Defense rests in Drew Peterson murder-for-hire trial

CHESTER, Ill. (WLS) -- The defense rested Friday in the Drew Peterson murder-for-hire trial that began Tuesday. The former Bolingbrook police sergeant is accused of trying to hire the relative of another inmate to kill Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.

The defense called only three witnesses to the stand - all of them fellow inmates. Peterson himself waived his right to testify in his own defense.

Stifled by the judge in his attempts to get the inmates to testify about conversations with Peterson and prison buddy turned FBI informant Antonio Smith, defense attorney Lucas Liefer brought his case to a conclusion early in the day.

"It's called hearsay, and there's a reason why that stuff doesn't come in. Drew didn't like hearsay being used against him, so it's kind of ironic and a little bit karma perhaps. You can't get that. There's one way to get that in and it didn't happen," Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker said.

The highlight of the trial was listening to the taped conversations between Peterson and Smith, which prosecutors say allude to a plan to have the Will County state's attorney killed. And while the words "kill" or "murder" are never used, Walker believes what is said is enough to get a conviction.

"You can't get around what was said on the recordings and I don't think you can't get around the implication of what was said on those recordings, and that's to have James Glasgow dead. We'll see if the jury agrees next week," Walker said.

Because of the holiday weekend closing arguments will take place next Tuesday, after which the case will be sent to the jury.