Prosecutors Claim that Drew Peterson Tried to Hire a Hitman to Kill Third Wife Kathleen Savio

During a court hearing regarding the reduction of Drew Peterson’s $20 million bond, an interesting piece of information was presented by the prosecution. Will County prosecutor claims that Drew Peterson tried to hire a hitman in 2003 to kill his third wife Kathleen Savio.

Prosecutors gave a preview of their case today and said Savio’s death was staged to make it look like an accident.

The state also claims Peterson tried to solicit a hit on Savio in 2003, but did not elaborate. Prosecutors indicated they have evidence that would be presented in court.

In addition, the state told the court that Peterson knew fact of the case that only the killer would know.

Prior to his pending divorce from Kathleen Savio, prosecutors claim that Drew Peterson offered someone $25,000 to kill his wife. However, in the end did the act himself. Their theory is, facing “financial ruin”, Peterson attempted to solicit a hitman to kill his wife. It is reported that Drew Peterson told a fellow officer that just a few weeks before Kathleen Savio was found dead in a bathtub that, his life would be easier “if she was just dead.”

Prosecutor James Glasgow said Peterson told a fellow police officer that he would be financially ruined by a pending divorce, and life would be easier if his wife were dead. Three weeks later, Savio’s body was found in her bathtub with a gash on the back of her head, the Will County prosecutor said. Glasgow did not reveal the source of his allegation.

Savio’s death initially was ruled an accidental drowning, but authorities reopened the investigation after Stacy Peterson disappeared. They ruled Savio’s death a homicide after exhuming her body and performing a new autopsy. Peterson was arrested May 7.

Drew Peterson’s attorney Joel Brodsky says talk about his client hiring someone to kill Kathleen Savio was unsubstantiated. You can hear Joel Brodsky LIVE Sunday night at 9 pm ET when he is one of Dana’s guests on Scared Monkey’s radio.

In the end the judge refused Peterson’s attorneys request to lower his $20 million bail.

The family of Kathleen Savio had long thought that Drew Peterson was responsible for her death; however, they were shocked at the accusations of Peterson attempted effort to hire a hitman.

As the charges against Drew Peterson in the death of his third wife Kathleen Savio are in the forefront of the news, the irony that there might be breaking news in the case of his missing fourth wife, Stacy Paterson, remain. Speculation is running ramped as to the ID of the body found the other day near the homes of missing Stacy Peterson and Lisa Stebic.

UPDATE I: ‘On the Record’ Legal Panel Discuss Drew Peterson’s Alleged Hitman

JIM MURPHY, FOX NEWS (Via telephone): It was not discussed in court today whether or not that would presented to the grand jury. But I think you described it perfectly. It certainly was a bombshell.

When I came into the courtroom today, I was sitting near, relative to Stacy Peterson as well as the Savio family. Obviously, there could be very visible reaction, but you could tell there were shaken by that news today.

COLBY: Absolutely. And the timeline of when it happened, the potential purchase of a hit man for $25,000 was just weeks before she was found dead in that dry bathtub. And then the comment to the officer also around the time that there were about to decide how much alimony he was going to have to pay.

The judge denied reducing a $20 million bail, and $20 million is considered high in that state for what he is indicted for, these charges.

So do you know why he did it? Did it have anything to do with the fact that Drew Peterson benefited financially from Kathleen Savio’s death and that money might be used for bail?

MURPHY: Certainly. There were a couple of strong points that James Glasswell (ph) the Will County state’s attorney made today, one being that Drew Peterson violated a very serious oath, that to serve and protect as a police officer. And he thought he should be held to a higher standard.

The other point that he talked quite a bit about was the finances. He had a life-insurance policy on Kathleen Savio. As a result of her death he gets $25,000 a year for the two children that they had together. So certainly finances were a strong part of the argument …