drew peterson
We begin today on Saturday, October 27, 2007 in Bolingbrook, Illinois – Cassandra Cales is visiting with her 23 year old sister, Stacy Peterson at the home that she shared with her husband, 53 year old Drew Peterson and their 4 children, ages 2, 4, 12, and 14 ( the two youngest are biological and two are from Drew’s 3rd marriage.) At around 11:30 PM Cassandra left the Peterson home, and the two sisters made a plan to meet over at Cassandra’s the next morning at 10 to paint. When Cassandra didn’t hear from Stacy the next day, she became very worried. Stacy had recently confided in close family members that she was planning to leave Drew. Cassandra tried calling Stacy all day and by 11 PM she had enough and she drove over to Stacy’s home. She noticed that neither Stacy or Drews cars were parked in the driveway. She rang the doorbell and was surprised when one of the children answered and told Cassandra that he and his siblings were home alone. He said that Stacy and Drew had gotten into a big fight that morning and that Stacy had left and Drew went to go look for her. Cassandra obviously gets even more concerned and calls Drews phone. Drew answers and says that he has been out all day looking for Stacy with no luck.
At 11:45 PM, Cassandra drove to the Downers Grove Police Department to file a missing person report on Stacy. The police told her she had to file the report back in Bolingbrook. She was initially reluctant because Drew was a Sergeant and 30 year veteran of the Bolingbrook Police Department. But she obviously had no other choice, and at 1 am on October 29th Cassandra filed a missing persons report in Bolingbrook. She returned back to the Peterson home at 2:30 am and noticed that both Stacy and Drew’s cars were now in the driveway. When Drew was confronted again with questions about Stacy’s whereabouts he said that Stacy had called him that evening telling him that she was leaving him and the kids, and that she had left her 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix at Clow International Airport. Drew claimed to have walked to the airport to retrieve the car. Between 3 and 4 am Cassandra then filed an additional missing persons report with the Illinois State Police.
Now, you might be shocked to learn that this is not the first time for something mysterious to happen to one of Drew Peterson’s wives, and Stacy was wife number 4.
Drew Walter Peterson was born January 5, 1954, in Oak Park, Illinois to Donald Peterson and Betty Peterson. His parents were married for 38 years until Donalds’ passing. Betty later married Albert Morphey, Donald’s boss at Northern Illinois Gas Company. Drew has one stepbrother, Thomas Morphey. Drew graduated from Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois in 1972, and in 1974 he briefly attended College of DuPage. Shortly after, he moved to Falls Church, Virginia and joined the Army to train as a military police officer. He received an honorable discharge in 1976. Drew joined the Bolingbrook Police Department in 1977.
Drew married his high school girlfriend, Carol Brown in 1974. Although Carol suffered a miscarriage early into her marriage, the couple went on to welcome two sons, Stephen Paul Peterson and Eric Drew Peterson. After only a few years of marriage, Carol found out that Drew was having affairs while undercover, he even had an affair when she was pregnant, and she decided to leave him. Their divorce was finalized in 1980, and they went their separate ways.
In 1980, Drew met 20 year old Kyle Piry when she was working at a local gas station. He responded to a call at her work that someone had driven off without paying for gas. Drew was said to be very charming and Kyle was smitten and the two quickly started dating and they became engaged after only 4 months. Kyle said that after they got engaged, he became extremely controlling. She couldn’t do anything without his permission. He went with her to a family funeral and then the whole evening he accused her of kissing an ex-boyfriend that also attended the funeral. After about an hour long interrogation he finally said that “No, I never saw you do anything. I just figured if I accused you of it, it’s a police tactic that you would confess to it, if you had done it.”
Four months later, one altercation between Kyle and Drew ended with him throwing her over a coffee table and pinning her to the ground. Kyle went to her parents house and her stepfather urged her to call the police, which she did. The police did send an officer over to her house to take down her complaint, but apparently the officer was a friend of Drews and he convinced her to not press charges, that it was a one time situation. Kyle still broke off the engagement but Drew wasn’t letting go. He would pull Kyle over constantly and give her tickets for things like bald tires or that her tail lights weren’t bright enough. Three months of harassment finally ended when Kyle’s parents called the chief of police and detailed the harassment she was enduring and that they would take further steps if they didn’t make it stop.
