Drew Peterson has been found guilty on Tuesday of trying to put a hit on the prosecutor who convicted him of murder and put him away for 38 years. Peterson sat in court Tuesday with his head propped on one hand as the verdict was read by the judge. Peterson showed no reaction to the guilty verdict.
Drew Peterson was previously found guilty of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2012. The murder was initially ruled as an accident until the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife shined a fresh light on the Bolingbrook police officer. His bizarre antics with the media, which included laughing, joking, and making faces, caused a lot of public attention.
Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy, was 30 years younger than Drew. In their short four years together, they had two children. Drew claims that Stacy called him one night and said she was leaving him for another man. No one ever heard from her again.
Drew Peterson found guilty of hiring hit man to kill prosecutor https://t.co/RRRagwKyRZ
— TIME (@TIME) May 31, 2016
Perhaps not wanting to believe a police sergeant could possibly kill his wife, the medical examiner determined Savio’s death as accidental, but when Stacey Peterson went mysteriously missing, Kathleen Savio’s case was reopened. Savio’s body was exhumed and the prior evidence reviewed. Peterson had claimed that Savio struck her head on the bathtub and drowned.
Savio’s cause of death was changed from accidental to homicide after a second autopsy was performed. Savio had multiple injuries not consistent with a simple fall followed by a tragic drowning.
Peterson, 62, who is now serving a 38-year sentence for Savio’s 2004 murder, was found guilty of that murder in 2012 by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow. Drew Peterson then arranged a hit with a fellow inmate whose relative was hired to kill Glasgow.
Antonio Smith, a fellow inmate, recorded his conversations with Peterson in November 2014. Smith had told Peterson his uncle would kill Glasgow by Christmas 2014.
Ex-cop convicted of killing third wife found guilty of trying to hire someone to kill man who helped incarcerate him https://t.co/teeO0yuVb7
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 31, 2016
In a recording, Smith said, “I told him what you said, that it’s the green light on, that basically go ahead and kill him. That’s what you wanted, right?… It ain’t no turning back.”
Peterson then responds to the offer by saying, “OK, alright. I’m in. From the first time we talked about it, there was no turning back…. If I get some booze in here, we’ll celebrate that night.”
Prosecutor Steve Nate, of the Illinois attorney general’s office, told the jury in closing arguments, “He said it, he meant it, and he’s guilty.”
Lucas Liefer, Peterson’s defense attorney, said the recordings were just prison talk and argued that Peterson never directly said that he wanted Glasgow killed. Liefer also tried to discredit the cooperating inmate, pointing out that he was serving time for attempted murder and could not be trusted.
“This case is wrought with inconsistency and incomplete evidence,” Liefer said.
Drew Peterson has never faced any charges on the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, but he is the only suspect.
According to MSN News , after Drew Peterson was found guilty on Tuesday, he muttered something to Cassandra Cales, the sister of his missing wife, Stacy Peterson. What he is said is not yet known.
Jurors did not wish to comment to the media.
The jury only deliberated for an hour before finding Drew Peterson guilty of solicitation of murder for hire and solicitation of murder, according to CNN .
Drew Peterson found guilty in murder-for-hire case. https://t.co/28R8u0d7dM pic.twitter.com/W6hqvjretj
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) May 31, 2016
“The evidence in this case was clear that the defendant plotted from jail to solicit the murder of State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. “I thank the members of the jury for their service, and I commend the prosecutors for their hard work and relentless commitment to bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
Madigan said that Peterson faces a mandatory sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison for solicitation of murder for hire and 15 to 30 years in prison for solicitation of murder. His sentencing is scheduled for July 26. The new charges can add an additional 60 years to Peterson’s sentence, practically guaranteeing he will never be a free man again.
[Photo by M. Spencer Green/AP Images]
