Special Education Teacher Dies at Hotel Halloween Party

October 31, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A woman who fell several stories died instantly at a Halloween party at Chicago's Palmer House Hilton over the weekend, authorities said.

The woman, identified as 23-year-old Megan Duskey, was a Chicago Public Schools teacher.

Duskey graduated from Northern Illinois University last year.

She was enjoying a night out with girlfriends Saturday when, police say, she attempted to slide down a staircase banister and fell.

"Everybody's like, 'Oh, a girl just fell off the balcony.' Everybody kind of freaked out," said Justin Fullmer, who also attended the hotel party.

The accident happened at approximately 10:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the south suburban Crete woman and her friends arrived at the Palmer House for the celebration.

Investigators say it appears Duskey was attempting to slide down a banister on the hotel's mezzanine level when she lost her balance and fell at least two stories down to the basement level.

"It seems like it was an area where not a lot of people could go to, very secluded or something like that. No one really knew where this girl had fell," party guest Ben Clements said. "It was quite shocking. We were wondering what was going on. Like I said earlier, we were trying to find, I tried to find, the nearest security guard, kind of ask him, you know, 'What's going on? Why is everybody evacuating the place?' He really didn't have any answers."

Hotel officials did not comment.

According to authorities, Duskey died instantly. Police add foul play did not appear to be a factor, but alcohol may have played a role.

Duskey and her friends reportedly had gone to the luxury establishment for the Haunted Hotel Ball.

"I worked it last year for the company that hosts it. We increased capacity by 800 people. So, it was 2,000. Last year, it was 1,300, but it wasn't crowded at all," said Barbara Twarowska, the party's VIP hostess.

Dressed in 1920s gangster garb, Mickey Hoffman also attended the sold-out event, which drew approximately 2,000 people. Hoffman was shocked when the party suddenly stopped.

"All the lights turned on first. We had no idea what was going on," Hoffman said.

Megan Duskey became an early childhood education and early childhood special education teacher at a Far South Side school shortly after graduating from NIU in 2009.

Friends say she loved sports.

Duskey's family released the following statement:

"Megan's passing is a tragic loss to her family and friends. She was a caring, energetic person who was full of life and eager to help others and make a difference in the world."

"We all had fun. It seemed like it was just an unfortunate event," Clements said.

Some party guests told ABC7 Chicago the Halloween event at the hotel was shut down by the fire marshal and that another partygoer was stabbed. The Chicago Fire Department and the Chicago Police Department did not confirm either claim.

Grief counselors are likely to be present Monday at the elementary school where Megan Duskey taught to help students, staff and parents deal with the death.

Source: Explosives Found in Suspicious Packages Packed Powerful Punch

(CNN) -- Two suspicious packages found abroad that were bound for Jewish organizations in the United States contained a massive amount of explosive material that -- had the suspected terror plot not been thwarted -- would have triggered a powerful blast, a source close to the investigation said Friday.

U.S. officials believe that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, commonly referred to as AQAP, is behind the plot.

President Barack Obama confirmed that the packages -- intercepted in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates -- originated in Yemen, the stronghold of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"We also know that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ... continues to plan attacks against our homeland, our citizens, and our friends and allies," he said during a press briefing on the incident.

One suspicious package, found at the UK's East Midlands Airport, contained a "manipulated" toner cartridge and had white powder on it as well as wires and a circuit board, a law enforcement source said. A similar package set to be shipped on a FedEx cargo plane was discovered in Dubai, the law enforcement source and Dubai officials said.

"Initial examination of those packages has determined they do apparently contain explosive material," Obama said.

The source close to the investigation said the type of material found in the devices was PETN, a highly explosive organic compound belonging to the same chemical family as nitroglycerin. Just six grams of PETN is enough to blow a hole in the fuselage of an aircraft.

PETN was allegedly one of the components of the bomb concealed by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to set off an explosion aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as it approached Detroit, Michigan, on December 25. AbdulMutallab is alleged to have been carrying 80 grams of PETN in that botched attack -- also believed to be the workings of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

By comparison, the source said the two devices found Friday contained multiple times more PETN. The source also said it appears the devices were designed to be detonated by a cell phone with the help of a smaller amount of a second unidentified explosive substance.

The cell-phone theory was seconded by a wireless engineer for a major U.S.-based manufacturer, who analyzed a photo of one of the devices at CNN's request.

"This size and the shape of the PCB (printed circuit board) are typical to a handset cell phone type device," wrote Olivier Clerc, hardware application engineering manager for a cell-phone-parts manufacturer.

Both packages were bound for the United States, "specifically two places of Jewish worship in Chicago," Obama said.

The packages led to increased searches of cargo planes and trucks in several U.S. cities, said law enforcement sources with detailed knowledge of the investigation.

