Drew Peterson: I don’t want my kids to think ‘I killed their mothers’

(NewsNation) — Drew Peterson, whose sensational trial for killing his third wife ended in a guilty verdict and a 38-year prison sentence, sat down for an exclusive one-on-one with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield. In the interview, Banfield pressed Peterson on “laying it all out there” and admitting whether he committed any other murders.

“I’m not wanting my children to believe that I killed their mothers,” the former Bolingbrook, Illinois, police sergeant told Banfield. “I don’t want them thinking that of me.”

Peterson was found guilty of killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a few months after their 2003 divorce. His fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared in 2007 and has never been found.

When Banfield noted that sounded like an admission, Peterson denied that, saying, “I want them to know the truth and believe the truth.”

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As recently as October 2021, Drew Peterson maintained his innocence in a hand-written post-conviction filing from prison. In it, he alleged his former attorney Joel Brodsky “put me out to the press and put me on national television.”

In the interview with Banfield, Peterson continued to blame his conviction on a widespread bias against police officers.

“People enjoy seeing policemen in trouble. I’ve seen a lot of cops get in trouble and people enjoy that,” he said.

Peterson, now 70, also wrote that Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow intimidated witnesses, which Glasgow’s office denies.

Judges have already rejected most of the arguments Peterson made in his most recent filing.

However, his claims about the state’s attorney intimidating witnesses are new, legal experts and a former member of Peterson’s legal team told the Associated Press. Still, Peterson would need to present evidence to back up those claims.

The case is set to resume in Will County court on March 6, local newspaper The Herald-Review reported.

Banfield, noting that Peterson will likely die in prison, asked Peterson what’s stopping him from simply telling his full story, possibly by writing a book.

“There’s no money involved in it,” Peterson responded. “You’re going to pay me, I’ll do it.”

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Peterson remains in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections and is expected to undergo a mental fitness evaluation at the request of his public defender, court records show.

If Peterson succeeds in his post-conviction efforts, it wouldn’t guarantee his release. After his initial conviction, Peterson was found guilty in 2016 of plotting to kill Glasglow and sentenced to 40 years in prison, the AP noted.

NewsNation Digital Reporter Katie Smith contributed to this report.

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