Friends hold fundraiser for Stacy

By Danya Hooker
dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

About 250 people braved cold weather and slippery driving conditions Friday to show their support for the search for Stacy Peterson.

The event raised about $2,000 that will go toward search efforts for the mother of two missing from Bolingbrook since Oct. 28. Her husband Drew Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, has been named a suspect in her disappearance.

The search for Stacy: Week in review

Here’s a look at some of the developments in the Stacy Peterson case that made headlines this week.

• Sharon Bychowski, Drew Peterson’s neighbor, awoke Wednesday, Dec. 26 to find dozens of photos, a map and a letter claiming Stacy Peterson was buried in a cemetery. Illinois State Police investigated the incident and said the bizarre material appears to be the work of an obsessed and mentally unstable man.

• The Associated Press ranked Peterson’s disappearance No. 5 on its 2007 list of top stories in Illinois-. Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign ranked No. 1 while former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s prison sentence ranked second, the state’s budget impasse ranked third and electric rates ranked fourth.

• Stacy Peterson’s family released home video footage this week which shows a young and happy Stacy with her then-boyfriend Drew Peterson. The footage aired Friday, Dec. 28 on NBC’s “Today” show.

• Friends of Stacy Peterson are holding a fundraiser Friday, Dec. 28 from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. at On The Rockz, 1101 N. Independence Blvd., in Romeoville. Admission is $10 and proceeds will go toward the search effort, donations to women’s shelters and a trust for Peterson’s young children.

~Compiled by Danya Hooker, Suburban Life Publications

Peterson neighbor finds photos, letter hinting at Stacy’s whereabouts

By Danya Hooker
dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

A neighbor of Drew Peterson awoke Wednesday dec 26 morning to find a letter and dozens of photos suggesting Stacy Peterson is buried in a graveyard.

As Illinois State Police continued their investigation Thursday into the bizarre event, Pam Bosco, spokeswoman for the Stacy Peterson family, said there was no truth to the letter’s claim.

The search for Stacy: Week in review

Drew Peterson and his neighbors have some breathing — and parking — room now that the media tents and vehicles have packed up and left the cul-de-sac near his home on Pheasant Chase Court in Bolingbrook. Despite the waning media frenzy, developments continue to surface in the search for Stacy Peterson, a 23-year-old wife and mother missing since Oct. 28.
Here’s a look at the major news of the week:
• Rev. Neil Schori dismissed claims by Drew Peterson and his attorney Joel Brodsky that he and Stacy Peterson had a “connection.” On Dec. 10, Schori told Greta Van Susteren of Fox News that Stacy Peterson told him in August that her husband had admitted to killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Brodsky appeared on MSNBC the next day and told host Dan Abrams that he had “heard rumors that there was some connection” between Schori and Stacy Peterson. Schori said the claims were false and slanderous.

• A Will County judge on Monday denied a request by Drew Peterson to regain possession of certain items seized by police Nov. 1 as part of a search warrant. The judge allowed Peterson to take back several CDs and an iPod, but the state will retain 11 guns, computers and two vehicles — a 2005 GMC Yukon Denali and a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix.

• The Bolingbrook Police Department denied the accuracy of a report published by MyFox Chicago on Wednesday saying Drew Peterson was involved in a police brutality investigation. Timothy Brownlee, 35, of Bolingbrook, is reportedly suing the village and Drew Peterson alleging that Peterson broke Brownlee’s thumb while he was processed for a May 28 arrest. Bolingbrook police officials said they have video of the incident proving Peterson was not involved and was not on duty during the incident.

• State police called an end to their search of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Romeoville on Wednesday. Investigators will continue the search in other locations and did not rule out the possibility of returning to the canal.

• Drew Peterson’s former friend Richard Mims testified Thursday before a grand jury in Will County. Mims had been staying with Peterson after his wife disappeared and was on the board of a Stacy Peterson charity. He quit the board last week after he sold his story to the National Enquirer.

