Drew Peterson Could Still Face Murder Rap In 4th Wife's Death

JOLIET, IL - Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said his office is continuing to vigorously pursue the possibility of bringing additional murder charges against Drew Peterson in connection with the October 2007 disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy. Thursday marked one of the best days in the long career of the Will County state's attorney as the Illinois Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, upheld Peterson's conviction for murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

"This has been a no-holds barred 10 years, and I can't find another case where an elected state's attorney prosecuted a case against a former law enforcement officer with 30 years experience, having killed his wife and then he turns around and tries to kill the prosecutor," Glasgow told reporters Thursday. "I challenge any anybody here to find a case with those facts. There isn't one."

On Thursday morning, the Illinois Supreme Court released its decision to uphold Drew Peterson's conviction in the death of Kathleen Savio. Glasgow addressed the Chicago-area news media in downtown Joliet, making remarks and taking questions for about 15 minutes.

In a nutshell, the Illinois Supreme Court came to a unanimous agreement determining that hearsay testimony from Peterson's missing fourth wife did not violate his constitutional right to confront his accusers when Peterson was tried and convicted in the death of his third wife, Savio. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"This case has been a case of first impressions since Day One against something I love," Glasgow declared Thursday morning ."When people tell me I can't do something, that's when I go into over-gear, overdrive ... This is a case as a lawyer you look for challenges, well this is the biggest challenge I have ever faced and I've had a lot of setbacks where I just couldn't believe that the appellate court or the supreme court ruled a certain way.

"This (ruling) wipes all of those memories away and I can peacefully conclude my career," Glasgow added.

Glasgow said that Thursday morning marked an unusual feeling when he got to work, all because of the Peterson ruling. "I felt no stress at all today," Glasgow said.

He also said that "this case was tailor made for me. I thrive off stress and it drives my wife crazy," he pointed out.

During the question and answer session, Glasgow was asked whether he plans to run for Illinois Attorney General. Last week, Lisa Madigan announced that she will not be seeking another term in office. Glasgow was just re-elected to another four-year term as Will County's State's Attorney last November.

"I am certainly qualified," Glasgow responded, explaining that he has not made any decision, one way or the other, about whether he would run for Illinois Attorney General.

During Thursday's press conference, Glasgow stressed that the disappearance and murder of Stacy Peterson still remains very much on his mind and that his office actively continues to investigate her case. Next month will mark 10 years since she vanished. Although law enforcement officials have looked for her body in several different places, she's never been located.

"The investigation regarding Stacy Peterson is not closed by any stretch of the imagination," Glasgow announced.

He said that "there are some doors opening" in the case that may lead to an eventual breakthrough. "There is evidence that could potentially reach the level to bring a charge," Glasgow said, adding that he's not in a position to reveal specifics at the moment.

However, he wanted to assure everybody following the Drew Peterson case that he is not walking away from Stacy Peterson's still-unsolved murder even though the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed Peterson's murder conviction in Savio's death. "Justice demands it," Glasgow said, adding "you can never have enough murder convictions of a murderer."

Based on Thursday's ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court, Peterson's chances of winning an appeal through the U.S. Supreme Court are slim.

One of the television reporters at the press conference asked Glasgow if he had a special message for Peterson, knowing full well that Peterson is sure to watch the news coverage of his case, including the press conference in downtown Joliet.

Glasgow recalled how when he last saw the killer at Peterson's murder-for-hire trial, "he looked like a beaten man. I was kind of disappointed ... so I've got nothing to say to him. He complained ... that I never looked him in the eye. Well, that's damn right I never looked him in the eye. I don't look murderers in the eye. I'm there to prosecute them, make sure they get a fair trial, their due process rights are (adhered to) but I'm not going to acknowledge him.

"He tried to say 'Hi Jim,' to me in the first court appearance. I walked by him like he wasn't there."

In March, Patch reported that Peterson, 63, was moved to a federal prison in Indiana after having been locked up in maximum security Menard since February 2013 for the 2004 murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Peterson was sentenced to 38 years for Savio's death and got another 40 years tacked on when he was convicted of conspiring to order a hit on Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.

Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, vanished in October 2007. She remains missing.

Main image of Drew Peterson and Stacy Peterson via Patch files

Image of Glasgow via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak