Drew Peterson's son to get most of his guns
10 of 11 weapons seized Nov. 1 in probe of wife's disappearance to be transferred
By Matthew Walberg and Erika Slife | Tribune reporters
4:40 PM CDT, May 22, 2008
A Will County judge Thursday ordered the state police to turn over 10 of Drew Peterson's guns to his son, a day after Peterson was arrested on a charge of felony unlawful use of a weapon.
Judge Richard Schoenstedt said the state should hand over the weapons within the next two weeks. Peterson's son Steven, an Oak Brook police officer, will maintain ownership of the guns.
Drew Peterson, 54, was arrested and charged with a felony weapons violation Wednesday after one of 11 firearms seized by police during the execution of a search warrant in November was found to be nearly 5 inches shorter than required by law, officials said. That gun will remain in possession of state police.
Schoenstedt said that Wednesday's arrest had "no direct bearing on the decision of this court."
Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, has been named a suspect in the Oct. 28 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy. Police are also conducting a murder investigation into the 2004 drowning of his previous wife, Kathleen Savio.
He has not been charged in either of those investigations and has been fighting for months to force state police to return his weapons, saying they had plenty of time to analyze them.
On Feb. 27, Schoenstedt ordered that police return the guns—along with Peterson's vehicles and other items seized—provided that Peterson possessed a valid firearm owner's identification card. That same day, state police revoked the card at the request of Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow.
Charles Pelkie, a spokesman for Glasgow's office, said authorities were disappointed with the judge's decision but understand the reasons he gave on the need to balance the rights of the state with the rights of Drew Peterson.
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