Glasgow Reacts To Drew Peterson U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

BOLINGBROOK, IL - The Office of Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow issued a press release late Monday afternoon announcing that Glasgow was pleased but not surprised that Drew Peterson’s petition to appeal his case to the U.S. Supreme Court has been denied.

The denial means the U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal of Peterson’s case, a decision that effectively ends the direct appeal of any issues in his case. The defendant still has the option of pursuing other post-conviction relief in the courts, prosecutors said.

Drew Peterson’s conviction already has been unanimously upheld on direct appeal by the Illinois Third District Court of Appeals as well as the Illinois Supreme Court. The Illinois Supreme Court ruling also included a detailed review of State’s Attorney Glasgow’s lawful use of hearsay statements from Peterson’s murdered third wife, Kathleen Savio, as well as his missing fourth wife, Stacy Peterson.

“The statements I lawfully used as evidence to convict Drew Peterson at his murder trial were both relevant and probative,” Glasgow said Monday's press release. “Peterson thought the threats he made to Kathleen Savio – that he would kill her and make it look like an accident – had died with her. And he thought the statements he had made to his young fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, had vanished along with her in 2007. But by applying the constitutionally sound concept of Forfeiture by Wrongdoing, Kathleen was able to testify from the grave against her murderer, and Stacy was able to refute Peterson’s alibi for Kathleen’s murder.”

The State’s Attorney continued: “The many successes in the appeals process have been vindications of my decision to pursue a prosecution that initially had been criticized by many legal professionals and those in the media. More importantly, they have been victories for the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson against a notorious murderer who always felt he could act outside and above the law.”

Police mugshot of Drew Peterson