White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan said that "the materials that were found and the device that was discovered were intended to do harm."

Brennan said the discovery of the packages was made with help from Saudi Arabia, and issued a statement thanking the country for its "assistance in developing information that helped underscore the imminence of the threat emanating from Yemen."

A source with firsthand knowledge of the information told CNN that the Saudi Arabian government gave the United States tracking numbers of the two packages, allowing for quick tracing to the United Kingdom and Dubai.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-California, called the potential plot "a new novel thing -- and that is using FedEx and UPS planes to perhaps bring in something that might be explosive."

The Transportation Security Administration issued Friday afternoon a halt in the United States on all packages originating from Yemen, and shipping companies UPS, FedEx and DHL all said they were complying with the order.

Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told CNN she is very concerned about holes in the system to screen cargo coming into the United States, said that had a credible intelligence source not warned about the suspicious packages, they may not have been detected with standard security procedures.

Collins, who was briefed by TSA chief John Pistole, said intelligence officials do not know yet if this was part of a larger plot, but she does believe al Qaeda is "continuing to test for vulnerabilities in our security system, and it appears we do have vulnerabilities in our system for transporting cargo."

After the packages were found Thursday night and Friday morning, authorities were tracking other packages shipped from Yemen in the same time frame, a law enforcement source said.

A Yemeni diplomat in Washington said that his government has opened a full-scale investigation into the incident but that it was too early to speculate or reach any conclusions.

Counterterrorism officials are taking the threat "very seriously," Obama said.

The Department of Homeland Security said it "had taken a number of steps to enhance security," including "heightened cargo screening and additional security at airports."

Some Jewish religious leaders in Chicago were alerted to the potential threat Friday, said Linda Haase, spokeswoman for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

"We were notified about this earlier this morning," she said. "We are taking appropriate precautions, and we are advising local synagogues to do the same."

Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, California, said that if synagogues were indeed the intended recipients of the packages, "this is just another indication of the dangerous world we live in where Jews are the principle target."

Meanwhile, U.S. authorities seemed most focused on inspecting cargo planes.

Investigators examined two UPS planes that landed at Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania and another at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, said Mike Mangeot, a UPS spokesman. Authorities later gave the "all-clear" at both airports, the Transportation Security Administration said.

The TSA said authorities acted "out of an abundance of caution."

Authorities Raid Wrong House for Drugs, Guns

Oh man, that sucks...... But is pretty damned funny.

Elderly couple say strongest drug in house is aspirin

CHICAGO —While her husband slept, 84-year-old Anna Jakymek was just turning out the light in the bedroom when she heard loud noises coming from the rear and front doors about 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

At first she thought her 89-year-old husband fell out of bed, but realizing something else was happening she went out to look in the front room.

"I see maybe 20 guys come in and see the door knocked open," she said.

What she saw were members of the Cook County Sheriff's Police Gang Crimes Narcotic Unit. They were executing a search warrant at their Southwest Side home on the 5600 block of South Kilbourn Avenue. Right house, wrong people.The search warrant indicated the home might have crystal meth, cocaine, guns and money.

"They show me a sheet with a woman and man who complained we have that. We don't," she said. "They broke two doors and a garage window. Then they say, 'C'mon, c'mon--go, go, go, stay by your husband. He said someone complained we had all these drugs."

Son Andrew said the most potent drug in the home was aspirin.

"They don't smoke, drink or even watch TV. They believe in America," he said.

He added that his father, Andrij suffers from Alzheimers and has terminal cancer.

"He won't even take pain medicine," he said.

The former Ukrainian residents have lived in the house since 1967, according to their son. He said his father was a retired tailor and his mother had been an elevator operator into her late 70's for Peoples Gas.

He said his mother called him after the raid at the request of the leading sergeant on the scene. When he got there, he said he was told they raided the wrong home.

"When I arrived the officer explained they had misinformation, but said his job was over, and he was leaving. They left a copy of the warrant, but he absolved himself of any responsibility for the raid or the damage," Jakymec said.

He estimated it might cost up to $3000 to fix the broken doors, locks and windows.

"Everything was violently opened. Cabinets were ripped open, clothes and sheets were everywhere, and pieces of wood where the doors were rammed were all over the place," he said.

"My parents are refugees from the Soviet Union. They are naturalized citizens. They have relatives there who were abused for political reasons. You might expect it there, but not here," Jakymec said.

The warrant indicated police were looking for a 23-year-old man, described as Hispanic who lived in the ranch home.

Anna added, "I didn't believe it was the police. They broke everything. I told them they should have rung the bell."

Cook County authorities said they were looking into it.

