Drew Peterson arrested/indicted for murder 3rd wife Kathleen Savio #1(GUILTY)

[grace-land]

In my opinion, this is an interesting and informative summary of Wednesday's court session.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-drew-peterson-trial-0816-20120816,0,1214073.story
8:53 p.m. CDT, August 15, 2012

[grace-land]

Thursday, August 16, 2012
http://twitter.com/StacyStClair

2m Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
Prosecution spokesman Chuck Pelkie gave the names of 4 witnesses scheduled for today at #DrewPeterson trial. I admire his optimism.

7mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
Touges has said that #DrewPeterson said at a party that the untimeliness of Savio's death looked bad for him and added "let them prove it."

14mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson attys have filed a motion to bar Stacy's uncle Kyle Toutges from testifying.

16mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson prosecution will resume with pathologist Larry Blum.

[grace-land]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-drew-peterson-trial-0816-20120816,0,1214073.story

9:34 a.m. CDT, August 16, 2012
Continual coverage of the trial of Drew Peterson for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
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9:20 a.m. Witness list: Stacy's uncle, friend
Testimony from Dr. Larry Blum, who determined in 2007 that Kathleen Savio’s drowning was a homicide, is expected to resume this morning.

Others on today’s prosecution witness list include: Kyle Toutges, who is Stacy Peterson’s uncle; Stacy Peterson’s friend Scott Rossetto; and Jennifer Schoon, the ex-girlfriend of Drew Peterson’s son.

Toutges testified during a pretrial hearing in 2010 that he overheard Drew Peterson say "let them prove it" when Peterson's friends suggested it "looked bad" for him to have his ex-wife die during their tumultuous custody and property battle.

"Our family gave Drew the benefit of the doubt," Kyle Toutges testified. "We were told Kathleen was crazy and on drugs and needed to be in a home."

Defense attorneys this morning filed a motion to bar Toutges from testifying.

Rossetto, who traded raunchy text messages with Stacy shortly before she disappeared in 2007, testified at a pretrial hearing that Drew Peterson coaxed her into providing a false alibi for the weekend of Savio's death.

Schoon was living in Drew Peterson’s home at the time of Savio’s death, Schoon’s attorney said in 2008.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

Just a reminder:  In order to see the newest updated summary, please refresh the page.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-drew-peterson-trial-0816-20120816,0,1214073.story

10:34 a.m. CDT, August 16, 2012
Continual coverage of the trial of Drew Peterson for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
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10:30 a.m. Pathologist's conclusion: 'Homicide'

Forensic pathologist Larry Blum testified that he ruled out suicide because there was no history of suicidal thoughts or prior attempts by Savio.

Her death was not accidental, he said, because adults do not drown in bathtubs unless they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or they have physical maladies such as epilepsy and other neural or muscular conditions that incapacitate them.

As jurors took noted furiously, Blum said he concluded a fall would not have left her with a gash to the back of her head and an array of bruises on the front of her body. Furthermore, she did not have any bruises or injuries to her arms that would have indicated she tried to stop herself from falling, he said.

State's Atty. James Glasgow asked Blum if he reached a conclusion on the how Savio died.

"Yes," Blum said.

"And what was that?" Glasgow asked.

"Homicide," Blum replied
 ::snipping2::

[cookie]

Why isn't this trial being televised?

[grace-land]

Cookie, this article might answer your question--

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/12404110-418/drew-petersons-trial-wont-be-made-for-tv.html

Drew Peterson’s trial won’t be made-for-TV
Updated: June 11, 2012 9:15AM

[grace-land]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/14524133-418/pathologist-drew-petersons-ex-wifes-death-a-homicide-case-returns-to-stand.html

Pathologist: Drew Peterson’s ex-wife’s death a homicide case returns to stand
Updated: August 16, 2012 1:57PM

The pathologist who examined Kathleen Savio’s body after she was exhumed in 2007 told Drew Peterson’s jurors Thursday she died of a homicide.

They heard that key piece of testimony after Peterson’s trial got off to a stuttering start that had jurors sent in and out of the courtroom while Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow tried to finish his first round of questions for Blum.
 
