Self-defense? Findings may cast doubt on Petre’s claim

Logan Petre argues he killed his father in self-defense, but on Tuesday, at Petre’s murder trial, an investigator recovered evidence Petre may have tried to cover up the killing.

Petre, 22, of Marseilles faces 20-60 years in prison if convicted in La Salle County Circuit Court of first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege he strangled Leo Petre while Logan argues he acted in self-defense.

Hoping to undercut Logan’s self-defense claim, prosecutors called to the stand Tuesday a crime-scene investigator who found five bloodied towels inside the kitchen trash can of the Petre home. She also found blood near the drain of the kitchen sink.

Rachel Rogers, a state police investigator summoned to the crime scene on June 14, 2024, further testified that she prepared the towels for laboratory analysis. Rogers also found bloodied clothes in a washing machine and in an upstairs bedroom.

Rogers also testified she found small cuts and abrasions to Leo’s hands, which she described as “not significant.” Conversely, Logan Petre had minor injuries to his forehead, back and hands. Prosecutors have previously alleged Logan Petre was the assailant and Leo bore the brunt of any physical altercation.

But during Rogers’ cross-examination, Public Defender Ryan Hamer seemed to suggest investigators may have left a few stones unturned. He noted, for example, that Rogers had taken a photo of a doorbell camera that might have yielded security footage.

“To your knowledge,” Hamer asked, “was any footage retrieved?”

“No, not to my knowledge,” Rogers answered.

Hamer also noted a bloodied T-shirt taken into evidence, presumably Logan’s, had been torn. Could that, he asked, be a sign of a struggle?

“It’s possible,” Rogers said.

As previously reported, Leo Petre died hours after Logan was detained by Marseilles police after a complaint of disorderly conduct. Once inside the family home, an argument ensued. Early the next day, Leo was found unresponsive, and police were summoned.

Logan sat for a lengthy police interview and did not initially admit to any complicity in his father’s death. Logan then told police his father initiated it when he stood up from his chair and slapped Logan in the face twice, and “All I did was take him down.”

Earlier at trial, pathologist Scott Denton testified that Leo Petre died from manual strangulation. Denton said the autopsy he conducted yielded multiple clues that Leo was choked past the moment he lost consciousness. Denton further testified he found broken bones indicating “severe force” had been applied to Leo’s neck.

Toxicology results showed Leo Petre had ingested alcohol – his BAC was higher than the legal driving limit – as well as a byproduct of cocaine.

Though Denton testified neither the alcohol nor the cocaine were contributing factors in Leo’s death, Public Defender Ryan Hamer has suggested Leo grew angry and/or unreasonable under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.

The trial resumes Aug. 5. With no jury seated, Vescogni has the option of holding the trial intermittently.