed and shackled around the legs. He told reporters he was getting "three squares a day" and joked about his "spiffy outfit" and "bling."

The former Bolingbrook, Ill. police sergeant is being held on $20 million bond. He was arrested during an evening traffic stop Thursday near his Bolingbrook home.

His fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, is missing, and police say they consider him a suspect in the disappearance, which they've dubbed a possible homicide. But he hasn't been charged and has repeatedly said he thinks Stacy Peterson ran off with another man.

Savio, 40, was found dead in a dry bathtub in her home in February 2004, her hair soaked in blood from a head wound, just before the couple's divorce settlement was finalized. At first, her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

But when Stacy Peterson, who was 23 at the time, vanished in October 2007, Savio's family became suspicious and had Savio's body exhumed. Authorities later declared her death a homicide made to look like a drowning.

"We are very confident in our case," Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said.

The indictment alleges that "Peterson on or about Feb. 29, 2004 ... caused Kathleen Savio to inhale fluid," causing her death.

Savio's family has long voiced suspicions, saying she feared Peterson and told relatives if she died it would not be an accident. Their fears resurfaced after the October 2007 disappearance of Stacy Peterson.

Peterson's arrest comes as welcome news for Savio's family.

"We always felt that there was foul play involved and we always suspected Drew Peterson," Savio's sister Sue Doman said.

Her nephew, Charlie Doman told CBS News, "Finally, we're being heard, and the investigation is moving forward now."

On The Early Show Friday, he said Peterson hasn't shown any remorse or sorrow over Savio, noting, "The day we buried her, he went over to the house with a big truck and pulled everything out of the house. So I don't think he had any remorse at all."

"I guess I should have returned those library books," a handcuffed Peterson said as state police led him into headquarters following his arrest, according to The (Joliet) Herald-News.

Prosecutors may rely on a new law tailored to this specific case. It allows what is called hearsay testimony if it shows a witness was killed to keep her silent, CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds reports. That would permit allegedly damning statements from either Savio or Stacy Peterson about Drew Peterson - such as what Savio wrote in a petition for court protection back in 2002.

"He wants me dead," she wrote "and if he has to he will burn the house down just to shut me up."

"In essence what you're basically allowing the victim of a violent crime to do is to testify from the grave," Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said.

One of Peterson's attorneys, Andrew Abood, said the indictment was not a complete surprise.

"There was tremendous pressure for the government to do something in this case," Abood said Thursday evening. But Abood said one of Peterson's sons with Savio has "provided a lock-tight alibi" for his father, who faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.

In an appearance on The Early Show last month, 16-year-old Thomas Peterson appeared alongside Drew and defended him, saying, "I highly do not believe that my dad had murdered my mom. Because, first off, he wasn't there, he was with us during that period of time."

On The Early Show on Friday, another Peterson lawyer, Joel Brodsky, said forensic evidence his side will introduce will show that Savio's death was indeed an accident.

Brodsky also told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Peterson would plead "not guilty to all charges, obviously."

Peterson has seemed to relish the spotlight since Stacy Peterson's disappearance, appearing in a People magazine cover story and on multiple national talk shows - most recently to tout his new engagement to a 24-year-old woman.

"The husband is always a suspect, whether you declare him so or not," Brodsky said when authorities revealed an autopsy on Savio's exhumed body showed she was murdered.

Savio's body was found by a friend of Peterson after the police sergeant called him to say he was worried because he had not talked to or seen Savio for a few days. The couple had recently divorced.

The friend, Steve Carcerano, has said he went to the house and went upstairs while Peterson waited downstairs. When he found Savio's body in the bathtub, he called downstairs to Peterson, who has said he then ran upstairs, took Savio's pulse, but found none.

Peterson's next wife was Stacy, who was 30 years younger. They had two children, who lived with the couple along with Peterson's two children from his marriage to Savio.

On the morning of Oct. 28, 2007, Stacy Peterson talked to a friend. Stacy's sister, Cassandra Cales, tried to call her in the middle of the afternoon, and did not get through. Late that night, Cales went to Peterson's home, but neither Drew nor Stacy was there. A few minutes later, she reached Peterson on his cell phone, with Peterson telling her that Stacy had left him.

Cales didn't believe it and reported her sister missing the next day.

Pamela Bosco, a friend of Stacy's family who has acted as an unofficial family spokeswoman, said "we're just happy for the Savio family."

"We always said that Stacy and Kathleen had one thing in common ... Drew Peterson," Bosco said.

[CraigBerkeley]

See Bigamists Among Us, Marin County Californian James K. Olson @ http://reno.broowaha.com/article.php?id=3481. Here California James K. Olson's bigamy fueled illegal trampling on a Nevada citizen's rights.

