CHICAGO – Abraham Lincoln has made a cameo appearance at the Drew Peterson trial.

As proceedings began Thursday, the judge announced in court that he's received a letter from an inmate in Illinois who claims to have information about a link between the former police officer's murder trial and the 16th president's assassination.

Judge Edward Burmila says the unnamed inmate wrote that the judge should communicate with him if he wants more details. The judge prompted laughter as he deadpanned, "I won't be communicating with him."