Trial

The People v. Drew Peterson Murder Trial: July – August 2012

Opening statements took place on July 31, 2012, followed by the first witness testimony.
Click on the red headings to read a blog post from that day of proceedings or read a compilation of In Session’s Facebook updates from each day of the trial.

Day 1: July 31, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Mary Pontarelli — Friend and neighbor of Kathleen Savio

Day 2: August 1, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Thomas Pontarelli — Friend and neighbor of Kathleen Savio

Day 3: August 2, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Louis Oleszkiewicz — Bolingbrook firefighter and paramedic
• Robert Akin — Locksmith who picked the lock to Savio’s home
• Michael Newton — Firefighter/paramedic with Bolingbrook Fire Department
• Michael Johnson — Firefighter/paramedic with Bolingbrook Fire Department
• Timothy Berkeley — Firefighter/paramedic with Bolingbrook Fire Department

Day 4: August 3, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Anna Doman — Sister of Kathleen Savio

Day 5: August 7, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Michael VanOver — Will County Deputy Coroner
• Robert Deel — Illinois State Trooper
• James Coughlin — Lieutenant with Bolingbrook Police Department

Day 6: August 8, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Patrick Collins — Retired ISP Sergeant
• Kristin Anderson — Classmate of Kathleen Savio

Day 7: August 9, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Mary Parks — Classmate of Kathleen Savio

Day 8: August 10, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Steve Maniaci — Kathleen Savio’s boyfriend at the time of her death
• Susan Doman (Savio) — Kathleen Savio’s sister
• Susan McCauley — Worked at Suds pub, had affair with Drew Peterson
• Dominick DeFrancesco — neighbor of Kathleen Savio

Day 9: August 14, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Christopher Long — forensic toxicologist
• Teresa Kernc — Former BBPD officer, now mayor of Diamond, Illinois

Day 10: August 15, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Teresa Kernc — Former BBPD officer, now mayor of Diamond, Illinois
• Larry Blum — Forensic Pathologist (MD) who performed autopsy on Kathleen in 2007

Day 11: August 16, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Larry Blum — Forensic Pathologist (MD) who performed autopsy on Kathleen in 2007

Day 12: August 17, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Dr. Gene Neri — Savio’s doctor from 1999-2002. He treated her for cervical vertigo.
• Scott Rossetto — Friend of Stacy Peterson (testimony barred)
• Joseph Steadman — An insurance adjuster who handled Savio claim
• Jennifer Schoon — Girlfriend of Stephen Peterson who lived in the basement

Day 13: August 21, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Dr. Mary Case — a forensic neuropathologist

Day 14: August 22, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Jeffrey Pachter — former co-worker of Drew Peterson’s
• Bryan Falat — ISP Master Sgt.
• Dr. Vinod Motiani — Savio’s personal physician
• Nick Pontarelli — teen neighbor of Kathleen’s

Day 15: August 23, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Neil Schori — Stacy and Drew’s pastor and counselor

Day 16: August 24, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Ray Clark — Sprint/Nextel records custodian
• Brian Hafner — Lieutenant with the Bolingbrook Police Department

Day 17: August 27, 2012
Defense called:

• Mary Pontarelli — neighbor and close friend of Savio
• Robert Sud — Bolingbrook police officer
• Joseph Basile — FBI special agent
• Joseph Steadman — insurance adjustor
• Bryan Falat — Illinois State Police Master Sergeant
• Darrin Devine — Special Agent Illinois State Police

Day 18: August 28, 2012
Defense called:

• Dr. Jeffrey Jentzen — forensic pathologist
• Dr. Vincent DiMaio — forensic pathologist
• Robin Queen — ISP special agent
• Bridget Bertrand — ISP Captain

Day 19: August 29, 2012
Defense called:

• Patrick Collins — Retired ISP Sgt.and Lead Savio death investigator
• Eileen Payonk — ISP special agent
• Harry Smith — Kathleen’s divorce attorney who was later consulted by Stacy
• Thomas Peterson — oldest son of Drew Peterson and Kathleen Savio

Day 20: August 30, 2012
Prosecution called:

• Michael Baden — Forensic pathologist
• Dr. Mary Case — a forensic neuropathologist

Evidentiary Hearings: January- February 2010

Early in 2010, A series of pre-trial hearings was held to determine which (if any) of fifteen hearsay statements could be admitted in Drew Peterson’s trial for the killing of Kathleen Savio. Prosecutors attempted to prove to Judge White whether a “preponderance of evidence” showed those statements to be reliable and that the defendant’s wrongdoing made the witness unavailable to testify.

The prosecution called about 68 witnesses during the first fifteen days of public hearings.

Click on the red headings to read a blog post from that day of proceedings.

