The bathtub in which Drew Peterson's wife was found dead in 2004 will not be allowed in court during Peterson's murder trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Prosecutors asked Will County Judge Edward Burmila for permission to bring the bathtub to court so that jurors could inspect it, the Chicago Tribune reports. After being denied prosecutors then asked if they could reinstall the tub in the couple's Bolingbrook home and invite the jurors to inspect it there. Burmila said he will consider that, but not before hearing some testimony in the trial first, reports the Tribune.
The bathtub matter was one of several issues raised by prosecutors and defense attorneys Tuesday morning in court over hearsay evidence in the coming Drew Peterson murder trial.
Three new motions were filed Friday in the case, and Burmila is expected to address them all today.
Peterson is charged with murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a bathtub in 2004. He also is the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, but has not been charged.
Burmila already made several rulings on hearsay evidence. He decided he will compel Savio's divorce attorney to answer questions but won't allow videos featuring Peterson, including network TV interviews, saying the videos are extremely prejudicial.
Still at issue is testimony from Peterson's pastor, Neil Schori, who testified more than two years ago that Stacy Peterson told him she saw something strange the night before Savio's body was found.
Schori testified Stacy Peterson saw Drew Peterson dressed in black and putting his clothing and another woman's clothing into their washing machine.
Drew Peterson's trial is set to begin July 31.
