Drew Peterson, sentenced for murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, was transferred from jail to an Illinois state prison Thursday to begin serving a 38-year term for murder.
The move came less than 24 hours after Peterson screamed out his innocence in court.
As he sat to address the judge at Thursday’s sentencing, the usually calm Peterson suddenly exploded, The Miami Herald reports. He leaned into a microphone, looked at Savio’s family and shouted, “I did not kill Kathleen!”
He then made a 30-minute statement during which he cried, shook uncontrollably and stopped several times to regain his composure.
At one point Peterson challenged the lead investigator, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, to look him in the eye. Glasgow laid down his pen, folded his arms and looked straight back at Peterson.
“Never forget what you’ve done here,” Peterson said, as his eyes narrowed in on Glasgow. Glasgow later told reporters that Peterson’s scream gave everyone in court a glimpse at the “psychopath” who killed Savio.
On Friday, one of Peterson’s attorneys, Joe Lopez, said his client still believed he had been railroaded by Will County prosecutors. “He is looking forward to getting out of Will County,” Lopez said.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the former Chicago police officer was handed over for transfer to the Stateville prison outside Joliet on Friday at around 9:30 a.m., Fox News reports.
Peterson, whose case attracted widespread media attention and inspired a TV movie, entered the maximum-security prison. Prison officials said he could eventually be moved after an evaluation period.
Peterson was sentenced for the 2004 drowning death of Savio. He is also a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Savio’s death was originally ruled an accident, but it was re-examined after Stacy Peterson vanished in 2007 and eventually ruled a homicide.
Peterson, 59, faced up to 60 years in prison. He will get four years credit for time already served in jail.
“I had prepared him for 60,” Lopez said Friday. “He felt good … he thought he might get more.”
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