Crime & Safety

Drew Peterson Jurors Speak Out Following Guilty Verdict

Jurors address the matching outfits, the role hearsay testimony played and how they reached a unanimous decision.

Jurors in the Drew Peterson murder trial held a press conference Friday to answer some of the most burning questions from the trial. Four jurors were present for the conference, according to the Chicago Tribune

READ MORE: 



Jurors held the press conference to get news crews off their lawns, according to the release. 

Find out what's happening in Bolingbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"One condition for this press conference is that all media outlets agree to have their reporters and camera crews respect their privacy at their residences immediately. Please contact your field crews to remove themselves immediately and respect their privacy."

How did the jury vote during deliberations? 

Find out what's happening in Bolingbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The jury held three votes during deliberations Wednesday. In the first vote, seven voted guilty, four voted innocent and one voted unsure. By the end of Wednesday, the jury voted 11-1 guilty. 

The lone juror who did not vote guilty said hearsay evidence from Rev. Neil Schori and attorney Harry Smith convinced him to vote guilty, according to ABC Chicago

How big of a role did the hearsay testimony play? 

The jurors believed the witnesses who spoke to Stacy Peterson, according to the Tribune, and that testimony was "critical," jurors said. 

"We believed Stacy," said Eduardo Saldana, foreman of the jury, in the Trib.

Testimony from Stacy Peterson's divorce attorney, Harry Smith, was most powerful, Saldana said. Rev. Neil Schori, who said Stacy told him of Drew's actions the night of Kathleen Savio's death, was also very important. 

"He said they possibly would have acquitted Drew Peterson without the hearsay testimony," the Trib reported

What led to the matching clothes? 

The jury was bored, they said. They got permission from the judge to wear sports jerseys, according to the Tribune

What testimony was critical to the conviction? 

The fact that Drew Peterson cleaned the bathtub was telling, jurors said. Also, they believed there were too many bruises on Kathleen Savio's body to be accidental, according to the Tribune.

Was there added pressure? 

Jurors said there was not added pressure considering the high-profile nature of the case. They also had discussions, but those did not become heated, according to the Tribune.  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.