Patch the Place For Drew Peterson Murder Trial Coverage
Patch will cover the Drew Peterson murder trial gavel-to-gavel with live updates, breaking news and video.
Kathleen Savio has been dead more than eight years, waiting for justice.
Drew Peterson has been jailed for three, looking forward to finally getting his day in court.
Stacy Peterson has been missing nearly five years, but the words she supposedly spoke to others may play a big part in whether her husband goes free or spends the rest of his life in prison.
And you can get up-to-the minute information on the entire Drew Peterson courtroom saga throughout the case at Patch. We'll cover the case from gavel to gavel with up-to-the-minute live blogs, breaking news and videos. We'll also have bios on all the major players in the case and keep you in the loop on what's going down outside the courtroom.
The trial of Drew Peterson, a disgraced former Bolingbrook cop charged with murdering his third wife, Savio, starts with jury selection Monday. Peterson allegedly drowned Savio in her bathtub in March 2004 and staged the scene to make her death appear accidental.
If that's what happened, he managed to fool the Illinois State Police, who ruled Savio's death a freak bathtub accident until Peterson’s next wife, Stacy Peterson, mysteriously vanished in October 2007.
Stacy is still missing and the police believe Peterson may have had a hand in killing her, but they have yet to charge him with any wrongdoing in connection with her disappearance.
But damaging statements some claim she made about Peterson's involvement with Savio's death may be heard at the murder trial. Predictions Savio supposedly made about Peterson someday killing her are also expected to be introduced as evidence.
And Patch will have all of this, from the very beginning of jury selection until Peterson discovers his fate when the verdict is read.
Watchful Eye
9:28 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012
Imagine, the day of reckoning is here. I've gone back and re-read a lot of the information that is available about the details of that weekend, and there are some extremely contradictory issues the defense has to overcome.
Still don't understand why Peterson did not use his own departments resources to enter his ex-wife's house to do a well-being check. Defies logic. Eighteen calls were made to the police between the two of them over the years, yet, this one time when he supposedly needed to do a well-being check, he calls a locksmith and rounds up the neighbors to do a law enforcement officer's job. The locksmith finds that the least challenging lock of all was the one he had to pick in order to get into the house, and the alarm not activated. I could never believe Kathleen Savio's death was an accident.
Will be following your coverage, Joe. Wishing you the best....
Watchful Eye
9:52 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012
Francis Regan, what is the difference between the first autopsy (I'm only referring to the official autopsies for the time being) and the second one? I'd like to hear your authority on that.
Dr. Brian Mitchell did not make a ruling as to whether the manner of death was homicide, suicide, accident, natural or undetermined. He established the cause of her death was drowning. The call as to her manner of death was made by the coroner's inquest.
Now, what is your point please?
Watchful Eye
10:17 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012
"Dr. Larry W. Blum, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, concludes in his report that the actual cause of Kathleen Savio’s death was DROWNING and that the legal manner of death was homicide."
The second autopsy concluded she drowned. Now, what are we talking about here when you ask "which autopsy do you believe?" She drowned. Dr. Mitchell didn't give a "legal manner" of death, because the stacked, ridiculous, Kangaroo Inquest Panel was left to do that, along with a cop on it that knew Drew Peterson, and a witness, Officer Hardy, who wasn't even at the death scene. The panel was not given a choice of anything other than natural, accidental or homicide. Being laypeople, with no medical background, they were not given a choice of undetermined. Their determination was based on WHAT THEY WERE GIVEN. They were lacking crucial information in many ways, and, IMO, they were led down the path that they eventually wound up at by inept, misguided and useless authorities at the time.
Didn't we cover this already, JM, I mean Francis Regan?
Jane Schwieterman
2:17 pm on Sunday, July 22, 2012
Anyone with half a brain can realize that Peterson is guilty.All these females dead or missing?? Being a Cop with a big ego got in his way of reality.I feel sorry for these victims famlies,and his children's emotional well being.For the rest of their life's they will live with this.May God have no mercy on his ego,or his soul.
Flora Dora
2:41 pm on Sunday, July 22, 2012
Joe, I look forward to reading your Patch coverage of this trial!
John Roberts
7:38 am on Monday, July 23, 2012
What this case also sets precedent for is if he is convicted is, Anyone you have an argument with can stand outside your house and say you are a drug dealer,the police can bust down your door,take you to jail,and you will be tried and convicted with no evidence...only hearsay....Watch it...Through the court systems is what allows the determination of how laws are enforced....If he did it then he deserves what comes...but you have to have the evidence....If evidence was tampered with then other officers need to go to jail also.
Ernie Knight
11:52 am on Monday, July 23, 2012
Wrong. The new law passed to allow more heresay was specifically rejected by the appellate court. The hearsay which is being allowed is under EXISTING Illinois law. There is NO expansion of the use of heresay. Some forms of heresay have always been admissible in court.
Watchful Eye
9:04 am on Monday, July 23, 2012
Francis Regan, John Moreli, whoever the heck you want to be today, why don't you go away and enjoy your retirement, and leave the intelligent responses with the true facts to the others.
Ask Glasgow why he allowed a cop on the inquest panel. Pffft. You are funny.
Freddie Kissell
10:34 am on Monday, July 23, 2012
Thanks for keeping us in the loop, Joe. You did write the book on Drew, after all!
Watchful Eye
11:49 am on Monday, July 23, 2012
Whatever you say, Moreli. You Da Man.
Watchful Eye
11:52 am on Monday, July 23, 2012
Haha, you worked with Peterson, so we wouldn't expect anything less from you than standing up for a POS like he is.
Watchful Eye
6:02 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012
Elden, AFAIK, the initial investigation did not include testing of the water/drain time. Peterson said that testing was done, but he said a lot of things that are lies. The stopper was in the drain, and Peterson himself said the drain stopper leaked, from experience he had with his kids taking baths. No public information is available, that I know of, concerning testing in the current investigation.
Only bloody purge, which is a natural by-product of decomp, was under Savio's body. There was no ring of bloody purge around the tub, which means the water drained prior to the purge being released.
Her body had no evidence of rigor mortis. Within 48 hrs, it's come and gone. When she was discovered, it was many hours after she died.