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Drew Peterson defense rests, hammers informant's reputation

Posted May 26, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

Prior to resting his case in the Drew Peterson murder-for-hire trial, defense attorney Lucas Liefer continued to attack the reputation of informant - and star witness - Antonio "Beast" Smith.

Liefer called three witnesses, all Illinois Department of Corrections inmates, while trying to paint Smith as an untrustworthy con artist working a scam at Menard Correctional Center.

"Do inmates run scams together?" Liefer asked IDOC inmate Jesus Padilla.

"Sometimes, yes," he said. "Depends on what they're doing."

Padilla, who was housed in the same North House protective custody (PC) unit at Menard Correctional Center as Smith and Peterson, said he only knew Smith "for about a year."

"There's a variety of them," Padilla said, when asked to describe the types of scams. "Mostly people lying, trying to get favors for basically nothing."

Padilla later testified that he sat at the same table as Peterson and Smith during chow, but that changed when Smith's behavior and attitude changed.

"After the way I saw Antonio acting, I distanced myself away from him," Padilla said.

Padilla also contradicted Smith's claims that he was a "treasurer" and "board member" for the Satan's Disciples, a traditionally predominant Hispanic gang based in Chicago, stating that Smith "was not a leader" for the organization.

Another inmate, Albert Chavez, testified as to why he didn't hang out with Peterson after Smith was transferred back to Menard - after agreeing to wear a wire - in fall of 2014.

Like Padilla, Chavez was also housed in the same cellblock as Peterson and Smith.

"They were running a scam," Chavez said. "Trying to con some people."

Liefer asked Chavez if inmates do this often. After Chavez replied "Yes," he was asked why.

"To get what they want in the end," he said.

"How serious do you see these scams go?" Liefer asked.

"Not as big of a scam, people try to con each other every day to get what they can try to get," Chavez responded.

Lastly, Liefer brought to the stand someone who would be very familiar to the 25-year-old Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate-turned-informant - his former co-defendant, Jacob Bohanon.

Bohanon and Smith were arrested for home invasion, attempted murder, robbery and residential burglary in 2010 after attacking a Sesser-Valier woman who let the pair into her home when they asked to use her phone.

The woman, 60-year-old Susan Zettler, had her throat slashed, and purse and car stolen before the suspects - 17-year-old Bohanon and 19-year-old Smith - fled the scene.

They were apprehended in Mount Vernon and later connected to home invasions in Mulkeytown and Valier. Smith was sentenced to the maximum 30 years in prison for the Zettler attack.

Zettler was able to stumble to a neighbor's house, where Sesser Police Chief Rob Barnett and others were able to stabilize her.

During testimony on Friday, Bohanon - who has been at Menard since 2011 - said he hadn't seen Smith since September of 2013.

Liefer asked Bohanon about Smith's reputation in the community. Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker objected due to timeliness, given the passing of nearly three years since the pair last saw each other, but was overruled by Judge Richard A. Brown.

"Sometimes (Smith) would tell the truth and sometimes he wouldn't," Bohannon said.

Walker declined to cross-examine Bohanon and the parties took a mid-morning break that was supposed to last only 15 minutes.

Instead, it took more than an hour as the media were told that the defense was waiting for another witness to arrive.

When the parties returned to the courtroom, Peterson waived his right to testify and the defense rested its case at 11:32 a.m., without calling any more witnesses.

Peterson also waived his right to testify in his 2012 Will County murder case.

With the three-day Memorial Day weekend, the parties will return to the courthouse on Tuesday for closing arguments starting at 9 a.m.

Brown told the eight-man, four-woman jury he expects them to begin deliberating around noon.

"Then the case will be in your hands to make a decision," he said.

As he has throughout the week, Brown urged the jury not to talk to any family members or media about the case, or view any press coverage of the proceedings.

"My only goal is that both of these parties get a fair trial," Brown said, later adding "If anyone approaches you about this case, I need to know."

During the post-proceedings media briefing, Walker was asked about the defense's tactic of targeting Smith's reputation.

"The recordings are the recordings," Walker said. "That's where this case is at. The recordings are the recordings, you can't get around what was said.

"To me, there's no other conclusion than (Peterson) wanted (Will County State's Attorney) James Glasgow dead."

He was also asked about the staged photo from the FBI and why, if Peterson wasn't involved in the murder plot, was the former Bolingbrook Police sergeant suspicious about the photo.

"Very good point," Walker said. "We feel the exact same way."

Peterson, 62, faces up to 60 years in prison - added on to his current 38-year sentence for killing third wife Kathleen Savio - if he is found guilty of solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire.

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