Joyce Meyer Ministries Dropped from Coleman Wrongful Death Suit

St. Louis Globe-Democrat-- A ruling on a motion in Monroe County Circuit Court on Tuesday to drop Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. from a wrongful death suit was a “tactical retreat,” according to an attorney for the family of murder victim Sheri Coleman.

It doesn't mean Coleman’s family will not pursue a civil action against Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. or Ronald Coleman.

“We are not dropping Joyce Meyer Ministries, we are not dropping Ronald Coleman,” said Jack Carey, a Belleville attorney representing the family. “We can file against either or both between now and May 2011”

Carey had filed a civil suit last year against Christopher Coleman, 32, accused of the first degree murder of his wife, Sheri, 31, and sons Garett, 11, and Gavin, 9. The three were found strangled at their home on May 5 last year at their home in Columbia, Ill.

Joyce Meyer’s ministry, where Christopher Coleman worked as a security guard, was named a respondent-in-discovery. Ronald Coleman, also named as a respondent-in-discovery, is Christopher Coleman’s father.

Carey had six months to seek depositions to convert the ministry and Ronald Coleman as defendants

But Monroe County Judge Dennis Doyle ruled earlier this month that the six-month window had elapsed for the family’s attorneys to take depositions from Meyer or employees of her ministry. A hearing was set in Monroe County Circuit court to name the ministries and Ronald Coleman as defendants.

Then more legal maneuvering ensued. Last week, Carey filed a motion to drop Meyer from the suit. That motion was approved Tuesday.

Carey said without the depositions, attorneys weren’t sure they had enough evidence to proceed with the action. They wanted to be cautious, he said. “It’s a tactical retreat,” Carey said outside the court room.

“This is just something we were not comfortable with going forward on Friday,” Carey said. “It was better to withdraw the respondent-in-discovery and determine in the next few months how we want to proceed against the ministry and Ronald Coleman, or both.”

The six-month deadline was missed for reasons that the judge didn’t find acceptable, he said.

Scheduling problems with Enrico Mirabelli, another attorney representing the family from Cook County, Ill, and with obtaining information with the ministries delayed the process, he said. Another complicating factor involved Carey’s open heart surgery in October.

Some evidence was obtained and Carey said they tried to have the period extended to obtain depositions, he said. The court said, however, that time had run out. “The judge said six months, six months,” Carey said.

Carey said the family’s civil case could be stronger with the completion of Christopher Coleman’s criminal trial. More evidence will become available, he said. “My brief exposure to that evidence that there is plenty there to support a civil case,” Carey said.

Joyce Meyer Ministries is significant because of evidence involving testimony from employees, computer records, cell phone use and other information, he said. Carey distributed interrogatories on Tuesday that he suggests the ministry provided marital counseling to Christopher and Sheri Coleman.

Carey acknowledged that monetary damages in the case would come from Joyce Meyers Ministries. In Illinois, specific amounts can’t be sought in wrongful death suits. A “judicial amount” in access of $75,000 is sought.

Any damages if the case is successful may not come from Christopher Coleman. His house is in foreclosure and his pension has been frozen by court order. “It may give the family at least some emotional satisfaction,” Carey said.

June 14 Start Planned for Drew Peterson Trial

JOLIET, Ill. -- A Will County judge has ordered that jury selection begin June 14 in the murder trial of former Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson.

Judge Stephen White set the date Tuesday. In August, White called about 240 potential jurors to the courthouse to fill out questionnaires and tell them to avoid any media reports about the case - in an effort to protect the potential jury pool.

Peterson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his ex-wife, Kathleen Savio. He's been named a suspect but isn't charged in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. He denies any involvement in her disappearance.

The judge still has to decide if he'll allow the jury at Drew Peterson's trial to hear hearsay evidence - statements attributed to Savio and Stacy Peterson.

Stepbrother: Drew Indicated He'd Kill Wife Stacy

January 21, 2010 (JOLIET, Ill.) (WLS) -- There was some dramatic testimony Thursday during the hearing to determine if hearsay evidence can be used against Drew Peterson.

A key witness, Thomas Morphey, told the court Peterson talked about killing his fourth wife, Stacy. Morphey, Peterson's stepbrother, also described how Peterson may have disposed of the body.

Peterson has not been charged with Stacy's murder. But he is charged with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

This hearsay hearing is about the murder case of Kathleen Savio, but the majority of the testimony Thursday was about Stacy Peterson and what may have happened to her the weekend she disappeared.

Morphey trusted and looked up to his stepbrother Drew Peterson until, Morphey says, he became scared to death of the former Bolingbrook cop. In a pre-trial hearsay hearing, 42-year-old Morphey detailed the conversations and interactions he had with Peterson the weekend that Stacy Peterson disappeared.

