Illinois felony charge: Drew Peterson murder trial gets underway

Many Illinois residents are familiar with the case of Drew Peterson, the man accused of murdering his third wife. He is facing a felony charge concerning the recent accusations against him and remains a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife. Although the man is facing an arduous legal battle, he remains entitled to the same presumption of innocence that protects all individuals charged with a crime in our state.

Peterson is facing a felony charge of murder related to his third wife’s death. She was found dead in 2004, inside of a bathtub. She was divorced from Peterson at the time, though the division of their marital assets had not been finalized in court.

Nevertheless, Peterson married a 19-year-old woman eight days after the divorce was granted. Had the financial aspects of the marriage to his third wife been completed, it is believed his ex-wife would have received a portion of his pension and other types of support in the divorce.

When his fourth wife disappeared, Peterson came under suspicion. As that investigation developed, the body of his third wife was exhumed. Initially ruled an accidental death, that ruling was changed to homicide after another autopsy was conducted. It is that matter that is now being tried in Illinois.