Drew Peterson Trial: Day 5
BY DAN ROZEK AND JON SEIDEL Staff Reporters
Peterson trial: day 5
◆ Drew Peterson’s jurors heard Tuesday from Will County Deputy Coroner Michael VanOver and Illinois State Police Sgt. Robert Deel, two men who played crucial roles in the 2004 probe of Kathleen Savio’s death. Their investigation found Savio died in an accident. Deel said Tuesday he agrees with the original finding. VanOver said he had suspicions but followed the lead of the state police.
◆ Bolingbrook Police Lt. James Coughlin testified that Peterson made a comment to him during a run-in at the Will County Courthouse in February 2004. A fellow police officer said two men in the hallway behind Peterson looked happy. “That’s because they’re getting all of my money,” Peterson purportedly said. Then Coughlin said Peterson added, “My life would be easier” if she were dead.
◆ Defense attorneys ended the day by asking Will County Judge Edward Burmila to toss all of Coughlin’s testimony because prosecutors didn’t warn them he would dispute a conflicting FBI record of the encounter.
Wednesday: Burmila could rule on whether to keep Coughlin’s testimony, and retired Illinois State Police investigator Patrick Collins could be called to testify. Collins had said he had followed Deel’s lead at the scene of Savio’s death and didn’t investigate it as a possible homicide.
