Stuck in Stir: Drew Peterson Marks 2 Years in Jail As Slain Wife's Family Waits For Day In Court
Drew Peterson's third wife was killed more than seven years ago. His fourth wife has been missing for three and a half years. Peterson has spent the last two years in a jail cell waiting for a jury to decide his fate.
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Two years ago tomorrow, Drew Peterson climbed inside his missing fourth wife’s Pontiac Grand Prix, pulled out of his cul-de-sac and drove away to run some errands.
Peterson didn’t make it a mile before a small army of state cops descended on him, pulled him out of the car, snatched off his sunglasses and took him to jail.
Peterson has sat there since, waiting in the Will County Adult Detention Facility to be tried on charges he killed his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
In the two years Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, has been locked up, one of the sons he had with his slain third wife was named valedictorian of Bolingbrook High School. A son he had with his first wife lost his job as an Oak Brook police officer due to his involvement in allegedly obstructing a state police search of Peterson’s home. That son’s marriage ended in divorce while Peterson has been incarcerated. He now lives in his father’s Bolingbrook home where he takes care of his four younger half-siblings, two of whom were born to Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, the driver of the Grand Prix, who vanished in October 2007.
Less than two weeks after Stacy disappeared, the state police named Drew Peterson as their sole suspect in making her missing. They also went so far as to say they believe the young woman, who was born 30 years after her 57-year-old husband, may have been slain and that Drew Peterson had a hand in it.
Despite their suspicions, the state police have not charged Peterson with harming Stacy, and judging from a status update provided by Master Sgt. Tom Burek, a state police spokesman, that agency’s investigators have made little, if any, progress in the nearly four years she has been missing.
In an emailed statement about the Stacy case, Burek simply wrote, “Nothing to report.” He did not respond to further questions.
The waiting game
While Stacy remains missing and the state police appear stymied, it was her dramatic disappearance that forced those same state police to re-evaluate Savio’s mysterious March 2004 death, an incident investigators at the time quickly wrote off as a freak bathtub accident.
The state police closed the book on the Savio case just months after the 40-year-old was found drowned in a dry bathtub. But within weeks of Stacy disappearing, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who was not in office when Savio died, declared she was the victim of a homicide staged to look like an accident.
Glasgow then successfully petitioned to have Savio’s body dug out of its grave and subjected to a second autopsy, the results of which apparently showed that her death was no accident.
A year and a half after Savio’s corpse was exhumed, Peterson was charged with killing her. He was in jail for eight months when Will County Judge Stephen White presided over a hearing to determine what hearsay evidence would be allowed at the murder trial.
The hearing lasted a month and featured testimony from more than 70 witnesses. At the conclusion, White sealed his decision, but it was later revealed that he permitted three of a possible 13 statements to be used against Peterson.
The trial was set for five months later, but one day prior to the scheduled start, Glasgow appealed White’s ruling.
The matter was argued before a trio of appellate judges in February. Their decision is pending, and all the while Peterson has remained in jail, where he is being held on a $20 million bond.
“Somebody needs to go in there and shake them up or something, because this is ridiculous,” Savio’s sister Susan Doman said of the long wait for the appellate judges to make up their minds. “It just makes you want to go in there and knock on their door and hold a gun to their head.”
As frustrated as Doman may be with the appellate court, she has faith in the state's attorney.
"I have every confidence in James Glasgow to send him away," she said.
When Glasgow gets his shot at that, it's a mystery who will preside over the trial. Judge White retired in November and it is not known who will be assigned to replace him when the case comes back to Will County. No one knows for sure when that will be either.
“It’s in the hands of the appellate court right now,” said Charles B. Pelkie, the spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office. “We expect a decision to come back any day at this point. The office is prepared to move very quickly once a judge is assigned and a trial date set.”
But even if the appellate court were to return its decision today, the side on the short end could petition the state supreme court to review it, which would leave Peterson locked up even longer.
“The waiting game is enough to kill anybody,” said Joseph “Shark” Lopez, one of the attorneys representing Peterson.
Time and punishment
Lopez, who called the case against Peterson a “travesty of justice,” said that the longer it draws out, the better his client looks.
“I’ve seen that public opinion has really turned,” said Lopez, telling how when he joined the case in April 2010 he heard questions like, “How can you defend that guy?” but that he is now asked, “How come they don’t let him out?”
