Peterson Wants His Stuff Back From Police

JOLIET, Ill., Dec. 11, 2007 — -- Drew Peterson's lawyer asked a judge this morning to order the return of guns, computers, two vehicles and other items seized from the former police sergeant's house by Illinois state police investigating the disappearance of Peterson's wife, Stacy, over six weeks ago.

The search warrants authorizing the seizure were "just too broad," argued lawyer John Carroll, who accused law enforcement officials of "attempting to vex Mr. Peterson" during "the holiday season" and pointedly refusing to treat him like everyone else. Peterson, 53, is a suspect in his wife's disappearance, but has not been charged.

Assistant state's attorney John Connor countered by explaining that the warrants had already been approved by a judge and accusing Peterson of "attempting to put a clock" on state investigators. "This is way early in the game," he said.

Judge Daniel Rozak of Will County, Ill., Circuit Court said he would issue a decision at a hearing Monday.

The brief session in the courtroom crowded with handcuffed prisoners, lawyers and others attending the court's regularly scheduled call for legal motions was the first public proceeding in the closely watched Peterson case.

Stacy Peterson, who is 23 and Peterson's fourth wife, disappeared Oct. 28 from her home in Bolingbrook, Ill. Peterson says he believes she left him for another man and is alive. But police are treating the case as a possible homicide and have executed four search warrants on Peterson's property, seizing iPods, compact discs and a child's knapsack in addition to the guns, computers and vehicles.

They have also reopened an investigation into the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, whose body was found in a bathtub three years ago. At the time, a coroner's jury ruled her death an accidental drowning.

Throughout the six-week investigation a horde of reporters and other members of the media have camped in front of Peterson's house in Bolingbrook. Many of them attended today's hearing and listened as Carroll, dressed in a pinstriped suit and bright yellow tie, made his case in often colorful language.