Drew Peterson has been found guilty of murder in the death of his third wife Kathleen Savio.
A jury on Thursday found the former Illinois cop guilty of drowning Savio in her bathtub in 2004. The 58-year-old Peterson now faces up to 60 years in prison. His sentencing is set for November.
The jury’s verdict ends the long, drawn-out prosecution of Drew Peterson. His story captivated a national audience not only because of the bizarre facts surrounding Kathleen Savio’s death, but also because Peterson was also suspected by many to have played a part in the disappearance of his fourth wife Stacy Peterson, who remains missing, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Apparently, the prosecutor had introduced evidence that a judge had already barred. But the judge still allowed the trial to move forward, reports the Sun-Times.
Along the way, jurors also raised a few eyebrows by wearing color-coordinated clothing and even asking the judge what “unanimous” meant during their final hour of deliberations, reports the Sun-Times.
Prosecutors filed an objection to jurors’ seemingly straightforward question. The judge answered anyway, saying that unanimous meant “that the verdict has to be agreed upon by all 12 jurors.”
Drew Peterson’s trial lasted for five weeks, and the jury deliberated for just 14 hours before finding him guilty of murder. Peterson’s defense team had already made three requests to have the trial declared a mistrial, and it’s a safe bet that they will seek to have the verdict overturned on appeal.
Related Resources:
- Jury convicts Drew Peterson of 3rd wife’s death (The Associated Press)
- Drew Peterson Guilty of Murder, Now Wait for the Appeal (FindLaw’s Chicago Criminal Law Blog)
- Witness Recounts Sadistic Behavior In Peterson Trial (FindLaw’s Chicago Criminal Law Blog)
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