Then defense attorney Ralph Meczyk began his aggressive cross-examination of Blum, setting out early to undermine the pathologist’s credibility.
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[grace-land]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pathologist-drew-petersons-3rd-wife-murdered-17022211

Pathologist: Drew Peterson's 3rd Wife Was Murdered
JOLIET, Ill. August 16, 2012

 ::snipping2::
Testifying for a second day Thursday, Blum told jurors he didn't believe an accidental fall could explain how Savio had a fresh gash on the back of her head and a pattern of deep bruises on the front of her body.
 
"I couldn't see how that could happen," Blum testified.
 
Savio's circular tub also had no edges pronounced enough to cause the two-inch, straight-line wound on her head, Blum said. Also, the position of Savio's body in the tub — face down and with her feet jammed against the sides of the tub — did not support a theory that she slipped and hit the back of her head, he said.
  ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/08/16/drew-peterson-trial-faq

The Peterson trial: Your questions answered
updated 5:42 PM EDT, Thu August 16, 2012

Editor's note: Jury selection in the Drew Peterson trial began in late July. In Session on truTV has covered the case from the beginning. Below are some questions that readers have posed, along with the answers to those questions.

Why aren’t there cameras in the courtroom?
Illinois recently passed a law allowing cameras in the courtroom. However, the law leaves the decision up to individual counties. Will County, Illinois, still bars cameras from the courtroom as of right now.
 
Why don't we know who will testify ahead of time?
A witness list has not been released to the public. However, before court starts in the morning a spokesperson from the District Attorney’s office usually gives  the media a heads-up as to who is expected to testify that day.
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[grace-land]

http://romeoville.patch.com/articles/drew-peterson-s-alleged-hitman-headhunter-coming-back

Drew Peterson's Alleged Hitman Headhunter To Tell All?
8:23 pm (August 16, 2012)

Prosecutors will find out Friday morning if they have recaptured vital testimony from a man who claimed Drew Peterson offered him $25,000 to find someone willing to kill his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

The testimony from the alleged hitman headhunter, Jeffrey Pachter of Braidwood, looked to be lost on the very first day of Peterson's murder trial when Judge Edward Burmila ruled prosecutors goofed by failing to notify defense attorneys that he would be testifying.

But the prosecution renewed their bid to get Pachter on the witness stand late Thursday and Judge Burmila said he would take the matter under consideration.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

Summary of Thursday's court session

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-drew-peterson-trial-0817-20120817,0,1934971.story

9:44 p.m. CDT, August 16, 2012
As jurors furiously took notes, a state-hired pathologist explained Thursday why he believed the bathtub drowning of Drew Peterson's third wife was a homicide.

Dr. Larry Blum said Kathleen Savio's position in her Bolingbrook tub, her injuries and the lack of drugs or alcohol in her system helped him conclude she was murdered. Yet he acknowledged that finding was contradicted by the respected Will County pathologist who performed the original autopsy in 2004.

Blum, who spent two days on the witness stand being questioned by State's Attorney James Glasgow, is a crucial witness for prosecutors in the high-profile murder case built on circumstantial and hearsay evidence. A defense attorney attacked Blum's interpretation of the evidence, and the pathologist acknowledged that DNA supporting the prosecution's theory was never found.

Glasgow said outside the courthouse that the testimony was "a real turning point."

"We had a real strong day today — very important forensic evidence came in," he said.
 ::snipping2::

[flutter1]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pathologist-drew-petersons-3rd-wife-murdered-17022211

Pathologist: Drew Peterson's 3rd Wife Was Murdered
JOLIET, Ill. August 16, 2012

 ::snipping2::
Testifying for a second day Thursday, Blum told jurors he didn't believe an accidental fall could explain how Savio had a fresh gash on the back of her head and a pattern of deep bruises on the front of her body.
 
"I couldn't see how that could happen," Blum testified.
 
Savio's circular tub also had no edges pronounced enough to cause the two-inch, straight-line wound on her head, Blum said. Also, the position of Savio's body in the tub — face down and with her feet jammed against the sides of the tub — did not support a theory that she slipped and hit the back of her head, he said.
  ::snipping2::

BBM

Glad that was answered because I have wondered where a "gash" would come from on the back of her head if she were face down.   

[grace-land]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/14547609-418/witness-to-take-aim-at-drew-peterson-alibi.html

Witness to take aim at Drew Peterson alibi
August 17, 2012 6:36AM
Updated: August 17, 2012 9:15AM

A friend of Drew Peterson’s missing fourth wife, Stacy, is expected to take the witness stand Friday and say she told him Peterson made her lie about where he was the weekend his third wife, Kathleen Savio, was found dead in her bathtub.

