Drew Peterson Released Briefly To Visit Deceased Mother Betty Morphey

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Even killers have mothers, and Thursday, Drew Peterson was briefly released to visit his.

Convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Peterson received a short furlough from the Will County Jail to visit his mother's wake in Darien, Ill.

According to NBC Chicago, Peterson's 84-year-old mother, Betty Morphey, suffered from severe dementia. Peterson was shackled during his release and guarded by several sheriff's deputies during the 15-minute visit where the former Bolingbrook police sergeant was reportedly "in tears."

Laura Cook, Peterson's younger sister, left tender words for their mother in the visitation guestbook:

"Dear Mommy, Thank you for making my life so wonderful. You filled my heart with love and happiness. I will love and miss you forever and a day. Love, Laura Lou."

Morphey was absent throughout Peterson's entire five-week murder trial, and never visited Peterson over the three and a half years he has been incarcerated, reports Bolingbrook Patch.

Before her death, Morphey had been a resident of an assisted living facility; Peterson saw his mother before her passing. Peterson was one of Morphey's three children she had with Donald Peterson, her husband of 38 years. After the elder Peterson died, Morphey married her husband's boss, Albert Morphey.

Peterson's step-brother, Thomas Morphey, has long maintained suspicions that Peterson killed his third wife, Kathleen Savio, and his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Morphey has also said he helped Peterson dispose of a blue barrel the night Stacy Peterson disappeared.

The funeral for Morphey is Friday when Peterson was back in court to hash out further lawyer drama. Earlier this week, attorney John Paul Carroll said he was hired by Peterson to handle the appeal of his first-degree murder conviction. Carroll blames Peterson's trial attorney, Joel Brodsky, for botching the defense.

Peterson ultimately sided with Brodsky and told Judge Edward Burmila that he did not authorize Carroll's recent filing, the Chicago Tribune reports.