Abuse is a widespread problem that takes on many forms. Sometimes it ends in the Death of the Victim as appears to be the case with Stacy Peterson.
Stacy Peterson, 23, the fourth wife of former Bolingbrook, Illinois Police Sgt. Drew Peterson, 53, disappeared on October 28, 2007. Illinois State Police have named her husband as the prime suspect in her mysterious disappearance.
It appears that Drew Peterson has led a pattern of abuse for several years, and many seem to agree with the Illinois State Police, that Stacy Peterson was murdered by her husband.
Now that his fourth wife is missing, the investigation into the death of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, has been reopened. The state Attorney's Office has had the body of Savio, exhumed. Savio died mysteriously three years ago. Prior to her death, Savio told members of her family that she feared Drew would kill her. Bolingbrook police had been called to the couple’s home nearly 20 times for domestic disputes.
Dr. Phil
Referring to the disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, Dr. Phil said on his show, (which aired Friday, December 27, 2007) "Sometimes [relationships] escalate to other things, including murder." He added that there had been prior problems and that Stacy had told others about those problems. He made it known that he believes a pattern of abuse is forming.
Drew Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky (in a statement to Dr. Phil),denied that Peterson has any involvement in Stacey's disappearance, yet evidence against his client is mounting.
Attorney and Court TV anchor, Lisa Bloom, appearing on the Dr. Phil show, said that people had seen Peterson lift a barrel into his van. Peterson's stepbrother, Tom Morphey, told authorities that he helped the former police officer move a large blue barrel the same weekend that Stacy disappeared.
Dateline NBC Interviews
Information from NBC's Dateline episode, Deadly Suspicion, which aired Friday, December 21, 2007, reaffirms the information about the barrel. Peterson's stepbrother, Tom Morphey, has said that he and Drew moved a container. Morphey claims that he believed in his heart they moved Stacy because the container was warm.
On the Dateline episode, Stacy's stepsister, Kerry Simmons said that Drew was abusive toward Stacy, throwing her down the stairs at least once, knocked her into the TV, and once picked her up and threw her across the room. Simmons said she told Stacy, “You need to get out!” Even though Simmons offered to help Stacy get out quickly, Stacy refused, saying that if she left Drew and took the children, he would come after her.
Stacy told her stepsister and others that she was under “constant checks” by Drew. Simmons said that Stacy told her that Drew followed her in his car, and tracked her cell phone records to see if she was with or communicating with another man.
Speaking of his wife's disappearance, Drew Peterson claims that Stacy ran off to the Bahamas with another man, taking only her passport, money, and a bikini with her.
Simmons explained that Stacy took the death of her half sister, Tina very hard. She believes that after Tina's passing, Stacy began to reevaluate her own life, and became more and more determined to leave Drew.
But, Peterson denies this saying that since the death of her sister, Stacy became agitated easily, and that she snapped at him and the children. He added that it could have been due to her menstrual cycle, that maybe she was, “PMSing.”
Drew says that he gave Stacy everything she ever wanted. In response to a question by the Dateline Correspondent as to why Drew refers to Stacy in the past tense, Peterson said that it's because of what she did when she was with him, referring to all good things Stacy had been to him.
When directly asked if he had killed his wife, Stacy or his former wife, Kathy Savio, Peterson denied it. Peterson called the death of one wife and disappearance of another bad luck.
Innocent?
As of yet, no charges have been brought against Drew Peterson and he remains, “innocent until proven guilty.”
Source:
1. Photo - Salem, Or. News