Drew finally quit stalking Kyle in 1982, when he met Victoria “Vicki” Connolly in a bar; they married only six months later. Vicky had one daughter, Lisa, coming into the marriage. The couple opened a bar in Romeoville, Illinois. Vicki has stated that during their marriage, Drew pulled a gun on her three or four times, once putting it to her head and telling her he would kill her then kill himself. He would say that he could kill her and make it look like an accident. Vicki’s daughter, Lisa, later testified that Drew was very controlling with her mother. Vicki was not allowed to have any friends, and she was not allowed to talk with other family members. Vicki and Lisa stated that there were “bugs” in their house and business. He would put microphones hidden around and taped their conversations.
In 1985, Drew was fired and also indicted on charges of official misconduct and failure to report a bribe in connection with an unsanctioned undercover investigation he attempted. The Bolingbrook Fire and Police Board found him guilty of those charges, as well as disobedience and conducting a self-assigned investigation. Drew denied the allegations. The criminal charges against Drew were eventually dropped and he got his job back. Some have said the special prosecutor assigned to the case missed the speedy trial term.
After 9 ½ years of marriage, Vicki found out that Drew was having an affair with a 29 year old accountant, Kathleen Savio. The couple then decided to separate and finalized their divorce by February 18, 1992. On May 3, 1992 Drew and Kathleen married. The couple would go on to have two sons, Thomas in January of 1993, and Kristopher in August 1994. The couple seemed to have it all but after almost 10 years of marriage, as usual – Drew returned to his typical serial cheating ways. In 2001 he responded to a call at the local SpringHill Suites and he met 17 year old Stacy Cales, he was 46 at the time.
Stacy Ann Cales was born January 20, 1984, in Downers Grove, Illinois to Anthony and Christine “Christie” Cales. Two people who were said to be more interested in partying than parenting – even though they would go on to have five children: Jessica, Stacy, Cassandra, Lacy , Yelton, and Tina, Christine’s daughter from a previous relationship. In December of 1983, six weeks before Stacy was born, the family home caught fire. Christine, then about 8 months pregnant with Stacy, barely escaped. Her 2-year-old daughter, Jessica, sadly did not. Her body was found behind the living room couch, as if she had been hiding.
Despite their violent marriage, issues with drugs and alcohol, and neglect and abuse of their children, Anthony and Christine decided to have more children. On June 10, 1985, Christine gave birth to another girl, Cassandra. Two years later, another girl, Lacy, followed. Lacy unfortunately died of SIDS in October 1987. Friends and family members said that Anthony and Christine never recovered from Lacy’s death, and that the kids were mostly on their own. Christine would disappear for weeks at a time. Records show Christine was in and out of psych wards over the years. She was arrested for shoplifting beer and cigarettes and in 1990 she was arrested for DUI.
By 1990, the couple had two foreclosure suits filed against them, and Anthony filed for divorce. Records show Christine initially contested the filing, but after repeatedly missing court dates, Anthony was awarded sole custody of Yelton, Stacy, Cassandra and Tina. The family moved around a lot and Anthony remarried five years later. When she was in high school, Stacy went to live with her older half-sister, Tina. Stacy came out of her difficult childhood a kind and loving person, determined to make a better life for herself. She even graduated high school early at the age of 16.
In 1998, Christine went missing. She was last seen around 4:30pm in the vicinity of the 2300 block of W. 199th Street in Blue Island, Illinois. Stacy’s sister Cassandra says she and her sisters all believed that Christine had been murdered by the man that she was living with at the time. He said Christine left for church and never came back, but she left her purse at his house. The sisters went to the police with their suspicions, but nothing came of it and Christine is still listed as a missing person today.
Stacy was devastated about Christine. Friends and family said she never talked about her mom after that. Stacy had dreams of becoming a nurse, so she took a series of odd jobs to try to save for college. That’s when she meets Drew. Neither of them seemed to mind the 30 year age difference, because the two quickly started seeing each other behind his wife, Kathleen’s back. Within weeks of meeting, Drew helped Stacy get a new job as a clerk for the village of Bolingbrook, and would sneak her in and out of his basement – when Kathleen and their two sons would be upstairs. Stacy later insisted to friends that Drew had assured her his marriage was over by the time she started seeing him.
An anonymous handwritten note eventually tipped Kathleen off to the affair.
