Drew Peterson Trial: Day 18 – Defense calls its first witness

The defense called its first witness today, Dr. Jeffrey Jentzen, a forensic pathologist who testified that that wound on Kathleen Savio’s neck and bruises on her body were consistent with an acciental fall in the bathtub.

Jentzen’s theory fully contradicts the prosecution’s star witness, Dr. Larry Blum, who suggested that a single fall couldn’t possibly cause a wound to the back of a head, and bruises on the front.

As part of Jentzen’s presentation he displayed a board with an illustrated person and showed three stages of an accidental fall, ”These injuries are classic for a fall, or a slip and fall.” He also disagreed with prosecution witness Dr. Mary Case who testified that said that the wound on her head couldn’t have caused her to fall unconcious and drown. Jentzen said, ”I disagree vehemently with this opinion. She’s wrong.” Jentzen said that a person can lose consciousness from a concussion and not show any sign of brain trauma.

Dr. Jentzen is the director of Pathology at the University of Michigan.

Drew Peterson Trial – Day 17: The prosecution rests with a letter from Savio

Drew Peterson Trial: Day 16 – Judge warns of possible acquittal

As the prosecution in the Drew Peterson trial wrapped up the week’s testimony, Judge Edward Burmila warned James Glasgow and his team that they haven’t proven their case. He suggested that they have yet to prove that Peterson was in the bathroom the night of Kathleen Savio’s death or how he might have murdered her.

The prosecution explained to the Judge that they were going to introduce testimony that showed Peterson’s training in strangleholds would have been the method of choice for the former police officer. Burmila dismissed the idea immediately saying, ”You can’t be serious, you don’t even have any evidence linking him to the scene. Now you want to say this is what he did there?”

The prosecution do not expect to call any additional witnesses and will wrap up their case on Monday.

Peterson’s defense team expect a swift and decisive conclusion to their case which will start on Monday. By the end of the next week the Judge could hand off the case to the jury, if he doesn’t render a not-guilty verdict himself before it gets to that point. Often the defense will request the Judge to render a not-guilty verdict after the prosecution has rested, and while these types of motions are rarely granted, the Savio case is different from many cases, there is a real chance that such a request could be granted.

Even if the jury does get the case, the standard of proving Peterson guilty beyond a reasonable doubt could give the jury no choice but to acquit.

Drew Peterson Trial: Day 14 – Did Peterson try to hire a hitman?

The Drew Peterson trial entered its 14th day of testimony with another small victory for the prosecution. Judge Edward Burmila allowed the prosecution to introduce evidence that shows Drew Peterson, a former police officer, tried to hire a hit man to murder his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Savio’s death in 2004 was originally ruled an accident, however, when Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy Peterson went missing in 2007, investigators looked back at Savio’s death and after the exhumation of her body and second autopsy, determined that her death was a homicide. And with the introduction of new testimony today, James Glasgow is trying to show that Savio’s death was something that Peterson had been planning for a very long time.

To prove this point, the prosecution will call as a witness Jeff Pacther. Pacther worked with Peterson and claims that he was offered $25,000 to hire someone to kill Savio. In 2010 Pacther testified that while in a squad together together Peterson asked him if he knew someone who could, “have his third wife taken care of.” Pacther simply brushed the comment aside and simply replied “Ok” and never brought up the subject again.

Pachter said he didn’t take Peterson’s offer seriously, saying he simply responded, “OK,” but did nothing about it. After Savio’s death Pacther called Peterson on another matter and Peterson ended the conversation saying, “By the way, the favor that I asked you, I don’t need it anymore.”

Drew Peterson Trial: Day 12 – Another blow for the prosecution