Drew Peterson says a Web site established to raise money for hislegal defense will be a test of the American people's generosity.
"I'm not asking them to decide guilt or innocence," Peterson saidTuesday of defend drew.com. "Everyone has the right for a legaldefense."
Peterson, an ex-Bolingbrook cop, said his attorney Joel Brodskyset up the Web site, which accepts donations via PayPal.
The site says "for the cost of a few cups of your morningcoffee," donors can help pay his legal bills. Any remaining moneywill be used for a private investigator to help find Peterson'smissing wife, Stacy Peterson, then into a trust fund for Peterson'sfour dependent children. Brodsky said money from defend drew.comwill go to an account Peterson won't control.
In other developments, WBBM-Channel 2, citing sources, reportedthere was a shooting incident in the Petersons' home in August, witha bullet from Drew's service revolver barely missing Stacy. Thesource told Channel 2 the incident was never reported to Bolingbrookpolice.
Meanwhile, a Naperville pastor who spoke privately with StacyPeterson just weeks before she vanished said that, in an eeriecoincidence, he briefly served on a recent Will County grand juryconvened to reexamine the 2004 death of Drew Peterson's previouswife, Kathleen Savio.
"It [Savio's case] came up at the very end of my 13 weeks on thegrand jury," pastor Neil Schori told Fox News' Greta Van SusterenTuesday night. "I got myself out of there. . . . I recused myselfand said I can't" participate because of the pastoral relationshiphe had with Drew and Stacy Peterson.
Savio's death was originally ruled an accidental drowning, butauthorities now believe it may have been a homicide.
In August, Stacy Peterson confided to Schori that her husband hadclaimed to have killed his previous wife, sources have told the Sun-Times.
$250,000 IN LEGAL BILLS?
Drew Peterson's defense donation Web site crashed several timesTuesday after being overwhelmed with hits. An assistant to Brodskysaid they had no intention of taking it down permanently.
Pam Bosco, Stacy Peterson's family spokeswoman, said her reactionto defenddrew.com was "shock initially and then disgust."
In a Nov. 14 appearance on the "Today" show, Peterson said thehigh cost of his legal defense was the most frightening aspect ofhis situation. He estimated attorney bills could top $250,000.
Stacy Peterson, 23, has been missing seven weeks.
Asked whether his children ask where their mother is, DrewPeterson answered, "Not really. We've been keeping them busy aboutother things."
Brodsky will appear in court today seeking the return of vehiclesand weapons seized from Peterson's home.
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