Kathy,
This letter is being sent to you for your benefit. At this point and time you are probably aware that your husband is having an affair. The girl’s name (and she is just that, a girl) is Stacy Yelton, born July 17, 1984, resides at 511 Preston Apt# 129 Bolingbrook, Illinois. You may already have all of this information, but if not, you will need it to prevent any further embarrassment and disgrace to you and your family. This affair has been going on for several months and several people have been aware of this situation. Because of her age (17) and the fact that she is an employee of the village, and because of Drew’s age and his occupation, he holds a position of authority over her. Drew could be charged criminally for his intimate involvement with this minor. Village officials (Mayor, trustee’s) and everyone at the police department have complete knowledge of this situation. It has been an ongoing joke within the department. The issue has been discussed and has been decided to conceal his behavior to protect the Village and Drew. Because of his Political alliances with Roger Claar and Ken Each they are protecting themselves from the embarrassment and the liability. The real victims, (being you and your family) should be the ones being protected from the embarrassment. This is not the first time in the past year that Drew’s immoral and unethical behavior has been concealed. This past summer Drew allowed the beating of an arrestee, who was handcuffed and defenseless. The past fall Drew was suspected to have planted narcotics (cocaine) on two separate drug raids to obtain a substantial arrest to overshadow his recent behavior, and now his illegal intimate relationship with a minor. Drew has been willing to sacrifice his integrity for his personal gain, with total disregard that his actions will embarrass and disrespect his wife and children. BEWARE whom you talk to within the Village administration and within the police department (i.e.: Mayor, Chief, Deputy Chief, etc…).
Protect yourself and your family.
This was enough for her and Kathleen filed for divorce, the separated couple argued frequently over money and custody of the boys. In 2002, Kathleen got an order of protection against Drew due to domestic abuse. On November 14, she sent a letter to Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Fragale expressing her fears that Drew may kill her.
Dear Ms. Fragale-
On three different occasions I have tried to reach you over the phone regarding charges I filed against Drew Peterson. When I found out Mr. Peterson was having an affair with a minor at the police department, he began to get very violent. By striking me with his hand and chasing me though the house with a police stick. At that time on record, I had to get an order of protection from him. There have been several times throughout my marriage with this man where I ended up at the emergency room for injuries, and I have reported this only to have the police leave my home without filing any reports.
On July 5, Mr. Peterson, got into my home with a garage door opener he programmed for himself while I was out of town with my sons. I was unaware of his presence, and was very afraid for my life. He popped out from our living room while I was walking down the stairs, with a basket of laundry. I was shocked and dropped all the clothes and stood there, asking him to get out. Drew was in uniform (Swat Uniform), with his police radio in his ear. He yelled for me to sit down and be quiet. I refused and he pushed me on the stairs. He told me to move down, to the third step and not to move or speak. He was very angry that in our divorce the judge ruled he would have to pay me child support. He told me he didn’t want to pay me anything. He pulled out his knife that he kept around his leg and brought it to my neck. I thought I’d never see my boys again. The list goes on, and I understand it’s just part of it but it needs to stop. My sons and I would like to move away from this area, for our safety and sanctity. He knows how to manipulate the system, and his next step is to take my children away. Or Kill me instead. I really would like to know why this man wasn’t charged with this unlawful entry, and attempt on my life. I am willing to take any test you want me to take to prove my innocence of charges against me, and also any lie detector test. I really feel Drew is a loose cannon, he is out on the streets of Bolingbrook patrolling, and just taking the law into his own hands. I haven’t received help from the Police here in Bolingbrook, and am asking for your help now. Before it’s too late. I really hope by filing this charge it might stop him from trying to hurt us.
Kathleen also sent a copy of the letter to a reporter, Walter Jacobson, at FOX Chicago with a cover sheet stating “That her story was not your typical domestic dispute, but a story about corruption in Bolingbrook.” By the time the letter is sent, Bolingbrook police have responded to 10 domestic disturbance calls at the Peterson home, several for abuse, breaking and entering by Drew, and for Drew failing to return the children ontime from visitation. Police responded to eight more calls before the couple’s divorce was finalized in 2003. Drew was never charged with a crime. BUT Police arrested Kathleen for domestic battery twice. She was acquitted of both charges.
At one point, Kathleen appealed directly to the Bolingbrook chief of police, Mike Calcagno, for help. She had come to know Mike during her marriage to Drew, and considered him a friend. Kathleen told her sister that she told Mike “If anything happens to me, it’s because Drew’s killed me.” Though there was an internal Bolingbrook PD investigation after the July 5th incident, Mike did not officially discipline Drew for that incident, or for any other matters relating to Kathleen.
While Kathleen and Drew were going through their difficult divorce, he and Stacy moved in together and in July of 2003, the couple had their first child, Anthony, named after Stacy’s father. By the fall of 2003 Kathy had a boyfriend, a new career path, and a plan: Once her divorce was finalized, she would sell the house and move her boys to nearby Mokena, where, after graduating from a nursing program, she would work at St. James Hospital.
