In January-February 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. All electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, etc.) were banned from the courtroom.
Click on the red headings to read 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
- Dominic Defrancisco — 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
