Drew Peterson's lawyer told the jury in his murder trial today that the woman he is accused of killing was bossy, lied, had a furious temper and went to therapy.
Lawyer Joel Brodsky attacked the character of Kathleen Savio, Peterson's third wife, in his opening statement. Brodsky's opening argument was studded with objections from prosecutors, just as the prosecutor's opening statement was marked by objections from Brodsky.
The contentious start to the trial foreshadows what is expected to be a battle over the prosecutor's key evidence, which is comments that Savio made to others before she died in 2004, and comments that Peterson's fourth wife Stacy Peterson made to people. Stacy Peterson has been missing since 2007.
Brodsky, Peterson's lead defense attorney, told the jury that Savio was on anti-depressants and known to fly into jealous rages during the time that she and Peterson were divorcing in 2004. He described her as bossy, a liar, and would yell so loud that other police officers where Peterson was a sergeant could her hear over the phone.
Savio was found dead in her bathtub one Monday morning in February that year, and her death was ruled an accidental fall by state police, Brodsky said. It had nothing to do with Peterson.
"This was a household accident," Brodsky said. "Kathy slipped and fell in a household accident, case closed."
M. Spencer Green/AP Photo
Peterson, 58, was charged with Savio's murder years later, after his fourth wife,Stacy Peterson, disappeared and Peterson became the focus of media attention and police investigators. Police exhumed the body of Savio as part of the investigation. A new forensic analysis performed on the body in 2007 showed that Savio did not die accidentally, but rather was murdered. Police then charged Peterson.
Brodsky said today that the only reason Savio's body was exhumed was because of the media's involvement in the case once Stacy disappeared. She has never been found.
Brodsky noted that the defense will present forensic pathologists to testify to the fact that Savio's death was accidental. The prosecution will likely present their own expert witnesses who found that it was homicide.
The defense's portrait of Peterson was a stark contrast to that presented by prosecutors just hours earlier, as they explained to the jury that Peterson stood to gain financially from Savio's death, had the police knowledge to stage the crime scene to make it look like an accident. Peterson was a police Sgt. in Bolingbrook, Ill., at the time of Savio's death.
"The evidence shows this wasn't an accident," prosecutor James Glasgow told the jury of seven women and five men. He noted that at the time of Savio's death, Peterson was financially supporting her, his girlfriend Stacy Peterson, two homes, and his children.
Both of the opening statements were interrupted frequently by objections from attorneys. Legal wrangling over what evidence could be mentioned during opening statements had plagued the trial since its start this morning, when Brodsky called for a mistrial within minutes of the prosecution's opening statement. Brodsky's request was denied.
The arguments over what the jury will be allowed to hear are expected to play a pivotal role in the case, as the prosecution tries to prove their murder charge by admitting statements Savio and Stacy Peterson made to acquaintances.
Judge Edward Burmilia has said he will rule on each issue as it comes up during trial.
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