Drew’s trial set for July
Jury selection in Drew Peterson’s long-awaited murder trial for the drowning death of his third wife, 40-year-old Kathleen Savio, will begin July 23. Opening statements start July 31.
And once it’s under way, prosecutors will not be allowed to mention any presumption that his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, might be dead, too. Will County Judge Edward Burmila laid out that and several other ground rules in an hours-long hearing Thursday to prepare for Peterson’s trial.
An Illinois appellate court ruling cleared the way last month for the trial to finally begin, and lawyers on both sides have said they’re eager to get started. It’s been three years since Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, was arrested on murder charges for Savio’s death, and now his trial is less than 10 weeks away.
Savio was found dead in a dry bathtub in 2004 while she and Peterson were in the midst of a bitter divorce. The judge’s decision to bar any mention of Stacy Peterson’s possible death was a partial victory for the defense team. Her 2007 disappearance prompted authorities to revisit Savio’s death, which was initially ruled an accident.
But Burmila said prosecutors may ask witnesses why they waited for years to talk to police about Savio’s death. Some witnesses are expected to testify they didn’t call police until Stacy Peterson went missing.