Court Issues Drew Peterson Hearsay Ruling - Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

In a decision that Drew Peterson's attorney called a "complete and utter victory," a state appeals court ruled Tuesday that prosecutors will not be allowed to admit eight of the 14 hearsay statements they wanted to use in their case against him.

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Prosecutors argued earlier this year that they should be allowed to admit the hearsay statements at Peterson's trial for the 2004 murder of Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a dry bathtub in 2004. Peterson also remains a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson.

This means that these six hearsay statements remain the only ones that are admissable:

• portions of a letter that Kathleen wrote to the Will County State’s Attorney’s office which described a confrontation that Kathleen allegedly had with the defendant on July 5, 2002,
• while the divorce proceedings were pending;
• a redacted version of a handwritten statement that Kathleen gave to the Bolingbrook police describing the alleged July 5, 2002, incident;
• a statement that Kathleen allegedly made to her sister, Anna Doman;
• a statement that Kathleen allegedly made in late 2003 to Mary Sue Parks, who attended nursing classes with Kathleen at Joliet Junior College;
• another statement that Kathleen allegedly made to Parks;
• and a statement that Stacy allegedly made to her pastor, Neil Schori, regarding an encounter that she allegedly had with her husband on the night Kathleen died.

The prosecution argued that the eight other statements should be admitted as well, but the three-judge panel of the Third District Appellate Court ruled that the prosecution had filed its appeal too late.

"That's great," Peterson said from jail, through his attorney, Joel Brodsky. "It's about time."

 The Will County State's Attorneys Office has not decided whether to appeal.

Savio's family is disappointed.

"I was very shocked, my heart was set on being able to get everything in with the hearsay evidence," said Savio's sister, Susan Doman. "I believe that the jury should hear everything."