One day before Peterson's fourth wife was reported missing, Morphey testified that Peterson took him on a drive to a park. On the way, Morphey said, "Drew asked me, 'How much do you love me?' I said, 'I do'. He said, 'Enough to kill for me?' I said, 'I always assumed you killed Kathleen.' He said, 'I would never kill Kathleen. She was a good mother'."

"We've always said that from the beginning of this case that Mr. Morphey has very serious credibility issues. That's becoming apparent," said Joel Brodsky, Peterson attorney.

Brodsky says Morphey's admitted history of mental illness and alcohol problems do not make him a credible witness. Despite that, Morphey calmly testified that the day before Stacy went missing, Peterson told him she wanted a divorce and was kicking him out of their Bolingbrook home. Morphey said, "He told me he planned to do something to Stacy."

Morphey said both men discussed renting a storage unit where Peterson wanted to store an air airtight container for six months until he could dispose of it. The following night, the same night Stacy was reported missing, Morphey was inside Peterson's home. Morphey said Peterson walked out of his master bedroom and "he had a large barrel-like container...he had me grab an end, he grabbed the other end. It felt warm."

Morphey testified that Peterson drove him home and said, " 'This never happened.' I said, 'I will not tell a soul' ."

Under cross-examination, Morphey was asked why he never called 911 during that time, specifically on that Sunday, and Morphey answered that he was afraid Drew Peterson would shoot him because Drew always carried a weapon.

Morphey testified that he never saw what was inside that blue barrel, but based on the conversations he had with Peterson that Saturday and the events that took place Sunday, he is assuming that it was Stacy Peterson's body in the blue barrel.

Later in the afternoon, testimony turned back to Kathleen Savio. Peterson's oldest son, Eric, testified that he saw his dad physically abuse Savio in the early 1990s.

New Search Effort for Stacy Peterson

BOLINGBROOK, Ill.(WLS) -- Family and friends joined volunteers to kick off a new search for missing mother Stacy Peterson Friday.

They were combing parts of the southwest suburbs for the first time in several months.

Peterson's family says they have new information as to where she may be, and they want your help in finding her. A new search set off Friday as part of an ongoing effort to find the missing Bolingbrook mother of two.

Stacy Peterson's husband, Drew Peterson, is suspected in her disappearance, but he claimed she left on her own. Drew Peterson sits in a Will County jail, not because of his fourth wife's disappearance. He is awaiting trial in the 2004 murder of third wife Kathleen Savio.

Stacy Peterson disappeared in October of 2007, and her family and friends fear she is dead. Since her disappearance, there have been numerous search operations for the mother. In the days immediately after she went missing, hundreds of volunteers combed the fields and woods around Bolingbrook, as well as ponds, streams and rivers for any signs of her. All of those searches turned up nothing.

Volunteers gathered Friday morning at the Ikea store in Bolingbrook.
They have been waiting to search the wetlands because they were waiting for them to dry up.

About 30 to 40 volunteers were searching for her. They headed down the road to a federally protected field in a wet land area near several homes.

Police were not involved in the search. Several other searches have not resulted in any clues.

The family of Stacy Peterson says they had a tip about a year ago that Drew Peterson was spotted in the area shortly after Stacy's disappearance. They believe there is a good chance they will find something.

"It will be nice just to find her and bring her home. And, you know, it's just an emotional roller coaster ride that I continue to ride and will continue to ride until I bring her home," said Cassandra Cales, Stacy Peterson's sister.

"Several people have tried to contact the Illinois State Police. I feel rather they have too many leads, or something timing wise, that's not good enough. It has to be now and all the time," said Gia Hoffman, family friend.

"Obviously her body is somewhere. I'm hoping today will be the day, and her family deserves that," said Pam Smith, volunteer.

It could be a rather long search effort. The area is not very large, but the brush and the weeds are high. And in certain areas, the water is deep. Some areas may even be unsafe.

Peterson Judge Questions Possible Jurors

(JOLIET, Ill.) (WLS) -- Judge Stephen White is asking hundreds of prospective jurors to fill out questionnaires in the Drew Peterson case, although no trial date has been set.

The judge began the process after Peterson's attorneys asked the judge to move the trial from Will County because of publicity surrounding the case.
Peterson has been charged in the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Kathleen Savio who was found dead in 2004.

Although White is considering moving this trial out of the county, he says he will not make a decision until October. In the meantime, jurors in Will County are being prepared for a possible trial.

Peterson arrived to the court in custody, Friday, for a hearing to determine whether or not to change venue for his trial. He addressed the jury, saying, "Good day folks, how are you?"

Peterson's attorneys argued the publicity and Drew's career as a police officer will make it difficult to find impartial jurors.

