Death Scene, Drew Peterson's Behavior Described in Testimony
The judge in the murder trial decided against halting the proceedings; five witnesses testified Thursday.
The Drew Peterson murder trial made it through a third day despite impassioned pleas from one of his lawyers to pull the plug on it and set the accused wife-killer free.
Peterson attorney Steve Greenberg accused prosecutors of intentionally introducing forbidden testimony and said the jury is "hearing time and time again things they shouldn't be hearing."
Greenberg said the improper testimony started after State's Attorney James Glasgow was blocked from telling the jury how Peterson allegedly offered a Braidwood man $25,000 to find someone to kill his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
"They intentionally did it because they didn't get the hit man in and they didn't get other evidence in," Greenberg said. "It's appalling. I don't think it's fair we have to continue."
Greenberg used a mocking imitation of Glasgow's voice during his argument and pointed out that prosecutors "want to make everyone think (Peterson's) a bad guy."
But Judge Edward Burmila thought it was fair, and decided all he had to do to level the playing field was instruct the jury to disregard a small portion of testimony from Wednesday's session.
That testimony was given by Savio's next-door neighbor, Thomas Pontarelli. Pontarelli recalled how Peterson tried to intimidate him by placing a bullet in his driveway. The jurors cannot use that information when they deliberate.
After Burmila cleared the wasy for the trial to continue, Bolingbrook Firefighter-Paramedic Louis Oleszkiewicz, who was dispatched to Savio's house the night she was found drowned in her dry bathtub in March 2004, took the stand.
Oleszkiewicz was one of four firefighters to testify Thursday that they did not see a towel on the edge of Savio's tub. The blue towel can be seen on the tub in crime scene photos taken after the firefighters left.
Oleszkiewicz said he noticed there was no towel or bath mat anywhere near the tub. He found it strange they were missing because if he does not use these things when he bathes, water gets on the floor and his "wife's socks get wet, and she gets mad.”
Also Thursday, Bolingbrook locksmith Robert Akin told the jury about opening the door to Kathleen Savio's house on the night she was found dead.
Akin said that in his 40 years as a locksmith he has been called as often as twice a month by the Bolingbrook police to open doors for wellness checks. He also does maintenance work at the Bolingbrook Police Department, he said.
On the night Savio's body was found, Akin said, he did not know whose house he was opening or why he was opening it.
Akin said he was met at the house by Drew Peterson, who was dressed in his police sergeant’s uniform. He said he knows Peterson well and when he was asked to identify Peterson in the courtroom said, “Nice tie.”
Akin testified to picking a doorknob lock that could be locked from the outside without a key. A deadbolt that needed a key to lock from the outside was found to be unlocked.
Once the door was opened, Akin said, people he did not know went inside. Akin recalled staying put on the porch. He said that while he packed his tools he was "chit-chatting" with Peterson.
Shortly after opening the door, Akin said, "There was, like a lot of commotion, screaming."
Peterson then "just looked and said, 'I got to go,'" and went in the house, Akin said.
Defense attorney Joel Brodsky repeatedly tried and failed to get Akin to admit it takes more than one person to pick a lock in the dark. He was also unable to get Akin to concede that picking a lock makes a "loud" noise.
The Wheaton attorney who represented Savio in her divorce from Peterson, Harry Smith, was in a courtroom corridor waiting to testify but both sides are still wrangling about what he will be allowed to say.
Prosecutor John Connor wants Smith to discuss the financial side of Savio and Peterson's divorce, and to tell how Savio was put at a disadvantage when she was killed and deprived of the ability to speak for herself.
Judge Burmila disagreed, saying, "Just because it makes logical sense doesn't mean it makes legal sense."
Smith is expected to testify at some point next week.
Read More: Drew Peterson Coverage on Patch
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Bolingbrook Police Department Non-Emergency
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Watchful Eye
6:34 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Information I hadn't seen tweeted today - about Brodsky trying to get him to say it takes two people to pick a lock in the dark, and picking a lock makes a lot of noise. Was that to get the jury to think the murder defendant couldn't have broken into the house because he would have needed additional manpower, and the neighbors would have heard the noise? Yeah, okay then.
So Peterson hears screaming, and says I got to go? Except, he went inside and waited for both Tom Pontarelli and his son to go past him first, then up the stairs he went. That's unusual for an experienced, trained, gun-toting cop to do when he hears screams coming from the house, yet doesn't become alarmed about them being in any danger. Hmmm.
Eighteen calls were placed to the BBPD between this couple, and the one time he should have had BBPD do an official well-being check, he doesn't call them. Now, that's what I call strange.
Robert
6:37 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Stacey Petersons mother also dissappeared and was never found...or did not want to be found. This fact is almost totally ignored by the media. Why no investigation into that? Is this a case of the daughter copying the mothers dissappearing act?
After watching 2 days of this ridiculous trial...the whole thing is starting to smack of a frame up.
Zoey
6:59 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
How sad to think a family's missing mother has been used as a cover-up and deterent for her daughter's disappearance. The evolution of the internet and social networking pages has provided some alternate menas for families to keep the pictures of loved ones in the public eye. Stacy was filing paperwork with a divorce attorney that following Monday; had packed boxes for Drew to leave the residence; was looking into temporary rental property; had changed her cell phone and given the codes to her neighbor; knew she was being trailed by her husband; and the list goes on and on. No one believes she ran away, nor will a jury. Kathleen's case had to go first in the sequence. There was a botched investigation, and the rules were not followed. Peterson was protected by the "blue wall" like so many other cops. Stacy's mom has nothing to do with this case. I hope some day the family has closure on both of these trajedies, as well as the Savio family.
Watchful Eye
3:18 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Geesh Robert. I assume you are the result of two parents, a mother and a father. Do you guys hold each other accountable for things the other says or does? If your mother, for example, attends church every Sunday, does that mean you are an obedient and faithful Christian?
Come on...
Watchful Eye
6:49 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Haha, Joe, you didn't mention Joe "Shark" Lopez being told by the judge to quit sending out tweets. Media can't send out tweets, but defense lawyers think it's okay?
Was watching his tweets, and some others who do didn't realize he was doing it straight from the courtroom. I suppose that since his closing argument is his main focus, he doesn't much care what goes on inside the courtroom. You know, like witness testimony and stuff....
I noticed Greenberg was getting hoarse later on in the day when giving an impromptu interview. He's the one that screams and yells, I heard. His co-counsel, Brodsky and Lopez, when asked about his yelling during the mistrial argument, said that's how he is, that's what he does. Isn't he the one the judge told to stop yelling yesterday, because they weren't outside??? Does he think if he yells his points loud enough, the judge will accept his arguments?
Wonder what the jury thinks of the defense crew. Wonder if they saw one of the lawyers tweeting away? Hmmm.
Robert
9:08 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
I was just stating facts.....highly unusual that a mother and then a daughter would both
"suddenly dissappear" without a trace. Hard to believe its is a coincidence. Perhaps Stacy did run away.....but because she was in fear. If so, I would think she would return if and when Drew is convicted.
Just an alternate theory.
Kim
3:52 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Robert it would be nice if your theory was true. Stacy's body was in that blue 55 gallon container that monster put into his SUV with the help of his stepbrother.