• A taped interview with Drew Peterson and MSNBC correspondent Hoda Kotb is scheduled to appear Friday night.

Judge denies Drew Peterson’s request to have his property returned

Here’s the latest story from the Bolingbrook Reporter Newspaper. As always, you can find the latest news from the Peterson case on mysuburbanlife.com:

The Illinois State Police can retain several items seized Nov. 1 as part of its investigation into the disappearance of Stacy Peterson, a Will County judge ruled this morning.

Judge Daniel Rozak ruled police can keep the items after attorneys for Drew Peterson, former Bolingbrook police sergeant, filed a motion last week seeking the return of two cars, several guns and other items obtained by investigators after executing a search warrant at the Peterson home, 6 Pheasant Chase Court, Bolingbrook.

Peterson case: The week in review

There were many developments in the Peterson case this week as reported in the Bolingbrook Reporter Newspaper and online at mysuburbanlife.com.

Here’s a look at the busy week:

Activity and developments continue to occur around the Stacy Peterson missing person story. Peterson, the 23-year-old wife of former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson, has been missing since Oct. 28.

New information that came out this week includes:

• Drew Peterson’s son, Stephen Peterson, an Oak Brook police officer, testified Thursday before a grand jury in Will County.

• A Will County judge will rule Monday on whether state investigators can retain possession of two vehicles, guns and other property seized in a Nov. 1 raid on the Peterson home. Drew Peterson has been named a suspect in Stacy Peterson’s disappearance. He has denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance.

• Divers continued to search the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville looking for clues of the missing woman.

• A Web site, DefendDrew.com, was posted by Drew Peterson’s attorney to seek donations to offset costs for his “defense.” It was disabled Tuesday, less than 24 hours after it was opened.

• A former friend of Drew Peterson, Richard Mims, sold his story to the National Enquirer and on Wednesday Mims quit the board of a Stacy Peterson charity.

• A former Oak Brook police officer, Randy Mucha, said that although he has received many inquiries recently about his connection to the Drew and Stacy Peterson case, he has never been questioned as a suspect by authorities.

• Drew Peterson said his wife, Stacy, and not he, accidentally fired a gun in their house last summer.

• A briefing on the case was given Wednesday by multiple agencies, including the Illinois State Police, to relatives. Family spokeswoman Pam Bosco said of the briefing, “It really encouraged us.”

Drew Peterson seeking defense fund money via Web site

Drew Peterson started a new Web site, DefendDrew.com, this week on which he is seeking donations to offset the cost of what the site called his “defense.”

As of Tuesday evening the site was taken down because of what his lawyer said was too much traffic. As of Wednesday afternoon the site was still down.

There are many comments on this story on our Web site at mysuburban.com

Dive teams search canal for Peterson

The latest from the Bolingbrook Reporter at mysuburbanlife.com:

The FBI, United States Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were among the agencies that assisted the Illinois State Police Wednesday and Thursday in the search for Stacy Peterson, focusing on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Romeoville and Lockport.

Dive teams and boats using high-tech sonar were unsuccessful in their search for Stacy Peterson, but had dredged up debris in the canal that “will be reviewed and disposed of,” according to Trooper Mark T. Dorencz, spokesman for the Illinois State Police.

Police say Peterson’s 3rd wife hit Stacy Peterson

Here’s the latest from the Bolingbrook Reporter on mysuburbanlife.com:

Although members of the families of Stacy Peterson and Kathleen Savio publicly supported each other during a Dec. 1 candlelight vigil held in the cul-de-sac outside the Peterson home on Pheasant Chase Court in Bolingbrook, Stacy Peterson and Kathleen Savio were more apt to use derogatory language and exchange punches when in each other’s company, according to Bolingbrook police.

Vigil held for Stacy Peterson; new details in case surface

Volunteers continued the month-long search for missing Bolingbrook mother Stacy Peterson Saturday morning and combined efforts with searchers looking for Lisa Stebic, who has been missing since April 30, 2007.