Bolingbrook Police Lt. James Coughlin testified that while he was in the Will County Courthouse in mid-February 2004, he saw Drew Peterson leaving with two lawyers behind him who were laughing.
When another officer asked Peterson why those men appeared so happy, Coughlin said Peterson replied: "That's because they're getting all my money".
Peterson was finalizing his divorce from Kathleen Savio at the time. Coughlin testified that Peterson appeared irritated, and complained "My life would be easier if she was just dead or would die."
Two weeks later Savio was found dead in her bathtub, the victim of an apparent accidental drowning that was later reclassified a homicide.
Coughlin told prosecutors two years ago that the FBI misreported what he said, but that detail was not shared with defense attorneys as they claim it should have been.
So they asked the judge to throw Coughlin's testimony out.
Joel Brodsky, Peterson's Attorney, said afterward, "We can't have any comment, the judge has the matter under advisement, we're going to be submitting case law, so we really don't want to talk about something the judge is considering other than to say we're happy with the events of today and we're looking forward to tomorrow."
Earlier in the day's testimony, Deputy Coroner Michael VanOver described being suspicious after finding Kathleen Savio's body. But he admitted never sharing those suspicions until three years later.
And State Police evidence tech Sgt. Robert Deel said he saw nothing in the scene that was suspicious and he collected no evidence except for photos.
A spokesperson for Peterson's missing fourth wife Stacy called their testimony frustrating.
"A coroner who was there and who observed something that was really not right and he couldn't say it and he was berated," said Pam Bosco. "And there you have also a State Police Officer who didn't really give a darn."