“He’s doing time,” Lopez said of Peterson’s continued incarceration while a prosecution appeal is sorted out.
“There’s no reason he should not have been allowed out on a (lower) bond,” Lopez said. “The bond’s way out of line. The whole thing was a publicity stunt. The bond is outrageous.”
Pelkie disagreed, saying, “The bond was set by a judge and at every step of the way throughout the entire pretrial process, every aspect of (Peterson’s) detention has been argued before the trial court, and the appellate court as well, and the bond has been upheld.”
Doman also wants Peterson out of jail — but just so he can be put in prison.
“I want him hurt worse,” she said, then wondered if the retired Bolingbrook cop receives preferential treatment at the jail where he used to bring the men and women he arrested.
“When I go to the court hearings I see him talking away, laughing,” Doman said.
“He has a lot going on for him over there,” she said. “I’m sure he wiggles his way around.”
Bob
6:58 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
If he is guilty or not it is a shame that the court system takes this long for a trial. What happened to our original promises from government to have the right to a fair and a speedy trial? If he is found innocent the tax payers will pay extensively for that.
Don Jack
7:39 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
It has been a sad day for Will County, it appears that we have a State's Attorney who goes after anyone in law enforcement. It is sad when we rewrite a law just to nail one person.
Flora Dora
7:46 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Thanks for the recap, Joe. Drew Peterson's lawyers have to answer for much of the delay in going to trial. I am glad that being a police person does not let you get away with murder....
Beth
1:35 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
How can the judge set such a high bail...? I'll tell you why....because one wife is dead and the other is missing and presumed dead....I personally feel safer knowing he's locked up! I hope they do get to trial soon so he can go away forever!
D
11:45 pm on Sunday, July 22, 2012
If he is locked up waiting for trail or in prison I know he is locked away and more women are safe. if he didn't call staci she would of peeked out since he is locked away and she would be safe. She wouldn't let someone else raise her children...
poohbear
1:40 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
I'm not sure if he done it or not. But God knows and he dieshe will have to answer to him. He more powerful then any one on earth. I pray for his family as they deal with this. Pray for families of two woman. One waiting for trail to see if he convicted of killing their daughter and other on finding their daughter that is missing. I also pray for Drew Peterson to come to know the Lord if he does not already. If and when he may have Jesus in his life that he will repent and wrong doing he may have done. I also pray for the people that will be in court room in charge of making decision if he gulity or not and punishment if found gulity. They will pray about what they here and with Gods help they will make the right dicision. God Bless
april
1:52 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
I have my own thoughts on what i think he did to stacy and where I think she could be at...( I know a lot of cops that work in and around the Village of Bolingbrook ) personally think we are giving him too much time to think about what lies he plans to say at trial and I think that is just wrong!! Hope he burns in hell which he will some day.
Amy Manning
1:57 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
I can't believe he's been locked up for 2 years. As much as I wish they would get on with the trial, at least they are able to keep him behind bars - I think I agree with Beth above - he seems just a bit dangerous to me. I'm not losing sleep over him being in jail.
Tom Selleck
9:07 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011
The 20 million dollar bond is out rageous There are gang bangers and others that commit murder and are caught with the smoking gun and they get 1-2 million dollar bonds! Go figure!
Amber
2:22 pm on Saturday, May 7, 2011
But those gang bangers do not have the help of other officers and the money to flee. He is a greater flight risk than your average gang banger!
Tony
3:56 pm on Sunday, January 29, 2012
Most of them go back to Mexico and go to work for the cartel.
Donna KPG
8:40 pm on Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I hope it's not too speedy since I have jury duty coming up. lol But I, too, think he's where he needs to be. From everything that has been said about Stacy, she never would have left her children for this long with absolutely no contact. It is a sad situation all around and I wish that, if he is guilty, he would just own up to it, tell them where her body is, and give her children and her family the closure they deserve.
John Schrock
11:58 pm on Tuesday, May 10, 2011
It has been quiet since Drew has been locked up. I enjoyed the antics and drama when he was on the outside. Maybe the media can get in for some interviews.
