May 24--CHESTER, Ill. -- With prosecutor James Glasgow "gone," Drew Peterson planned to win his murder conviction appeal then fly to Mexico and join a drug cartel, according to recordings played in court Tuesday.
Peterson is on trial in Randolph County, accused of trying to arrange for a hit man to kill Glasgow, the Will County state's attorney who helped put Peterson behind bars for the murder of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio.
Inmate Antonio Smith, with the help of authorities, made recordings of his conversations with Peterson in prison. The recordings, prosecutors say, show Peterson was trying to have Glasgow killed. The defense has said the recordings are nonspecific and typical prison talk.
The recordings played Tuesday morning in court made no mention of killing Glasgow, although there are references to Glasgow being "gone."
"I can't wait to get, if I can get out of prison," Peterson said in a conversation recorded Nov. 13, 2014.
"And you said... you said with Glasgow gone, right?" Smith asks.
"Yes, it'll get me out," Peterson said.
On the recordings, Peterson laments that Glasgow was cozying up to judges, making it harder for the former Bolingbrook police officer to win his murder appeal.
"All the laws are on my side. I mean, it's clear cut," he said about his murder appeal in a Nov. 14, 2014, conversation.
While Peterson appeared to believe that his appeal chances were good, he feared that even if he were freed from prison Glasgow would charge him in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy.
Peterson: "But the thing is, he'll never leave me alone. If I get out, he's gonna charge me with Stacy."
Smith: "If you get out, he's gonna charge you with what?"
Peterson: "Stacy."
Stacy Peterson has been missing since 2007, and Drew Peterson told Smith on the recordings that "Stacy's still alive running around out there."
In that same conversation, Drew Peterson talked of flying to Mexico if he's freed from prison.
Peterson: "I have a guy that's got a...a...his family's got property on the other side of Mexico. We can land right on his property with a plane."
Smith: "You know how to do that?"
Peterson: "Oh yeah, I got a pilot's license."
Smith: "I'm saying, but you won't crash?"
Peterson, laughing: "No."
Smith: "What are you talking about? What you talking about? A cartel?"
Peterson: "Yeah, there's that guy that's got that cartel connections. They can get us into dope."
At one point, Smith asks: "If Glasgow is dead by Christmas, when will that put you out? Approximately, like, what do you think? Are you worried about his assistant district attorneys or anything?"
"No, they're idiots," Peterson says in response. He then goes on to talk about the details of his appeal and never specifically addresses Glasgow being dead by Christmas.
Smith testified Monday and Tuesday, saying that Peterson despised Glasgow, admitted that he killed his missing wife, Stacy, and that he told Peterson the plan was to have Smith's uncle kill Glasgow.
"Before you give the green light to your uncle," Peterson tells Smith on the Nov. 14 recording, "talk to me."
Peterson, 62, was convicted of Savio's murder in 2012 and was sentenced to 38 years in prison. He faces up to 60 years if convicted of solicitation of murder for hire along with solicitation of murder.
After Stacy Peterson disappeared, Drew Peterson's bizarre behavior and media interviews made international headlines. The case prompted a TV movie and led authorities to reopen the investigation into Savio's 2004 death. Her body was found in her bathtub, and her death was originally ruled an accident.
Smith is serving 40 years for attempted murder, home invasion and robbery.
mwalberg@tribpub.com
