Judge confirms Drew Peterson taping

September 19, 2008
BY DAN ROZEK Staff Reporter/drozek@suntimes.com

Drew Peterson's own words may be used against him.

Investigators have amassed an "extensive" collection of secretly recorded conversations involving Peterson, a Will County judge disclosed at a hearing Thursday.

It's the first independent verification that police investigating Peterson used electronic surveillance in an effort to collect evidence against the former Bolingbrook cop.

In July, Len Wawczak and Paula Stark, former friends of Peterson, claimed they had secretly taped months of conversations with him for investigators probing the October 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy, and the 2004 drowning death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Authorities haven't confirmed their claims, but on Thursday, Judge Richard Schoenstedt said investigators used court-approved electronic eavesdropping to compile tapes, CDs and DVDs focusing on Peterson.

"It is extensive," Schoenstedt said of the material. He didn't disclose how the recordings were obtained.

The information was disclosed when attorneys defending Peterson on a felony weapons charge asked for access to any police eavesdropping that could be related to that case. Peterson was hit with the gun charge after a November search of his home turned up what authorities allege was an illegally modified assault rifle.

Schoenstedt deferred a ruling on whether defense attorneys can review any recordings before Peterson's upcoming weapons trial.

After the hearing, defense attorney Joel Brodsky downplayed the significance of any recordings, saying Peterson isn't concerned.

"He's not afraid of anything he said," Brodsky said after the hearing. "We have no fear of anything that could be contained in those tapes."

Peterson attended the hearing but left without commenting.

Schoenstedt deferred a ruling on whether Peterson's adult son, Steve, will be called to testify when Peterson stands trial on the weapons charge.

Given the extensive publicity, Schoenstedt said he plans to elect a jury from a pool of about 100 potential jurors -- three times the amount he typically calls in for a felony trial.