A Glencoe man will claim insanity as a defense during his trial for allegedly running over his ex-wife with his Lexus as she stood in her driveway, his lawyer said Monday.
Glen Dresher, 59, of the 100 block of Timber Lane took notes on a legal pad as jury selection began Monday at the Cook County courthouse in Skokie. The trial is expected to begin Tuesday.
Prosecutors charged Dresher with first-degree attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery after his July 20, 2001, arrest at his ex-wife’s home in the 1000 block of Elmridge Drive in Glencoe.
“One of the defenses will be insanity,” Edward Genson, who is representing Dresher, told Circuit Judge Garritt Howard before potential jurors were ushered in.
Rosanne Dresher, 56, who suffered a fractured pelvis, collapsed lungs and other broken bones in the attack, is expected to testify at the trial, which could conclude by Friday, authorities said.
At least eight doctors, including psychologists and psychiatrists, are expected to testify for the defense, authorities said. The prosecutors also are expected to present doctors who will argue against the insanity defense.
Genson asked Howard to admit into evidence 30 to 40 pages of documents, including “love letters” allegedly written by a boyfriend of Rosanne Dresher’s.
Other documents include pages from her journal, an application for a personal ad and a report by a private investigator hired by Glen Dresher, said Assistant State’s Atty. Martin Moore, who complained that he had not seen the documents before Monday.
On the day of the attack, Glen Dresher had asked his ex-wife to sign some insurance papers, according to court records. Glen Dresher, whose family owns a furniture company, drove to his ex-wife’s home and stayed in the car as she signed the papers while standing outside the vehicle, according to the records.
Glen Dresher then struck her several times with the car, the records say.
Police received a call from the home after someone dialed 911, then hung up.
When police arrived, Glen Dresher was parked in the driveway, and Rosanne Dresher was lying nearby. Her daughter, Abra, was trying to help her, according to court records.
An order of protection filed to keep Glen Dresher from contacting his ex-wife states: “Glencoe Police Department has been called over to the residence numerous times since the 1980s for domestic violence. Petitioner is afraid for her safety and the safety of her children.”
After his arrest, Glen Dresher remained out of jail after posting bail.
In September he returned to Cook County Jail for a month when prosecutors attempted to revoke his bail after learning he had ordered books that describe how to change identities. These included “Vanish! Disappearing Through ID Acquisition” and “How to Disappear in America,” according to records.
Glen Dresher posted $50,000 for his release Oct. 2 and was forced to turn in his passport, according to records.
Rosanne Dresher first learned about the book purchases after receiving a catalog at her home that was intended for her ex-husband, records show.
