News

A bit of the bizarre in Peterson trial

Posted May 23, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

EDITOR'S NOTE: Follow the continuing coverage of the Drew Peterson trial on the Herald Tribune's Facebook page and website (www.randolphcountyheraldtribune.com).

The first two days of the Drew Peterson murder-for-hire trial have produced a little bit of everything.

Some possible evidence, some prison talk and some examples of the Menard Correctional Center inmate's natural ability as a storyteller and smalltalk artist.

"I used to be the best in Illinois," Peterson said in one recorded conversation played for the jury on Tuesday. "I could buy anything. I had a gift for bullshit."

Tuesday's proceedings took an interesting turn before they even began, as defense attorney Lucas Liefer floated a motion to declare a mistrial due to complaint with the completeness of the audio recordings allegedly not being played.

"We're talking about a transcript 93 pages long," Walker argued in front of Circuit Court Judge Richard A. Brown. "To say we're cherry picking is not a good argument."

Brown ultimately denied Liefer's motion.

"Mr. Liefer, he raised some objections about the Completeness Doctrine," Walker said during media availability after Tuesday's proceedings had concluded. "It's not fair to the other side to decide just to cherry pick.

"We could potentially take this clip here, this clip here and this clip here, but we want to have a fair trial. Once we secure the conviction on Mr. Peterson, we don't want it to come back in the Appellate Court and that's why we're playing everything."

As it turns out, "everything" includes Peterson's plans to traffic drugs in Mexico after his release from prison, opening a cafe with Smith and "(Expletive) chase Jamaican girls all (expletive) day" and his pet name (Glass Cow) for Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.

Glasgow prosecuted Peterson's murder case in 2012 and is the person Peterson is alleged to try and find someone to kill.

Peterson, a former Bolingbrook Police sergeant, used to be a part of the Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad.

"Yeah, there's that guy that's got that...cartel connection," Peterson said in one recorded conversation from November 14, 2014. "They can get us into dope."

"We're gonna get involved with a cartel?" Smith said.

"Not now, it's like somebody's gonna get, indirectly, yeah," Peterson said.

"I'm saying, but we don't have to do shit for him or nothing?" Smith asked.

"No, it's just buy stuff from them," Peterson said.

While the prosecution has not yet presented its "gotcha" moment to the jury, some evidence was introduced that Peterson knew a plan to kill Glasgow was in progress and apparently supported it.

In his opening remarks on Monday, defense attorney Lucas Liefer said he challenged the state to show him one recording where Peterson says "murder Glasgow."

"They're going to sensationalize the heck out of this case and give one shred of evidence to support it," Liefer said in his remarks.

A prison yard conversation on November 15, 2014 gives some context on the murder-for-hire charges.

Smith pretended to have a phone call with his uncle - whom Smith testified would perform the hit on Glasgow as part of the fake plan - before talking about the murder plot with Peterson.

Seemingly unbeknownst to Peterson - as Smith explained during his testimony on Monday - was Smith had no intention of going through with the act and had agreed to cooperate with the FBI in its investigation of Peterson in hopes of getting reduced time on his 40-year sentence.

"Right, no no," Smith said during the yard conversation after being warned by Peterson that phone calls were recorded. "It was, I told him (Smith's uncle), I told him what you said, that's it's the green light on, that basically go ahead and kill him."

"Right," Peterson said.

"That's what you wanted, right? It ain't no, it ain't no turning back," Smith responded.

"Okay, alright, I'm in," Peterson said. "From the first time we talked about it, it was…"

"Huh?" Smith said.

"From the first time we talked about it, there was no turning back," Peterson said.

"Alright, cause man…" Smith said.

"If I get some booze in here, we'll celebrate that night," Peterson said.

Peterson and Smith then talk about how Glasgow's murder would be "all over the news" and how investigators would automatically question Peterson "because they'll have nowhere to go."

Other conversations involved Peterson rambling on about his media appearances, getting offered by a Russian billionaire to be his head of security and his adventures in Las Vegas - including wondering how much for a woman to achieve an orgasm.

Peterson also talks about his appeal and his previous lawyer, Joel Brodsky.

"I'm in here (Menard) because my idiot (expletive) lawyer, not 'cause Glasgow's good," Peterson said on a recording.

The jury had just started listening to the Nov. 16 yard conversation - which Walker said was the longest of the recorded conversations - when proceedings ended for the day on Tuesday.

During the media availability session, Walker said the prosecution had to get through one more yard conversation after the Nov. 16 one and some meal conversation recordings before cross-examination of Smith by the defense would begin Thursday morning.

At the end of Tuesday's proceedings, Smith had been on the witness stand for a total of more than seven hours after first being called Monday afternoon.

"Certainly, I would think we are pleased with the way Mr. Smith is performing on the stand," Walker said Tuesday. "It appears to me that his testimony in those recordings are driving what was said was going to happen in the opening statement."

Peterson, 62, was convicted of third wife Kathleen Savio's murder in 2012 and sentenced to 38 years in prison for the crime. He remains a suspect in the disappearance of fourth wife Stacy Peterson, who hasn't been seen since 2007.

On Monday, Smith testified that Peterson admitted to him that he killed Stacy, but the recorded conversations played out in court don't confirm that.

"But the thing is, he'll (Glasgow) never leave me alone," Peterson said in a Nov. 14 conversation. "If I get out, he's going to charge me with Stacy."

"If you get out, he's going to charge you with what?" Smith asked.

"Stacy," Peterson said.

"Right," Smith responded.

"You know, even though that they have grounds for that," Peterson said. "But that they didn't have grounds for this other thing."

"OK, so, they got you on Kathleen," Smith said.

"Yeah," Peterson responded.

"I thought they got you on Stacy," Smith said.

"No, Stacy's still alive, running around out there," Peterson responded.

If found guilty for solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire, Peterson could face up to 60 years in prison to be added to his current sentence.

Peterson's appeal of his original murder conviction is scheduled to be heard by the state Supreme Court this fall.

Article Categories
News