Drew Peterson, the former police sergeant who authorities call the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, has been indicted on murder charges related to his third wife, the Illinois state attorney’s office said.
Illinois state police said Peterson was taken into custody Thursday. Charles B. Pelkie, state attorney for Will County, Illinois, said a grand jury indicted Peterson in the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, whose death had been ruled an accidental drowning. He said the grand jury continues to meet and is studying the possibility of charges in Stacy Peterson’s disappearance. Watch family members react to the arrest ยป After Stacy Peterson went missing in October 2007, media frenzy and police scrutiny on Peterson revealed Savio had died mysteriously a few years earlier during a nasty divorce. Savio died just before the division of the marital assets was finalized, making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary. Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home. At the time, the death was ruled an accidental drowning. But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play. The investigation into Stacy Peterson’s disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio’s death. Authorities exhumed Savio’s body, further tests were conducted, and her death has now been ruled a “homicide staged to look like an accident.” Kathleen Savio’s brother Nick told CNN affiliate WLS-TV he received a call from his sister saying Peterson had been arrested. “The state police had been telling us the day was coming,” he told WLS-TV. “We kept hearing it for about eight months. I’m almost in tears here. It’s been so hard for our family.” “Hopefully we’ll get the justice we’ve always been waiting for.” Martin Glink, attorney for the Savio family, said they were hopeful the grand jury felt there was enough evidence to charge Peterson. “We’re very happy that the wheels of justice have continued to move and they are pointing in his direction,” Glink told WLS-TV. The news was also bittersweet for Stacy Peterson’s family, who continue to wait for news about her disappearance. “We have anticipated this coming. We have dreamed about it. We have been patient over it,” Pam Bosco, spokesperson for Stacy Peterson’s family told WLS-TV. “Now that it’s here, it’s almost a little bit calm. We’re waiting for the storm to calm now. The calm before the storm.”
Bosco said while she had not heard about any charges relating to Stacy Peterson’s death, she was hopeful those charges would follow. “We always said from the very beginning that Kathleen and Stacy had one thing in common — and that was Drew Peterson,” she said. “So, hopefully, we’ll have news soon about Stacy, too.”
