Crime & Safety

Peterson Jurors to Sleep in Own Beds, Getting Back at it in Morning

The jury in the Drew Peterson murder trial deliberated for eight and a half hours Wednesday.

After eight and a half hours Wednesday, the jury in the murder trial called it quits for the night.

Judge gave jurors the option to keep going, but they sent back a note asking whether they would be sequestered if they decided to halt deliberations.

Burmila sent another note letting them know they could go home, and the jury chose to pick things back up at 9 a.m. Thursday.

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On the way out, Peterson's attorneys declined to speak to the media. It was the first time since the trial started that they refrained from commenting.

"For once we got nothing to say," said Peterson lawyer .

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The jury started its day shortly after 9:30 a.m. Within two hours, they sent a note to Judge Burmila asking to see and hear some of the evidence from the trial.

Jurors asked to see Peterson's phone records from Feb. 28 to March 1, 2002 and the phone records of his missing fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, for the same time period.

They also wanted transcripts of the testimony from the Rev. and Wheaton attorney , and a November 2002 letter written by Peterson's slain third wife, , to former Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Fragale.

On top of that, the jury wanted the Bolingbrook police report detailing a July 2002 attack Peterson allegedly perpetrated against Savio, and later requested—and was provided—photographs of Savio curled naked and dead in her bathtub.

An Illinois State Police crime scene technician took the bathtub death scene pictures soon after Savio's body was discovered by neighbors in March 2004.

The jury also asked for photographs taken during the autopsies performed on Savio and pictures showing the bruises on her dead body.

Defense attorney objected to turning over some of the autopsy photos, which the jury has already seen. Brodsky claimed those particular photographs were "too gruesome" for jurors to look at again.

All of the evidence the jury wanted to see is damaging to Peterson's case, indicating the jury may be leaning toward a conviction, court watchers said.

Pam Bosco, the foster mother of Stacy's sister , pointed out that the testimony of Schori and Smith—the only testimony the jury has asked to have repeated to them so far—was to the prosecution's case.

"I think those were the most profound statements in the trial," Bosco said.

Will County Supervisor of Court Reporters Jennifer Danley read back the entire testimony of Schori and Smith. The recitation took about an hour and a half.

The jury was returned to the jury box to hear the testimony.

In a show of optimism, Brodsky apparently assumed Peterson was going to walk free Wednesday. A courthouse source said he hired a Chicago police officer with a shaved head to wait in the hallway outside the courtroom all day.

In the event Peterson was freed, the police officer, who was wearing body armor and packing a pistol on his hip, was supposed to guard Peterson from the public, the source said.

Instead, Peterson was guarded Wednesday night by the correctional officers at the Will County jail.


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