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Jan 29, 2008 11:52 am US/Central

Drew Peterson Receives Threatening Letter

Attorney Fears Writer May Be Out To Kill Former Cop

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (STNG) ― It's not all love notes and anonymous letters about his missing wife's whereabouts appearing in Drew Peterson's mailbox. Peterson received a racist death threat while he and his family were away for the weekend, and now his attorney fears his client might be the target of a deranged assailant.

"You tell me a guy who writes a letter like this wouldn't try to kill Drew?" said the attorney, Joel Brodsky, who quickly added, "But Drew's not afraid."

Peterson, whose fourth wife vanished Oct. 28 and third wife was the victim of a questionable March 2004 bathtub drowning, found the letter Sunday.

State police have named Peterson a suspect in the "potential homicide" of his fourth wife Stacy Peterson. State police also are revisiting the death of third wife Kathleen Savio. The first time around the state police found no sign of foul play.

The letter writer, apparently angry that Peterson boasted of meeting women in a bar and having a secret admirer named "Ashley," said the only romance in his future would be when he was attacked in prison. The writer used a slur against black people while maligning Peterson.

"Ever think one of these women might befriend you so they could give you a taste of your own medicine!" the letter said. It goes on to say the women who are interested in him might just be looking to "do a Lorena Bobbit[t]"

Bobbitt severed her husband's genitalia with a carving knife in 1994.

Peterson was unimpressed by the note.

"It's just one of many," he said. "We get good ones, we get bad ones."

As far as the good ones, Peterson said he spoke to the mysterious "Ashley" but has made no concrete plans to meet the 20-year-old. A woman identifying herself only as Ashley was reluctant to go public with her reasons for reaching out to Peterson.

"Whatever happens between me and Drew happens between me and Drew, and if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen," she said. The return address on the envelope containing the threatening letter included the name "E. Kingston" and was for a currency exchange in Burbank. Brodsky was at a loss as to how the letter writer could muster such vitriol against a man who has yet to be officially accused of a crime in connection with the disappearance or death of either wife.

"This just goes to show the degree of hate that has been whipped up in this case, even though there is insufficient evidence to charge Drew," he said. Peterson was not the only one attacked in the letter.

"You are an old, pathetic, black-souled, murderous psycho-pathetic [expletive]," the letter said. "And your [expletive] lawyer Brodsky ain't no better!"

"Whoever wrote this letter has serious issues and needs serious psychiatric help," Brodsky said.

Issues or not, Brodsky said the writer would be wise to stay away from his client, who is a karate expert and former police officer.

"You definitely don't know what you're getting into," Brodsky said.

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