CHICAGO (CBS) — Drew Peterson’s former lawyer, Joel Brodsky, thinks he’s found a reason for Peterson to get a new trial.

It concerns attorney Harry Smith, who testified that Stacy Peterson asked him whether she could get more money in a divorce if she threatened to use what she knew about how Peterson killed his third wife Kathleen Savio.

WBBM’s Mike Krauser reports, it was explosive testimony that didn’t go the way Peterson’s lawyers intended.

Smith testified he didn’t warn Stacy Peterson she’d be committing extortion, only concealment of a homicide.

But in an interview with the DuPage County Bar Association, he contradicts his testimony and mentions extortion.

Brodsky caught it and thinks it’s grounds for a new trial.

“I read that article and I almost fell off my chair when I read that quote, literally. It was amazing.”

He’s turned the information over to the current defense team.

“You have to understand this is key,” Brodsky said. “If Smith had testified truthfully that he told her that this was extortion, it certainly would have confirmed the defense theory [that Stacy was making baseless threats for money]. [It] would have impeached Stacy’s credibility greatly and could have resulted in a totally different verdict at the trial.”

After Peterson was convicted, defense attorney Steve Greenberg publicly accused Brodsky of botching the case by calling Smith, who was Savio’s divorce attorney, to testify during the trial.

Experts have said it was the most glaring error by Brodsky. Smith testified how Stacy told him Drew had killed Savio.

Smith said Stacy had contacted him about getting a divorce from Drew, and told him she had information about Drew that might be used as leverage in a divorce.