On October 10, Kathleen and Drews divorce was finalized, but with a few unresolved issues. Kathleen got custody of the two boys and Drew was granted weekend visitation. They did have plans to meet on April 6, 2004 to discuss the settlement at a hearing. Her attorney, Harry Smith, said that in the divorce settlement Kathleen was likely to be awarded the house, child support, maintenance, a percentage of Drew’s pension, and cash proceeds from Drew’s car wash.
October 18, 2003, just eight days after the divorce from Kathleen was granted, Drew and Stacy were married.
On February 27, 2004, Drew picked up his two sons from Kathleen for a weekend visit. Drew, Stacy and the kids went to the Shedd Aquarium on the 29th before attempting to return the boys home that evening around 8 pm. Kathleen did not answer the door or her phone, so Drew and the boys returned to his home for the evening with Stacy. The next day, March 1st, Drew called and left messages for Kathleen throughout the day but he did not get a response. He went to work at 5 p.m. and then he went to Kathleen’s house around 7 p.m.
Drew called on two of Kathleen’s neighbors, Mary Ponterelli and Steve Carcerano, and a locksmith to gain entry to her home, he says that she wouldn’t want him to be in the house if she wasn’t there and it would be better if someone else would check. Mary and Steve entered the home while Drew waited outside, he ran inside when he heard the neighbors scream. Upstairs they found Kathleen, naked, face down in the bathtub. Her hair was wet, but the tub was dry; there was an obvious cut on her head. When Drew came into the bathroom he was screaming “What am I going to tell my kids, what am I going to tell my kids.”
Drew later produced a hand-written will dated March 2, 1997, signed by himself and Kathleen. In the will, each leaves all their assets to each other. The will’s validity is later called into question after reports that Kathleens’ divorce attorney said his client had told him she did not have a will.
March 20, 2004, Dr. Bryan Mitchell, with the Will County coroner’s office, released an autopsy report, saying the cause of Kathleen’s death is accidental drowning. Dr. Mitchell notes that Kathleens’ hair was soaked with blood from an inch-long laceration on her scalp, her tongue was partially clenched between her teeth, and she had several small abrasions on her body. Despite the coroner’s report, many people believed that Drew killed Kathleen and got away with it. But he had an alibi, Stacy.
On May 7, 2004, a six-person coroner’s jury ruled that the manner of Kathleen’s death was an accident. While testifying at the hearing, an Illinois State Police agent told the jury that investigators found no reason to suspect a homicide. One police officer who personally knew Drew assured the other jurors that he (Drew) was a good man who would never hurt his wife. Kathleen’s family also testified, telling the jury that Katheen feared Drew, who now stood to financially benefit from her death. No charges were filed in the case at the time.
January of 2005, Stacy and Drew have a daughter, Lacy after Stacy’s late sister. Stacy also adopted the two sons that Drew had shared with Kathleen and she treated them like they were her own. Drew and Stacy’s marriage was frequently rocky. After Lacy was born, Stacy underwent a tummy tuck, a breast enhancement and Lasik, gifts from Drew.
In September of 2006, Stacy’s half-sister Tina died of colon cancer at the age of 31. Stacy was said to have been completely devastated by her death, and she hit a period of depression. It was around then that Stacy began to re-evaluate her marriage. She wanted to become a better person. Stacy started paying more attention to her appearance. She took her kids to Bible study. She began working as a sales rep for Avon. None of these things sat well with Drew.
Stacy’s aunt, Candace Aiken visited around the middle of October in 2007. Stacy mentioned during the visit that she was going to leave Drew. Just a few weeks later, on October 26, Stacy told Drew she wanted a divorce. Stacy’s friend and neighbor, Sharon Bychowski, said that after she told Drew “She was calm and cool, and she said, ‘I am already dead. He is going to kill me.’ ” Two days later, she disappeared.
Illinois State Police interview Drew regarding Stacy’s disappearance. They ask to look at both of his vehicles. He gives them access to the GMC Denali but not the Pontiac Grand Prix. Drew claims that the night before Stacy disappeared, she told him that she was going to visit her grandfather in the morning. He said that when he woke the next morning around 10, she was gone. He then dropped the kids off with neighbors and went out to run “errands.” Drew requested the evening off from work around 2 PM and then picked up the kids and took them to McDonalds. Drew stated that after he returned home with the children that Stacy called him to tell him she was leaving him for another man. Stacy’s friends and family are all frantic trying to locate her, yes she wanted to leave Drew. But she would NEVER leave her kids.