Scott Rossetto is expected to be the latest in a line of witnesses to deliver key hearsay testimony in Peterson’s murder trial, relaying incriminating statements about Peterson made to them by Savio and now Stacy Peterson.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

Friday, August 17, 2012

http://twitter.com/StacyStClair

Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
2m First witness is Dr. Gene Neri, Savio's doctor from 1999-2002. He treated her for cervical vertigo
 
6m Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson jury entering the courtroom.

23m Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
Among the slated witnesses: a friend of Stacy Peterson, Drew's son's ex-gf, a ISP investigator, an insurance rep. and Savio's personal doc.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-drew-peterson-trial-updates-case-enters-12th-day-20120817,0,1373097.story

9:38 a.m. CDT, August 17, 2012
Continual coverage of the trial of Drew Peterson for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
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9:35 a.m. Savio 'horribly sleep-deprived'
The first witness today was Dr. Gene Neri, a neurologist who treated Kathleen Savio from 1999 to 2002 for pain in her neck and shoulders, dizziness and numbness in her extremities.

Neri said he later treated Savio for cervical vertigo, a condition caused by stress.

"The root of the problem in her case, basically, was not sleeping," Neri said. "She was horribly sleep deprived."

Her serotonin levels dropped and her adrenaline levels rose, causing her to suffer pain and nervousness, Neri said.
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[grace-land]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57495369/doctor-peterson-3rd-wife-not-susceptible-to-falls/

August 17, 2012 11:11 AM 
Doctor: Peterson 3rd wife not susceptible to falls

JOLIET, Ill. — A neurologist who treated Drew Peterson's third wife says a condition she suffered from called "cervical vertigo" wouldn't have caused her to fall.

The testimony Friday at the former police officer's murder trial is important because the defense has suggested the condition could have caused the fall that killed Kathleen Savio in 2004.
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[grace-land]

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/17/4734907/peterson-judge-keep-emotions-in.html

Peterson judge: Keep emotions in check
Published: Friday, Aug. 17, 2012

JOLIET, Ill. -- The judge at former police officer Drew Peterson's murder trial has warned spectators not to gasp or express any forms of disapproval during testimony.

Judge Edward Burmila on Friday was reacting to a complaint from defense attorneys that jurors might be influenced by the expressions in the packed Joliet courtroom.
 ::snipping2::
There was an audible gasp in court Thursday after a defense attorney accused a pathologist of offering a "lame excuse" for why he didn't conduct certain tests.

[grace-land]

http://twitter.com/StacyStClair

1h  Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson jurors dressed in black today, after wearing all blue yesterday and all red the day before that.

http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/14538960-522/peterson-jurors-show-signs-of-solidarity.html

Peterson jurors show signs of solidarity
August 17, 2012

On Thursday, the members of the Peterson jury — old, young, black, white — filed into the jury box, each wearing blue clothing.
 
On Wednesday, they all wore red, Will County court administrator Kurt Sangmeister said.
 
“I take that as a sign that they’re all getting along,” he said, adding that the disagreement among jurors often starts when juries reach the deliberation stage.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://twitter.com/StacyStClair

Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson prosecution trying to explain how errors happened. Glasgow says whole team has been sick, including one w/ high fever.

5mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson judge now raking state over the coals for giving defense inconsistent info on when Rossetto had important convo w/ Stacy.

21mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
@dotlogue read your tweet to the overflow room. It got a laugh.

29mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson judge obviously unhappy with prosecutors, left the bench shaking his head incredulously.

33mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson trial paused while attorneys work on stipulation saying state provided inconsistent information to the defense about Rosetto

36mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson judge says info state has given defense about Rosetto's conversation with Stacy "is shifting like the sand."

42mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#drewpeterson jury being taken out of room after four minutes of questioning of Rosetto. Defense says that state gave them misleading info

46mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#drewpeterson prosecution now questioning Rosetto, who is an Army captain and now lives in Germany. He and Stacy were "flirty" friends.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://twitter.com/StacyStClair

Stacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#drewpeterson trial starts up again with Joseph Steadman, an insurance adjuster who handled a past Savio claim

4mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
@PublicAgency It is about mixing up several dates.

15mStacy St. Clair‏@StacyStClair
#DrewPeterson judge bans Rossetto's testimony because it's unreliable, partly because of state's mistakes. Significant loss for prosecution.
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