See what Gun Controller California and a lying California attorney, Gun Controller Steven T. Schoonover, and flip flopper James K. Olson did here to a Nevada citizen?s right to have a gun to protect herself after James K. Olson had broken into this Nevada citizen?s home! Gun Controllers Among Us, Marin County California Courts

Most liberal Gun Controller Marin County California has repeatedly thumbed their nose at the US Constitution, then imposed their illegal Gun Controller actions onto a Nevada citizen. What's next?

Lying California attorney, Steven T. Schoonover had the Nevada citizen served at 7:30 Thursday evening in Nevada for a 9 am the following Monday court in California and the California incompetent Gun Controller judge allowed that 1 day notice although illegal as have to be served more than 10 days before a hearing and furthermore it was to a Nevada citizen!

Three strikes you?re out lying California attorney, Gun Controller Steven T. Schoonover

http://reno.broowaha.com/article.php?id=3749
http://www.babelation.com/?q=node/1833
http://reno.broowaha.com/article.php?id=3630

[honestabe8]

horse3farm: he is a cop, and as a cop, he is probably not loved within the convict community, i hope he becomes the belle of he ball in prison\.

[galloglaigh]

And.. besides ..He has an iron clad alibi.
He was on duty the night of, and was with his kids the whole next day, in part looking for her, and even got a phone call from her, documented by records. Was she having an affair, due to the age difference ? Where is the physical evidence ? Women run away and break up marriages much more than men.
Posted by hamiltongrad at 6:35 PM : May 9, 2009



Peterson is being tried for the wife who was found dead in a bathtub, not the one who is missing.

If the wife of an "average Joe" was found dead in the bathtub, hair soaked in blood, that "average Joe" would immediately be the prime suspect.

So why wasn't Peterson an immediate prime suspect? Was it because he was a cop?

Doesn't it make you wonder?

Why did it take the disappearance of the next wife to make people sit up and take notice?

If a wife tells several people that she thinks her husband is going to kill her, and then she is found dead or disappears, don't you think the husband should be the prime suspect?

Interviewer: 'What do you tell your kids about Stacy's disappearance?' Peterson said, ?I tell them she's gone and she's not coming back.' And the reporter said, 'You say she's not coming back?' And he says, 'I didn't say that.' That's all caught on tape.

One wife dead and another wife missing.

Doesn't that make you wonder?

[hamiltongrad]

PUT DOWN THE PITCHFORKS AND THINK - why are you so against this man ??


Being funny and upbeat does not mean that this average JOE is guilty.

Saw a review on TV NBC. This guy's only problem is that he liked young girls, and that they liked him, and got married to him, AND he believed that he could create a family life, even with the stress of being an undercover policeman ! It is a wonder and a miracle that this man can keep it all together with all this going on. Where does be get the energy and his center ?To the mob out there with hate and blame, what would you have him do ?


He is acting positive for his CHILDREN . Inside I am sure he is being torn up as anyone of you would be. This is like some kind of Hitchkock film of the average type guy, a working man wrongly accused.

And.. besides ..He has an iron clad alibi.

He was on duty the night of, and was with his kids the whole next day, in part looking for her, and even got a phone call from her, documented by records. Was she having an affair, due to the age difference ? Where is the physical evidence ? Women run away and break up marriages much more than men. I am not saying she did 100 % but we need to wonder what were her history and stresses as well. She got married too young, and felt she wanted a new life ??

And....HE is a great dad to 4 kids ! All this time he has not wavered from the need to take care of his kids. Doing it all.

There has been so many times that the MEDIA is out to get someone. IS this just another case ??

Some times LAZY police, media and the DA conspire to WRAP things up, so we all can feel safe, and cozy, even though it does not make any real sense. I suggest from what has been published, that this is so.

////// Just because he is a "class clown" does not make him a murderer. Come on.////



///// How would you react to see your whole world collapse and your wife missing, and now you are worried who will take care of your kids ? ///////


Take that stress and put it on the stress of police work, building up day after day, again and again risking his life, for the community... Why is there a mob mentality with pitchforks to get this poor guy, just because.... ?

[horse3farm]

if (when) convicted, house him with the general population.
Posted by honestabe8

----
The prison population doesn't care if he killed his wives...they only care if you kill children. And rightfully so.

[horse3farm]

Finally this arrogant creep may get what is coming to him. Stay away from men named Peterson...first there was Scott, now there is Drew.

[sandy19731]

As an aside from the story, the photograph shows an obviously physically fit, large, well muscled man being handled by two groosly overweight, obviously unfit guards.

An apt metaphor for what is wrong in America, the criminals and sociopaths being more powerful than those charged with protecting the public from them.
Posted by brianbwb-2009 at 3:18 AM : May 9, 2009

Good point!

[luckygirl042]

"Savio, 40, was found dead in a dry bathtub in her home in February 2004, her hair soaked in blood from a head wound, just before the couple's divorce settlement was finalized. At first, her death was ruled an accidental drowning."
******************************************************************************
This is beyond belief! What idiot judge made such a ruling? Peterson must have had friends in high places.

[tbbaot]

What I read from this is the Coroner made a grave mistake ( no pun intended) with his wife with the head wound found in a dry bathtub.

