Peterson, now 58, is accused of murdering his third-wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2004. The case was originally ruled an accident, but was reopened when Stacy, Peterson's fourth wife, disappeared in 2007. She is still missing, and Peterson is considered a suspect.
The Reverend Neil Schori told jurors that he met Stacy at a Bolingbrook Starbucks in 2007.
"Stacy appeared to be nervous, tentative, she was sitting alone...I approached and greeted her," Rev. Schori said. "She silently cried, she had tears streaming down her cheeks."
According to Rev. Schori, Stacy told him that the weekend Savio's body was found in a Bolingbrook bathtub, she and Peterson had gone to bed at the same time, but she woke up in the middle of the night to find he wasn't there. She searched the home and called his cell phone, but got no answer, Schori said, and hours later Stacy said she found Peterson dressed in black by their washer and dryer. Stacy said Peterson removed his clothing and took women's clothing out of a bag, putting them both in the washing machine, Rev. Schori said.
"She walked up to the washing machine and noticed that the clothing was not hers," Rev. Schori said.
Peterson then told his wife police would be coming to talk to her, Rev. Schori said, and Stacy told him "it took hours" for Peterson to coach her on what to say during the interview.
During the cross-examination, defense attorney Joe Lopez asked Rev. Schori why he didn't tell anyone about the murder.
"I told her I would do what she asked," Rev. Schori said.
"Yeah, not tell anybody?" Lopez said. Lopez called his own client a "murderer" three times during the cross. When asked exactly what Stacy said to him, Rev. Schori said, "She lived with someone who murdered someone."
"Pastor Neil Schori, I think he did a good job," said Pam Bosco, Stacy Peterson family spokesperson. "He's an honest pastor trying to do his job."
"The whole point of his testimony is ridiculous. Somebody tells you about a murder and you do nothing? Doesn't that defy common sense," Joe Lopez.
When asked why he would counsel Stacy Peterson at a Starbucks, Rev. Schori said he holds all of his sessions in public places for "integrity" reasons. Lopez pushed it further, asking Rev. Schori if he held it at a coffee shop because he knew Stacy Peterson was trying to "seduce him."
That led to gasps from the courtroom. Outside the courtroom, Lopez defended his tactics.
"We know what they were doing. This is not something that was not planned," Lopez said.
Drew Peterson trial observer mouths 'f--- you,' at defendant
A Drew Peterson murder trial observer was barred from the courtroom after mouthing, 'f--- you,' to the former Bolingbrook police officer.
A sheriff's officer saw Cincinnati restaurateur and self-proclaimed victim's advocate Jeff Ruby lock eyes with Peterson and mouth the four -letter word. Judge Edward Burmila tossed Ruby, who has taken out several newspaper ads attacking Peterson, his defense and the judge, from the courtroom and barred him from returning.
In what appears to be a show of solidarity, the jurors are all dressed in grey. They have been color coordinating their outfits in recent days.