K Salvinski-Garcia
11:18 am on Monday, May 30, 2011
I think this guy has had enough freedom. His third wife Kathleen, begged Stacey to protect herself. Stacey laughed and roller bladed away with Drew, but after her death, and a few years with her sociopath hubby, she knew how she would end up, and that in itself is so sad. How would it feel knowing your husband, father of your children, will kill you, rather than free you. Stacey knew. Kathleen knew. Do you know what is worse than that? I bet the moment right before they died, after thinking of their children and family, they probably felt a sense of relief that Drew could haunt them no more. NOW THAT IS FRIGGIN SAD. Based on the fear and harassment, and probable murder, who wants this guy free? I sure don't.
Jerry
6:21 pm on Monday, May 30, 2011
And what happens when someone decides that Kimberly "has had enough freedom"? I think it's probable that Drew Peterson was instrumental in causing the death of Ms. Savio but every minute that he sits in jail without having been convicted of a crime is a travesty of justice and a blatant denial of his 6th amendment rights. When he is finally acquitted of this crime he will win a civil suit against this county that will cripple it for years to come...and as much as I hate to say it he will deserve every penny.
Kris from Romeoville
8:17 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
He was smart. He put her in a barrel and dropped her in the canal. All those bargain would drag her body or set it deeper in the canal floor. His GPS took them where she was dumped!
Kris from Romeoville
8:18 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
*barges
Dawn
3:48 pm on Saturday, July 9, 2011
So what that he has spent 2 years in jail, we just had Casey Anthony spend three, and she got her trial, and walked! Drew is right where he needs to be, they both will have to face a higher power for their actions.
Lori Janiec
10:02 am on Thursday, July 21, 2011
As Drew himself would probably say to someone if the tables were reversed..."Too bad, so sad, cry me a river."
Kim Barklage
5:18 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
Drew could have murdered Stacy and then cremated her body. I wouldn't want to have to prove it, though.
Tony
9:37 am on Monday, January 9, 2012
Stacy could have walked away from a bad marrage and dissapeared on her own. The law says guilty until proven innocent if you are Drew, for everyone else it the other way around.This Craig fellow is still walking around Plainfield and his wife vanished just like Drews wife, no one tried hearsay evidence on Craig, yet all her relatives and neighbors said Craig killed her. Drew isn't a flight risk and never has been, he is to close to his children and he could have dissapeared a long time ago if he wanted to. We seem to have a two tier justice system , we put governors in prison for accepting money, but it is legal for Senators and Congressmen to sell their votes to lobbyists to vote in favor of bills that usually aren't good for the working man.Until someone comes up with proof beyond a doubt that Drew killed someone, he should be with his children.
Linda
8:28 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Spare me. He killed his wife. She would have never walked away from her children. You know it, and show does everyone else. He was just lucky enough to have a job with the Bolingbrook PD. He knew what would work, and he played it.
Tony
8:23 am on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
All you need to do is show me the proof. I also think he had something to do with Stacys disappearence, but lately a lot of people are being let out of prison for crimes they didn't commit,and if you think that someone deserves to die because you are positive that he killed some one, and thats all you are is positive, God help our Judical system if people like you get to be Judges.
joe mama
12:36 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012
If they pass that law he's toast........ No hearsay law.......he walks.
Tonja
9:16 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012
Only God and drew knows the truth ,give the guy a break. We as humans think we have the right to judge people,but if hes guilty he'll get his God will make sure of that! !!
Julia Gardipee
9:33 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012
Give the guy a break...are you kidding me he killed people and should sit his whole entire life in the cell then lets see how tough he really is and how cocky,and abusive he can really be !!!
Deljuana Napoleon
10:43 am on Sunday, January 29, 2012
He is a heartless man to kill an go on as if nothing happen but to kill the mothers of you're kids an involve you're son COLD HEARTED BASTARD GO STRAIGHT TO HELL
Tony
4:06 pm on Sunday, January 29, 2012
Another one of these self appointed Judges just what the world needs ,more lawyers and judges and more death row cells
Marilyn Gjerdrum
12:12 am on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Time for his trial, he appears to be a serial wife killer. He used his position as a cop to abuse his wives. I wish they could find Stacy's body. This man is a cold blooded killer and I hope they don't find some loophole to free him.
He is so arrogant, he has never even expressed concern for any of his dead wives....I guess he thinks he can get away with it, he did for years.
kenneth teems
7:03 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
This prick needs to be tied down and tortured for as long as his human body can stand it till life as he lives is no more....what a piece of garbage. I'd love to get my hands on him.