"If we can't pick a fair jury in Will County, than it's the government's job to find a county were we can find impartial jurors. They'll have to go out and do whatever work needs to be done to be able to do that," Peterson's attorney Joel Brodsky said.

"Ultimately we'll have to review the questionnaires and have to question the jurors at the time of jury selection," Peterson's attorney Andrew Abood said.

Prospective jurors received questionnaires asking whether they know Drew Peterson, any of the attorneys or any of the witnesses to be called in the case. Judge White also warned the jurors they must not read any newspaper accounts or information about this case.

The Will County State's Attorney would not comment on camera, but in court he argued that it is possible to seat an impartial jury, it is premature to make such a ruling and to wait and see what they find from these questionnaires. He also accused the defense attorneys for making this case so public and allowing the publicity to continue.

Although he did not comment on camera, defense attorneys spoke with the media three times Friday.

Earlier this week, Peterson talked with reporters about his three months in jail. He said fighting boredom is his biggest challenge, saying he hates reading and watches a lot of TV. Peterson also said he does not want his kids to visit him in jail but talks with them twice a week by telephone.

Earlier this week, Peterson's attorneys also filed a 29-page motion to have the new Illinois hearsay law - nicknamed "Drew's Law" - declared unconstitutional. The judge said he would rule on the law's constitutionality Oct. 2. Defense attorneys say the state statute cannot be used against Peterson because it was passed four years after the events he is accused of.

"The criminal law cannot relate back. It cannot change the rules of evidence in the middle of the game, so to speak," said Joel Brodsky, Peterson's attorney.

The former Bolingbrook police officer was arrested in May and charged with killing Savio. Her family members claim she once told them Peterson would kill her. She wrote a letter to prosecutors making that same allegation.

The hearsay law makes it easier to use such hearsay statements during a trial. While Peterson's attorney says it's unconstitutional, prosecutors say their case does not hinge on it. They say they have a mountain of evidence against Peterson.

This Day In History

Jul 21 1919
Two passengers, a mechanic and 10 bank employees are killed in Chicago when a Goodyear blimp, the Winged Foot Express, catches fire and crashes through the roof of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank.

Jul 21 1925
John Scopes is found guilty of teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school. The jury fines him $100.

Jul 21 1972
In Milwaukee, George Carlin is arrested for obscenity and disorderly conduct for performing his "Seven Dirty Words" routine in front of a group of wheelchair-bound children. He is released after posting $150 bail.

Jul 21 1981
Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting of John Lennon. His only response is to read a passage from a J.D. Salinger novel. Chapman currently works as a janitor in Attica State Prison.

'Super Marijuana' Becoming A Problem

CHICAGO - A strain of highly-potent marijuana is hitting the Chicago suburbs and causing concern for local lawmakers. Now they're calling for stricter laws against trafficking.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, is the main ingredient in marijuana that gives you a high. It used to measure 4 percent in pot found on the streets in the 90s. But now, pot can be as much as 20 percent THC.

One congressman said with the increased potency, he would lobby to see increased fines because the new marijuana could sell for $600 an ounce. This new 'super marijuana' is much higher in THC. It produce a more intense and longer-lasting high. It also sells for more on the street, and on the street, it's commonly known as "koosh."

"Koosh is a modified marijuana that delivers up to ten times the THC level of the marijuana we may have seen in the 1960s and 70s," Congressman Mark Kirk said.

Congressman Kirk is proposing federal legislation to make dealing it on a higher level like with cocaine.

Congressman Kirk went on to explain that the high potency marijuana act of 2009 "would increase the penalties just for drug dealers and people making sure they know that the penalties are as high for this new potent marijuana as it is for other high potency drugs."

To give you an example, current legislation calls for fines of $250,000 for an individual and up to five years in prison. Under Mark Kirk's proposed legislation, it would go up to $1 million for an individual and up to 25 years in prison.

Judge Puts Leash on Media Hound Drew Peterson in Wife's Murder Case

Fox News - A judge on Wednesday prohibited murder suspect Drew Peterson, a notorious media hound, from contacting anyone except people on a court-approved list of family, friends and attorneys -- jailhouse restrictions in response to Peterson's recent phone call to a Chicago talk radio show.

Will County Judge Stephen White ordered Peterson's lawyers to give him the phone numbers of family, friends and attorneys who Peterson calls. If Peterson wants to call someone who is not on the list, he must notify the jail and get the judge's approval.

The judge issued specific guidelines to Peterson's attorneys on pre-trial publicity and media interviews, asking that the lawyers inform the judge of any pre-arranged media interviews and supply him with copies of any press releases sent out on the case.