Day 1:  January 19, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Chris Vanderhoof — Starbucks loss prevention
• Michelle Jeffress — Starbucks loss prevention
• Issam Karam — Coworker of Kathleen’s at sign company
• Lisa Mordente — Sign company owner
• Alexander Beck — Drew’s attorney in the divorce from Kathleen
• James Coughlin — Bolingbrook police lieutenant
• Kyle Toutges — Stacy’s Uncle
• Kenneth Simpson — Bolingbrook police detective
• Eric Tyrell– records maintenance for Sprint-Nextel

Day 2:   January 21, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Tom Morphey — step-brother of Drew Peterson
• Eric Peterson — estranged son of Drew Peterson
• Patrick Collins — Retired ISP Sgt.and Lead Savio death investigator

Day 3:  January 22, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Patrick Collins — Retired ISP Sgt.and Lead Savio death
• Sharon Bychowski — Next door neighbor and friend of Stacy’s

Day 4:   January 25, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Sharon Bychowski — Next door neighbor and friend of Stacy’s
• Bruce Zidarich — Friend of Cassandra and Stacy
• Nicholas Gatto — Manager Meijer Supermarket
• Jacquelyn Torrez — Bolingbrook resident
• Hector Torrez — Bolingbrook resident
• Penny Sue Skogh — Drove Tom home from band practice

Day 5:  January 26, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Neil Schori — Stacy’s pastor and counselor
• Candace Aiken — Stacy’s Aunt
• Donna Badalamenti — Candace Aiken’s friend
• Sheryl Adcox — Thomas Morphey’s girlfriend

Day 6:  January 27, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Dr. Vinod Motiani — Kathleen Savio’s general physician
• Patrick Callaghan — ISP Special Agent who investigated Stacy’s disappearance
• Susan McCauley — Worked at Drew and Kathleen’s bar – had affair with Drew
• Steven Clark — former Starbucks barista
• Elizabeth Fragale — Former assistant states attorney
• Richard Treese — Bolingbrook police officer

Day 7:  January 28, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Cassandra Cales — Stacy’s sister
• Jeffrey Pachter — Former co-worker of Drew’s
• Keith Rossetto — Former boyfriend of Stacy’s

Day 8:  January 29, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Pastor Neil Schori — Stacy’s pastor and counselor
• Scott Rossetto — Friend of Stacy’s
• Dominick DeFrancesco — Neighbor of Kathleen at the time of her death
• Christopher Wolzen — works at Larry’s Lock Service
• Dr. Gene Neri — Kathleen’s psychologist/neurologist

Day 9:  February 1, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Nick Pontarelli — teen neighbor of Kathleen’s
• Thomas Pontarelli — neighbor of Kathleen’s
• Mary Pontarelli — neighbor of Kathleen’s
• Robert Akin — locksmith who opened Kathleen’s door
• Louis Oleszkiewicz — Paramedic who attempted to resuscitate Kathleen

Day 10:  February 2, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Steve Maniaci — Kathleen’s boyfriend
• James Carroll — Drew’s Uncle and the executor of Kathleen’s will
• Jacqueline Mitchem — neighbor of Drew and Stacy’s
• Susan Doman — Sister of Kathleen Savio
• Anna Doman — Sister of Kathleen Savio

Day 11:  February 3, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Anna Doman — Sister of Kathleen Savio
• Kristin Anderson — Savio’s tenant
• Brian Hafner — Bolingbrook Police lieutenant
• Jerry Jude — Bought Sud’s Pub but couldn’t make the payments
• Jennifer Schoon — Girlfriend of Stephen Peterson who lived in the basement
• Brant Duval — Bolingbrook police sergeant

Day 12:  February 4, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Bryan Falat — ISP Master Sgt.
• Irene Lalagos — Stacy’s fortune teller and friend of Betty Morphey
• Bob Deel — ISP Crime scene investigator

Day 13:  February 5, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Mary Parks — Kathleen’s classmate
• Larry Blum — Doctor who performed autopsy on Kathleen in 2007

Day 14:  February 8, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Harry Smith — Kathleen’s divorce attorney who was later consulted by Stacy
• Ric Mims — Friend of Drew’s who turned after Stacy’s disappearance
• Teresa Kernc — Former BBPD officer, now mayor of Diamond
• Rodolfo Hernandez — Now living in Savio’s home
• Joseph Steadman — Senior claim adjuster at Old Republic Life Insurance

Day 15:  February 9, 2010
Prosecution called:

• William Green — Worked at cable company with Pachter and Peterson
• Howard Ellison — Certified Public Accountant
• Mike VanOver — Deputy Coroner on scene of Kathleen’s death
• Victoria Conolly — Second wife of Drew Peterson
• Anthony Imrisek — Electrical engineer for Ericsson Telecommunications
• Michael Miles — Joliet Junior College classmate of Stacy Peterson
• Jeramie Johnson — Bolingbrook police lieutenant
• Craig Gunty — Bolingbrook police Sgt.

Day 16: February 10, 2010
Short session – no witness testimony

Day 17: February 17, 2010
Defense called:

• Jeffrey Jentzen — Forensic pathologist
• Walter Martineck — Friend of Thomas Morphey

Day 18: February 19, 2010
Prosecution called:

• Michael Baden — Forensic pathologist