Witness defends her testimony

JOLIET, Ill. — The defense at Drew Peterson's murder trial lashed out at the believability of a key state witness on Friday, accusing her of jazzing up her testimony to improve her odds of profiting from a movie and book deal.

The sister of Kathleen Savio, Peterson's third wife, testified that Savio once told her he had put a knife to her throat, then warned her he could kill her and make it look like an accident. Peterson, a former suburban Chicago police officer, is accused of killing Savio in 2004.

"She was terrified," Susan Doman said, recalling her sister's demeanor when she recounted the incident.

Peterson, 58, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Savio was found dead in her bathtub with a gash on her head and her hair soaked in blood, though Peterson wasn't charged until after his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared in 2007. Peterson isn't charged in Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

During cross examination, the contract that Doman signed in 2009 was projected across a courtroom screen. Defense attorney Joe Lopez noted that it guaranteed Doman at least $30,000 if the movie made it to theaters.

The occasionally rattled Doman repeatedly insisted her primary motive was to get word out about victims of domestic violence, saying her sister was among those victims.