[honestabe8]

if (when) convicted, house him with the general population.

[brianbwb-2009]

As an aside from the story, the photograph shows an obviously physically fit, large, well muscled man being handled by two groosly overweight, obviously unfit guards.

An apt metaphor for what is wrong in America, the criminals and sociopaths being more powerful than those charged with protecting the public from them.

[antepamfe200]

He should have done to him, what he did to her. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I didn't used to believe this way, but the more things like this happen, the more I believe this should be. Thank you.

[galloglaigh]

There are plenty of cases where statements have been made during divorce proceedings that are patently false just to make the other person look bad. It basically tells the public and I would assume, the jury that the prosecution has such a weak case that they have to try and build everything on a few statements that could have been taken out of context or made in a very emotional moment .
Posted by aka_KJB at 4:54 PM : May 8, 2009


Well, true. But this isn't a divorce case. And someone did die.

In those cases where statements were made and one of the spouses ends up being a homicide victim...guess what? It's usually the other spouse who perpetrated it.

Sadly, spouses, men and women, who say they "think their spouse is going to kill them" have good reason to say that. It's not a statement that someone in a "good marriage" or relationship says on a regular basis.

In addition, there are plenty of cases where first-person witnesses lied to get a false conviction. I see little difference between first-person and heresay testimony. Both can and should be verified in cases where capital punishment is involved. Besides, the victim in this case told more than one person that "her husband was going to kill her."

Well, guess what? Her worst fears came true.

[dirtydog55]

Besides possibly killing two women, the really scary thing about this is this guy was legally allowed to carry a gun and badge.

IMHO the percentage of wackos legally carrying guns and badges is FAR greater than the number of wacko civilians who simply own guns.

Drew Peterson and Craig Peyer are just two "guns and badges" wackos who immediately come to mind.

I often wonder if Peterson had not been a cop, would he have been a suspect in the death of his previous wife? Come on...a person drowning in an "empty" bath tub? What did she do? Fill it with water, drown herself, and then pull the plug and let the water out? Get real. The average citizen would have been a suspect immediately.

Peyer was a "veteran" CHP officer who pulled over a good-looking young woman, hit on her, and then killed her when she refused him. We'll never know if she threatened to turn him in because he never admitted it and there were no witnesses, just lots of evidence in the trunk of his CHP cruiser, and scratches on his face. Turns out, when people saw him on TV, commenting on the crime (before he became a suspect) several women viewers came forward and said he pulled them over and hit on them, too.

Peyer is in prison for life. Peterson, if guilty, belongs in prison for life. Criminal cops should pay a higher price for their crimes simply because we do entrust them with our safety and they take advantage of it.

Stupid criminals eventually get caught. Sadly, it's often too late for some victims.

[stevex47]

"Having said all that, I still think the guy is guilty as sin & that if the state auctioned off the privilege of throwing the switch on the lethal injection machine on eBay that said state would balance it's budget with the proceeds. "

That's thinking outside the box !
Well written and thought out editorial too!

[aka_KJB]

++ How does this ugly POS keep scoring with young hotties? ++
Posted by gravyboat45

Same reason serial killers get so much fan mail from women and almost always wind up marrying one of them. It's a mixture of the allure of being close to a celebrity, even if their fame is from a dubious action and the belief by these women that they can 'change' or 'save' the man in question. The fact that Peterson is such a media w h o r e doesn't hurt, either. He was on the cover of People for cryin' out loud.

Peterson may very well be guilty but the admission of hearsay testimony really bothers me. That's a prosecution tool that can be abused way too easily and used to railroad innocent defendants straight to death row. This testimony can't be cross-examined to ascertain the mental state of the person who gave the testimony. Just because someone said something to a friend or put a statement into a document doesn't give it an automatic pass when it comes to meeting the standards other evidence and testimony are forced to meet. There are plenty of cases where statements have been made during divorce proceedings that are patently false just to make the other person look bad. It basically tells the public and I would assume, the jury that the prosecution has such a weak case that they have to try and build everything on a few statements that could have been taken out of context or made in a very emotional moment .

Having said all that, I still think the guy is guilty as sin & that if the state auctioned off the privilege of throwing the switch on the lethal injection machine on eBay that said state would balance it's budget with the proceeds.

[JoeBoo2]

While in shackles, Peterson joked, 'I guess I should have returned those library books.'
And he claims to be such a good father! Give me a break!! His reactions are consistently those of a unrepentant, murdering sociopath. Even an innocent person wouldn't display such ridicule for the families of 2 lost women -- much less the mother of his children!!

[Tu_eres]

How does this ugly POS keep scoring with young hotties?
Posted by gravyboat45

He doesn't use Purell

[gravyboat45]

How does this ugly POS keep scoring with young hotties?

[Tu_eres]

He didn't do it! It was an errant bomb from U.S. warplanes. Ask nancynonesense, she will tell you.