Drew Peterson Calls Radio Show to Joke From Jail

May 27th: CHICAGO (AP) -- Drew Peterson has broadcast his trademark -- and seemingly inappropriate -- sense of humor live from jail.

The former cop, suspected in his third wife's death, called collect to WLS Radio's Mancow & Cassidy show on Wednesday and offered snippets of a comedy routine he's working on.

Peterson, who once proposed a "Win a Date With Drew" contest, offered a jail version called "Win a Conjugal Visit with Drew."

He also joked about prison showers, his legal fees and his "bling" handcuffs, saying humor is how he deals with stress.

Peterson is being held on $20 million bond on charges of first-degree murder in Kathleen Savio's death. He's also a suspect in his fourth wife Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

Peterson denies any wrongdoing.

Drew Peterson Judge Replaced For A Second Time

For the second time, the judge in the Drew Peterson murder case has been replaced.

Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney on Monday assigned the case to Circuit Judge Stephen White. The move was in response to the defense's motion for a judge other than Carla Alessio Policandriotes. Kinney said he found that the defense's motion "does appear to meet the criteria."

Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, didn't specify why he wanted a different judge. Earlier, State's Atty. James Glasgow, who is prosecuting the case, said in court he didn't oppose the motion, saying it is "a statutory right."

Policandriotes handled a small part of the 2002 divorce case between Peterson and Kathleen Savio, signing an early order setting child support and awarding Savio temporary custody of their children.

Peterson is alleged to have killed Savio in 2004 after they had divorced but before financial and other matters had been settled.

Peterson has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutor: Peterson Tried to Hire Hit Man

(CNN) -- Prosecutors alleged Friday that Drew Peterson tried to hire a hitman to kill his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a spokesman for the Will County, Illinois, state attorney said.

State's Attorney James Glasgow said during a bail reduction hearing Friday that Peterson tried to solicit a hitman for $25,000 to kill Savio, press secretary Charles Pelkie said.

Peterson has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder in Savio's death.

New Judge Assigned to Peterson Case

A new judge has been appointed in the murder case against former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson.

Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney on Thursday appointed Carla J. Alessio-Policandriotes (pahl-ee-KAN'-dree-oh-tihs) to oversee the case.

Earlier this week, the state's attorney had asked that Judge Richard Schoenstedt (SHAYN'-stehd) be removed, on the grounds of bias against the state.

Peterson's attorney Joel Brodsky challenged that motion. On Thursday, Brodsky initially said in court that he would ask that that new judge be replaced, too, but he later withdrew that request.

Peterson is charged with first-degree murder in the 2004 drowning of Kathleen Savio. Her death was initially ruled an accident but was reopened after Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, disappeared in 2007. (source)

Peterson Shocker: Pleads Not Guilty

CHICAGO - UPDATE: Drew Peterson formally entered a plea of not guilty this morning on charges that he murdered his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have asked for a new judge to be assigned to the case. The hearing currently is in recess.

Drew Peterson is scheduled to be arraigned this morning on charges he murdered his third wife five years ago. But the major issue at that hearing is whether he will get his bond reduced.

The arraignment at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet had been delayed because Peterson's lead attorney, Joel Brodsky, was doing a series of media interviews in New York, proclaiming his client's innocence, the day after Peterson was arrested on a Bolingbrook street.

As with all murder defendants at arraignment, the former Bolingbrook police officer will plead not guilty. But the major news to come out of his court appearance will focus on whether a Will County judge will lower Peterson's $20 million bail.

That bail has kept Peterson in jail since his arrest May 7. He has been unable to post the 10 percent--or $2 million--needed to gain his freedom pending trial.

Brodsky has said he will move to get Peterson's bail reduced to somewhere between $100,000 and $500,000. He asserts Peterson isn't a flight risk, saying that if was going to flee, he would have done so long ago.

An attorney representing Savio's estate said he opposes any bail reduction because any assets Peterson may use to post bail are ones that Savio's estate likely has its own claim on. Savio's estate filed a wrongful death suit against Peterson in April.

It's not known if prosecutors today, in opposing bail reduction, will reveal any evidence they have against Peterson. Brodsky has characterized the prosecution's case as "a weak, circumstantial case at best."

At trial, prosecutors are expected to rely on a new Illinois statute -- one that Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow sought for months and that some call Drew's Law -- to allow Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, to "testify from beyond the grave." Peterson's defense team has vowed to challenge the law -- which would allow a judge to admit certain hearsay evidence into court -- as unconstitutional.

Savio, was found drowned in an empty bathtub in her Bolingbrook home five years ago. Her death at that time was ruled accidental, but prosecutors reopened the case following the disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, in October 2007.

Another autopsy ruled Savio's death a homicide. At the time of her death, the couple was in the process of divorcing. The divorce threatened to strip Peterson of substantial assets.

