Sole Female Attorney Leaves Drew Peterson Case

Conflict in the legal team representing accused murderer Drew Peterson has prompted the only woman among the defense attorneys to quit the team.

Reem Odeh blames her departure on Joel Brodsky. In a motion to withdraw from the case, filed Monday in Will County Circuit Court, Odeh cites "irreconcilable differences" with Brodsky.

Odeh declined to go into detail about the differences, telling The (Joliet) Herald-News she fears Brodsky will retaliate if she speaks ill of him.

Brodsky disputed that Odeh was leaving on her own terms. He said it was Peterson who ordered Odeh, Brodsky's former law partner, off the case.

"Drew fired her," Brodsky said, according to the newspaper.  "You'll have to ask Drew (for his reasoning)... I don't think he's available for comment."

Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, is charged with murder in the death of his third wife and has been named by prosecutors as a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth.