Cincinnati restaurateur, longtime Peterson foe, returns for latest court appearance

CHESTER, ILL. — Cincinnati restaurateur Jeff Ruby, who was kicked out of Drew Peterson’s trial back in 2012, was on the scene for Peterson’s latest courtroom appearance.

A bus emblazoned with Ruby’s restaurant logo pulled up in Chester on Tuesday morning and parked in a privately-owned grass lot nearby. The lot’s owner was said to be charging $500 to park there, though Ruby’s bus was the only vehicle there and it was unclear how much he paid.

Peterson was due to appear in a Randolph County courtroom Tuesday morning on charges of trying to hire a hit man to kill James Glasgow, the Will County state’s attorney who won a murder conviction against Peterson in 2012. Peterson is serving time for killing Kathleen Savio, his third wife, in 2004.

Ruby inserted himself into the Peterson case back then by offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Stacy Peterson, Drew’s fourth wife who vanished at age 23 in October 2007.

“There’s somebody out there that knows something. I think $100,000 will give somebody some courage,” Ruby said in 2012.

In August 2012, during Peterson’s trial, Ruby was removed from the courthouse for mouthing an expletive at Peterson during a break in the trial. Peterson had been staring him down and giving him dirty looks, Ruby said.

He asked anyone with information to contact the Illinois State Police, who have said Peterson, 58, is the prime suspect in Stacy’s disappearance.

Ruby also took out newspaper ads at the time, criticizing the conduct of Peterson’s defense team.