Peterson has denied any involvement in Stacy's disappearance and has not been charged in that case.

Move Could Signal Stacy Peterson Investigation Is Nearing An End

[Photo from Chicago Tribune: Thomas Morphey (left), Drew Peterson's stepbrother, and Lenny Wawczak, an ex-acquaintance of Peterson's]

Tribune staff report --->I yanked this from prairiechicken blog though!
May 15, 2009
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Three potentially key witnesses in the cases against Drew Peterson appeared Thursday before the same special grand jury that returned a murder indictment last week against the former Bolingbrook police sergeant in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
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The grand jury is still investigating the disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy. Thomas Morphey, Lenny Wawczak and Paula Stark all entered the Will County Court Annex Building, where the grand jury has been meeting for 18 months. They declined to comment.
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But their appearance could signal the end of the investigation into Stacy's disappearance. They were expected to be the last witnesses called to testify, sources said. The grand jury's term expires May 21. If the jury does not return an indictment, State's Atty. James Glasgow could continue the investigation with another panel.
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Morphey, Peterson's stepbrother, has alleged he helped Peterson move Stacy's body in a blue container from their Bolingbrook home Oct. 28, 2007, the day she disappeared. He described the container as heavy and warm to the touch.
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Wawczak and Stark, former acquaintances of Peterson's, have claimed they secretly recorded Peterson last year for the state police.
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Peterson's neighbor and friend Steve Carcerano also appeared before the grand jury. He was one of the neighbors who discovered Savio's body and has defended Peterson. It is at least the second time he has been called to testify.

Report: Savio Death Saved Peterson Money

(WLS) -- Drew Peterson's divorce battle with his third wife, Kathleen Savio, could have reportedly cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Tribune reports that the Will County State's Attorney's Office is taking a closer look at the divorce as part of its investigation.

The Tribune reports that Peterson stood to lose money from the sale of the couple's home, a bar in Montgomery he owned and half of his police pension. Because of Savio's death, Peterson kept everything, including custody of their two children.

Last week, Peterson was charged with murder for Savio's February 2004 death.

Drew Peterson: I'll 'Probably Be Found Innocent'

In a phone interview from the Will County Jail in Joliet, Ill., recorded Thursday and broadcast Friday, Drew Peterson told TODAY’s Matt Lauer that he’ll “probably be found innocent” of the 2004 murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

The 55-year-old former Bolingbrook, Ill., police sergeant was also harshly critical of the grand jury system that indicted him.

Police have been investigating both Savio’s death and Stacey Peterson’s disappearance for some 18 months. Lauer asked Peterson if he had any thoughts on why he the indictment was handed down when it was.

“I believe that was the last day of the grand jury and I believe they had to do something. The state's attorney, I believe, was under a lot of pressure from both the media and the Savio family to do something,” he replied.

“Do you have idea what the state's evidence is against you?” Lauer asked.

“No idea. And the grand jury system seriously needs to be revised,” he replied. “I truly believe that if they wanted to they could have indicted you for this incident. What you have is a bunch of lay people that are in there and they have been sitting there for 18 months, and they are uneducated on the points of law, rules of evidence and things like that.”

Lauer asked Peterson if he has any evidence to prove his innocence.

“There’s all kinds of evidence available. We’ll get discovery and we’ll basically piece-by-piece take apart their case,” Peterson replied, adding that he could not elaborate on what that evidence is.

Peterson was arrested after a traffic stop on May 7 after being indicted at the end of the local grand jury’s 18-month term. He is being held on $20 million bail, a sum that his attorney, Joel Brodsky, has called exorbitant and is trying to get reduced.

Peterson told Lauer he expected that he would be arrested when he was.

“I wasn't really that surprised. The news crews were outside which indicated to me that they were getting ready for something,” he said. “So I was trying to get to the bank to make a deposit so my family would have some money in the bank account. And all of a sudden I was swooped down on.”

After his arrest, Peterson quipped to reporters, “I guess I should have returned those library books.” Later, while being transferred in handcuffs and his orange jail clothes, he asked reporters what he thought of his “bling” and his “spiffy” clothes.

In an appearance on TODAY after Peterson’s arrest, Brodsky had explained Peterson’s flippant remarks as his wisecracking way of dealing with stress. Lauer asked Peterson, “Do you understand how it can tend to make you a very unsympathetic character in the eyes of the public?”

“Well, there is no book written on how I'm supposed to act,” Peterson replied. “Would it be better if I hid my head down and tried to hide my face and hunched over and tears in my eyes? I mean, no, that's just not me.”