Two days after Stacy’s disappearance, Drew’s half-brother, Tom attempted to commit suicide. Reports later indicate that Tom confessed to a friend he believed he had helped Drew dispose of Stacy’s body the night she disappeared. Tom would later testify that on October 27, Drew had showed up at Toms’ house to give him a ride to a job interview at the nearby Meijer store. Instead Drew drove Tom to Remington Lakes park. Drew then began to discuss Stacy with Tom. He claimed that Stacy was cheating on him and that he had to take care of the problem. Drew asked Tom if he loved him enough to kill for him. Tom replied that he loved him but that he couldn’t live with himself if he killed someone. Drew asks if he could live with knowing about it. Tom said he could – that he always assumed Drew had killed Kathleen. Drew drove Tom home and a few hours later, Tom called Drew and said that he couldn’t be involved in his plan. Drew said he can respect that.
The next day, Drew drove Tom to a park off of Weber road and gave him a cell phone and said to hold onto it, but to not answer it. Drew then left. After 45 minutes the phone rings a few times, displaying “Stacy” as the caller. Within an hour of the calls, Drew returned to the park to pick up Tom. He then asked Tom to help him move something at home. They drive to the Peterson home where Drew led Tom to a large blue container in his bedroom. They moved the large container down the stairs, out of the house and into the Denali. Tom later described the container as feeling warm and weighing about 120 pounds.
At some point Drew gave Tom some money and told him “This never happened.” The next day Tom called Drew on the phone and told him that he wanted to hang himself. Drew tells him not to worry. That night Tom began drinking and he overdosed on prescription pills. The State Police go to speak with Tom in the hospital after Drews visit. He was offered immunity by Will County State’s Attorney, James Glasgow. The police recorded a phone call between Tom and Drew where Drew ordered Tom not “to talk to the press or the police, and warns him about discussing things on the phone.”
On November 1, police executed a search warrant on Drew’s home. The warrant allows police to search the home and the family’s two vehicles. 6 days later, Drew appeared before a Will County grand jury and exercised his 5th Amendment right. Drew was then officially labeled as a suspect in Stacy’s disappearance.
Authorities then announce that they are looking back into the 2004 death of Kathleen. A judge ordered the exhumation of Kathleens’ body from Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside. The exhumation petition states that the one-inch gash on the back of her head would not have been enough to render her unconscious and cause her to drown. The petition also questioned the blood pattern in the tub, arguing that it was not consistent with water slowly draining from the tub the way investigators in 2004 assumed it had. Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow publicly stated that crime scene evidence of Kathleens’ death appeared to show that her death may have been staged to look like an accident. Her body was exhumed on November 12.
Bolingbrook police announced that they had suspended Drew without pay, pending an unrelated internal-affairs investigation. Drew handed in his letter of resignation, just shy of his 30th anniversary with the department, and one day before he was supposed to meet with internal-affairs investigators. Drew retired with more than $72,000 annually in pension benefits.
On December 10, Plainfield minister – Pastor Neil Schori revealed that on August 31, 2007, 8 weeks before her disappearance, Stacy met with the Pastor at her request. She claimed that she had personal, detailed knowledge that Drew killed Kathleen. Stacy said that the night of February 28, Stacy woke up and Drew was gone. She checked the house and couldn’t find him. She found him standing in front of the washing machine, dressed all in black, and holding a bag. Drew then put the clothes he was wearing in the washer and he emptied the bag into the washer as well, which looked like women’s clothing. Drew told Stacy that he had hit Kathleen on the back of the head, and that he made her death look like an accident. Drew then coached her on exactly what to say to the police during an investigation.
On February 21, Dr. Larry Blum, an independent pathologist who performed one of the autopsies on Kathleen, ruled her death a homicide. A Will County judge granted a request by Kathleens’ family to have her estate reopened in preparation for a possible wrongful death lawsuit against Drew.
On January 23, 2008, Drew and his attorney, Joel Brodsky, called in to the show of Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl, who had been making fun of Drew since the case began. Joel suggested that Steve host an on-air “dating game” with Drew the following day “Win a Date with Drew”, but WJMK managers and Steve decided not to go through with it.
