Drew Peterson chats with Matt, collect

Updated: Drew Peterson posts (5-14)

May 15, 2009

Matt starts out by mentioning that he was arrested in the same jurisdiction where he worked as a police sergeant.

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Lauer asks if he was surprised by arrest? Listen to his lame excuse for trying to flee.

I wasn't really that surprised. The news crews were outside and all of a sudden the news crews moved to the side of the street, which indicated to me that they were getting ready for something. So I was trying to get to the bank to make a deposit so my family would have some money in the bank account. And all of a sudden I was swooped down on.

Investigation going on for 18 months - why arrested now?

I believe that was the last day of the grand jury and I believe they had to do something. The state's attorney, I believe, was under a lot of pressure from both tje media the and the Savio family to do something.

LAUER: Do you have idea what the state's evidence is against you?

No idea. And the grand jury system seriously needs to be revised. I truly believe that if they wanted to they could have indicted you for this incident.

LAUER: Why do you say that?

What you have is a bunch of lay people that are in there and they've been sitting there for 18 months, and they are uneducated on the points of law, rules of evidence, and things like that.

LAUER: Do you have any evidence that you and your attorney can offer that can prove your innocence?

There's all kinds of evidence available. We'll get discovery and we'll basically piece-by-piece take apart their case.

LAUER: What is the strongest piece of evidence that you have to prove that you're not guilty in this crime?

Oh, that's something you'll have to get from Mr Brodsky. [He doesn't have anything.] I'm not at liberty to say.

He asks about Peterson's flippant remarks. His “I guess I should have returned those library books” statement upon his arrest and his crazy comments to reporters on his way into his hearing.

LAUER: This kind of sense of humor of yours is the way you react to stress, but do you understand how it can tend to make you a very unsympathetic character in the eyes of the public?

Well, again, there’s no book written on the way I’m supposed to act. Would it be better if I hid my head down and tried to hide my face, and hunched over and have tears in my eyes? No, that’s just not me. Like i said before, I deal with stressful situations with humor. It's worked for me in the past.

Recall that he originally covered up his face with a bandana.

Reminds Peterson that everything he does - stress relieving or not - is viewed by prospective jurors.

LAUER: What message do you think you are sending them?

I'm not trying to send anybody any type of message. It's basically just what's coming out.

Lauer asks him about the "Drew Peterson Law" that allows for hearsay type testimony of the deceased to be entered into evidence. Like Kathleen Savio's letters and comments to her family - Stacy Peterson's admission to her Pastor that she knew Drew killed Kathleen and that she had given him an alibi.

Peterson says the legislators are re-thinking the law - which was just used successfully. Have to post that.

That Lauer brings up the mixed polygraph results of a polygraph he took for Derek Armstrong's book. Peterson passed the questions relevant to Katheen Savio but was deceptive on 3/6 questions about Stacy.

All of the questions about Kathleen I passed with no question.

Peterson says the deceptive questions were about 'did I know where she was' and 'where she is now' and did I remove her er....and then there's a pause. He says he's says he's not sure what they were but that he passed the questions about did he remove her from the house or hurt her in any way with the answer that he did not.

LAUER: You did not really participate in any search for her – why?

Well, they were searching in weeds and bushes and I don’t believe she’s in weeds and bushes. I believe she’s out there somewhere living her life away probably from the State of Illinois.

What is life like in prison?

I'm being treated pretty exceptional. This is a brand new facility — the Will County Jail in Joliet....The staff's very courteous and professional. And the facility is very new.

LAUER: What kind of cell are you in?

I'm in a cell where I'm pretty much isolated from everybody. Kind of tsolation. The only contact I have with people are the guards and the people who bring me my food.

LAUER: You've had no visitors?

I've had one visitor (his fiancee). I get two visitors a week and there's no contact--it's over a video machine.

Who's taking care of his children? Savio children boys 16 & 14. Stacy's children 5 & 4.

My older son is taking care of them and I have phone contact with them daily, and they're doing very well.

LAUER: How have you explained this to them?

Well, the older two, they know what's going on. They're aware of what's happening. And the younger two — I'm just, uh, with the police right now, helping them.

LAUER: You told them you're actually out helping the police trying to find their mom?

I didn't say I was trying to find her, but I just said I was helping the police. And I believe that is what my son has told them.

Any chance he can come up with $2M to get out on bond?

No. But they're working on a bond reduction hearing, which I believe is scheduled for Monday the 18th.

LAUER: Have you given consideration, Drew, to the possibility that you may never be free again? That you may be held until trial and found guilty at trial?

Right. I'm also thinking I may be released on bond and you know probably be found innocent.

No one is ever found innocent - just guilty or not guilty.

Is there anything he want's to say to potential jurors?

He almost made it the whole way without letting his arrogance take over. But insults the potential jury pool instead. It seems no one in Illinois is qualified to judge him because they are all just uneducated lay people. He thinks there should be legislation passed to educate jurors on the rules of evidence before they are seated. Thing is he already has a law named after him..

Lauer brings up the fact that Drew had always expected he would be arrested in regards to Stacy but what about Kathleen Savio?

No I never really expected to be arrested in either case. I'd hoped that it hadn't happened. Now that it's happened, we'll have to move forward and defend it.

Thanks...

Matt, have a good day.