[rest of semi-lengthy article here]

Drew Peterson News Update

There's been a lot of relative news taking place since Drew Peterson's arrest, so let's go over some:

Insider says Drew Peterson could make bond

JOLIET, Ill., -- An Illinois man accused of killing his third wife and suspected in the disappearance of his fourth has the money to make bail, an insider says. Ernie Raines, the father of Drew Peterson's live-in fiancee, says his daughter, Chrissy, told him Peterson has enough money to cover a $20 million bond, the Joliet Herald-News reported Wednesday. Peterson's lawyer has complained the bond set in the first-degree murder case against his client is way out of line and will seek to get it dropped to something more affordable. But Raines says Peterson has plenty of money, which he was using as bait to keep Chrissy Raines in his home. Peterson is accused of killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio. His fourth wife, Stacy, has been missing since October 2007. He is due back in court on Monday. (source)

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Drew Peterson arrest: What happens to the kids?‎

CHICAGO (AP) — Drew Peterson, charged in the death of his third wife and suspected in the disappearance of his fourth, soon might face another legal battle: a custody fight.

The ex-cop had two children with Kathleen Savio, whom he's accused of killing, and another two with Stacy Peterson, who has been missing since 2007. Drew Peterson's adult son Stephen announced Monday that he has taken custody of the children, but relatives of Savio and Stacy Peterson are looking into whether they can change that.

"We'd seen a lawyer a ways back and were told we'd have to wait until he was charged," said Pamela Bosco, a friend of Stacy Peterson who has acted as a spokeswoman for her family. "We have to go back to a lawyer and see what's available to us."

"It's an issue that's moved to the front burner," said Martin Glink, an attorney representing Savio's father and sister, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson shortly before his arrest last week. He added, however, that he hasn't talked about the issue with his clients or anyone else in the Savio family.

Peterson, 55, is being held in lieu of $20 million bond as he awaits a hearing next week on first-degree murder charges in the 2004 death of Savio, who was found drowned in a dry bathtub, a gash to the back of her head.

He has two boys, ages 16 and 14, with Savio and a 5-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl with Stacy Peterson. Peterson has long maintained his innocence in Savio's death and Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

Stephen Peterson, Drew Peterson's son from a previous marriage, issued a statement Monday on behalf of his siblings, noting that they are staying with him. (rest here)
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CHICAGO - Christina Raines was not happy to see Fox Chicago News outside the Will County Jail.

The young woman who remains engaged and committed to Drew Peterson, despite his arrest for the murder of his third wife, arrived at the Will County Jail visitation center around 12:30 pm.

Dressed in Capri pants, a white sleeveless sweater and high heels, she chatted with Peterson for a half hour; the allotted time the jail allows.

The visit was in a separate wing of the jail. And, it was not in person. Raines and Peterson could only see one another through a video monitor and a phone handset.
Afterwards, Raines was in no mood to talk about the visit.

When asked why she was at the jail, she told Craig Wall, “None of your f*$%@*in' business.” (rest here)
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HBO: Drew Peterson not welcome on brothel show‎

CHICAGO (AP) — HBO says there's no chance Drew Peterson will appear on a reality television show set in a Nevada brothel.

In fact, HBO spokeswoman Tobe (TOH'-bee) Becker says the network would cancel "Cathouse" before allowing the former suburban Chicago police officer to appear.

Peterson is a suspect in the October 2007 disappearance of his wife, Stacy.

Peterson publicist Glenn Selig (SEH'-lig) said Wednesday that his client was weighing an offer from the owner of the Moonlight Bunny Ranch outside Carson City.

Becker calls that a "stunt" that HBO does not condone.

Brothel owner Dennis Hof (HOFF') said Thursday he's still talking to Peterson about a possible job, even though Peterson can't be on the show. Selig says Peterson is interested. (source)


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Father of Drew Peterson's Fiancee Relieved‎

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," May 8, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

VAN SUSTEREN: Go ahead.

RAINES: Of course, because he knows that I wasn't going anywhere and he knows that I was watching him. And so was everybody else. He made one false move, he knew I'd he there, that my daughter just call me and said something that he said to her, he know I'd be there. Wouldn't take me that long to get there. I wasn't afraid of him.

VAN SUSTEREN: The reporter we just had on said that your daughter's being questioned by law enforcement and may hire a lawyer. What kind of questions are they asking her?

RAINES: I don't know, but I'm taking care of that. I'm getting her a lawyer.

VAN SUSTEREN: Why does she need a lawyer?

RAINES: Because -- well, they first got her, and then she called me. And then I talked to her again last night at about 1:00 o'clock. She said they won't leave her alone. And I told her, Well, the reason being is you move out, you go back, move in, go back. Now they're thinking that maybe you know something. And you know, that's why they're going to be on you. So we'll have to take care of that. (rest here)