In December of 2008, Drew’s publicist Glenn Selig confirmed that he was engaged to a 23-year-old, Christina Raines; she would have been his fifth wife. On January 30, 2009, it was made public that Christina had moved out of Drew’s house. Her father, Ernie Raines, had issued an ultimatum to his daughter out of concern about the way Drew tried to control her and what he feared Drew could do. She moved out of the Peterson home “when she came to her senses”, calling the engagement a publicity stunt designed to keep Drew in the media spotlight. Christina later stated that Drew gave her jewelry belonging to his former wives. She also claimed that “He actually tried to show me the trick of how to snap someone’s neck within seconds.”
May 7, 2009, Drew was arrested and charged with two counts of murder in the death of Kathleen. Bail was set at $20 million dollars. In July 2010, Judge White ruled that Drew would remain in the Will County Jail for the remainder of his trial and appeals process. Prosecutors argued he could pose a danger if released.
It was revealed that hearsay statements indicating Drew killed two of his wives were not reliable enough for a jury to hear at his trial. After presiding over a lengthy hearing, Judge White issued a four-page sealed ruling that prosecutors proved Drew killed both Kathleen and Stacy “by a preponderance of the evidence,” but nearly all statements attributed to Stacy “do not provide sufficient safeguards of reliability.” (The standard of proof in homicide cases is “beyond a reasonable doubt”; “preponderance of the evidence” is the standard for fact-finding on questions of admissibility of evidence, even in a criminal case.) Stacy’s statements were crucial to the prosecution’s case, as it lacked significant direct evidence. In April 2012, an Illinois appellate court ruled that prosecutors could use eight statements made by both the victim prior to her death and by Drew’s still-missing fourth wife Stacy prior to her disappearance, reversing White’s earlier decision. Drew’s defense had contended that introduction of these alleged hearsay comments constituted a violation of his Sixth Amendment right to confront any witnesses testifying against him.
The Illinois State Legislature attempted to help the prosecution with the passage of a new Illinois law, “Drew’s Law”, which allows prosecutors to enter hearsay statements into evidence under certain conditions. Passed while investigators were looking for Stacy, the legislation permits courts to consider statements from “unavailable witnesses,” provided that prosecutors are able to prove that the witness was killed to prevent his or her testimony and that the hearsay statements are reliable. Analysis by the trial court under this new law led to eight out of fourteen hearsay statements being ruled inadmissible because they were insufficiently reliable. On appeal, however, the Court of Appeals reversed the trial court, ruling that “Drew’s Law”, would allow the statements to be admitted.
On September 6, 2012, Drew was found guilty of the premeditated murder of Kathleen. Jurors admitted that the most compelling evidence was based on the hearsay statements allowed under “Drew’s Law”. On February 21, 2013, Drew was sentenced to 38 years in prison. He was incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois, but later moved to the Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute in Terre Haute, Indiana. Within a month, he was attacked by another prisoner who wanted to sell his belongings on eBay.
THEN – On February 9, 2015, Drew was charged with attempting to put a $10,000 hit on James Glasgow, the lead prosecutor in his murder trial, after an inmate tipped off prosecutors to the plan and wore a wire. In May 2016, after less than an hour of deliberations, he was found guilty of solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire. He was sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison.
After a number of appeals, on September 21, 2017, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the conviction. In December 2019, Peterson was released from federal custody and transferred to a state facility outside of Illinois. His location is not being disclosed for security reasons.
When Drew was arrested in 2009, Kristopher and Thomas were 14 and 16, while Anthony and Lacy were 5 and 4. With Stacy missing and Drew in prison charged with murder, Stephen, Drew’s eldest son with his first wife Carol Brown, was given custody of all four children. Stephen was a firm believer in his father’s innocence. He, along with the children under him, issued a statement in 2009 which read, “All of the children of Drew Peterson fully support their father and know that he is innocent of the charges against him. We know him better than anyone else in the world and we know he is not guilty.” Stephen later said that “He ‘Probably’ Killed Stacy and Kathleen.”
Since Stacy’s disappearance, her sister, Cassandra, has continued the search. She also claimed to have located Stacy’s body in the bottom of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal after Sonar scanning it in 2007 and 2008. However, divers have been unsuccessful in finding the body. She is an advocate for missing people in her community. Time and again, Cassandra has joined other families, who have gone through the same experience as her, and have helped them search for their loved ones. By now, Stacy’s family believes that Stacy is dead. However, they claim they will not rest until her remains have been brought back and put to rest. Stacy’s sister is still confident about her missing sister’s body being at the bottom of the canal and has not given up her efforts to retrieve it. To this day, Drew hasn’t been charged in connection with Stacy’s disappearance, though authorities have said he’s the sole person of interest.
