Staff Reports

Two of Drew Peterson’s close friends wore wiretaps and recorded every detail of private conversations between them and the former Bolingbrook police sergeant who is the prime suspect the disappearance of his fourth wife, according to media reports.

Peterson reportedly told Paula Stark and Len Wawczak that he should have cremated the body of his third wife Kathleen Savio and that he would likely be tried and acquitted by the time police found the body of his missing fourth wife Stacy, according to statements the couple made to the Chicago Sun-Times.

In the months following Stacy Peterson’s disappearance, Stark and Wawczak appeared to remain close to Peterson. The couple often watched Peterson’s four youngest children, and in March, Wawczak accompanied Peterson to Illinois State Police District 5 headquarters to help Peterson retrieve two vehicles seized by police. The couple reportedly said they agreed to cooperate with Illinois State Police shortly after Stacy Peterson disappeared Oct. 28.

Savio was found drowned in a dry bathtub in March 2004. At the time, her death was ruled a homicide. But the Oct. 28 disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife led investigators to reopen the case. Savio’s body was exhumed in November and two pathologists, one at the request of Savio’s family and one on behalf of the state, performed separate autopsies. Both recently ruled her death a homicide.

Peterson is the sole suspect in his wife’s disappearance, which police are calling a “potential homicide.” Police have not named a suspect in Savio’s death.

Check back Wednesday for updates.

By Danya Hooker
dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com
Drew Peterson’s attorney Joel Brodsky withdrew a motion Wednesday to stay court proceedings on the reopening of Kathleen Savio’s estate.

The withdrawal paves the way for Savio’s family to move forward with their investigation into whether there is enough evidence to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson for Savio’s March 2004 drowning.

But Brodsky said he would welcome the lawsuit in the event his appeal of the decision to reopen the estate is denied. The lawsuit, he said, would give Peterson’s legal team the right to interview witnesses currently off-limits to them.

“It would actually be a gift rather than a burden,” Brodsky said. “We’d pretty much be able to have a private grand jury. We could depose pretty much every person that’s been before the grand jury. For example, Pastor (Neil) Schori, I think he’d probably be the first guy.”

Will County Judge Carmen Goodman ordered the estate reopened in April. Shortly after, Brodsky appealed the decision and asked the judge to postpone further estate hearings pending the outcome of the appeal.

Brodsky said the appellate court is likely to rule on the appeal within the next few months. That time frame, and the investigative benefits of a wrongful death lawsuit, led Brodsky to reconsider, and ultimately withdraw, his motion to postpone court proceedings.

Savio, Peterson’s third wife, was found drowned in a dry bathtub in March 2004. At the time, her death was ruled an accident but the Oct. 28 disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy, led investigators to re-examine Savio’s drowning.

Savio’s body was exhumed in November 2007 and two pathologists, one at the request of her family and one on behalf of Will County, performed separate autopsies. Each recently ruled the death a homicide. Brodsky said he would also have the power to subpoena the autopsy reports from both pathologists.

Peterson has been named a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, which police have a labeled a “potential homicide.” Police have not named a suspect in Savio’s homicide.

Peterson has denied any wrongdoing in either case and has not been charged with a crime.

Drew Peterson’s attorney Joel Brodsky has withdrawn his motion to stay court proceedings on the reopening of Kathleen Savio’s estate.

Brodsky had previously asked the judge to postpone all hearings pending the outcome of an appeal on a decision to reopen the estate.

Savio family attorney Martin Glink said Brodsky faxed him the withdrawal decision Wednesday night. On Thursday, Glink presented the fax to Judge Carmen Goodman, who was supposed to rule Thursday on whether to grant the motion to stay.

No other court dates were set for the case.

Suburban Life Staff Reports

Harry Smith, the Wheaton divorce attorney who represented Kathleen Savio in her divorce with Drew Peterson, was seen Thursday entering the Joliet Court House Annex in which a grand jury convenes to investigate the death of Savio, Peterson’s third wife, and the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy.

Smith entered the annex at 1:15 p.m. but did not re-appear after several groups of people left the building at 4 p.m.

The Will County state’s attorney’s office did not return phone calls seeking comment.

In early March, Smith told WLS-FM radio show host Roe Conn that Stacy Peterson contacted him days before she disappeared. Smith said he spoke with Stacy on Oct. 24 and Oct. 26 about filing for divorce from Drew.

Smith represented Savio during her divorce with Peterson four years ago.

Savio died in March 2004, and her death, initially ruled an accidental drowning by a six-person coroner’s jury, has been re-opened. Following a second autopsy earlier this year, Savio’s death was ruled a homicide.

Peterson has been named a suspect in the Oct. 28 disappearance of Stacy, although he has not been named a suspect in Savio’s death.

In March, Smith stated publicly Savio told him before her death she felt Drew Peterson would harm her.

Smith also stated publicly Stacy Peterson contacted him within a week of disappearing seeking information on dissolution of marriage.

Drew Peterson has denied any involvement in Stacy Peterson’s disappearance and Savio’s death.

The bathtub where Drew Peterson’s third wife, Kathleen Savio, was found dead is now in the hands of the Illinois State Police.

A person who now lives in the Bolingbrook home that was shared by Peterson and Savio told the Chicago Tribune that state police removed the tub recently. A spokesman for the Will County state’s attorney’s office confirmed that the tub had been removed and is in storage, the report said.

Savio’s death was first ruled an accidental drowning before being re-classified as a homicide during the investigation of Stacy Peterson’s disappearance.

By Danya Hooker, dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

Drew Peterson’s son will soon receive eight of 11 guns seized from his father’s home Nov. 1.

Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt Thursday ordered police to relinquish the weapons, ending a six-month court battle over who should have possession of the firearms.

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A Will County judge Thursday morning granted a continuance requested by a Savio family attorney seeking more time to respond to Joel Brodsky’s motion to stay court proceedings on Kathleen Savio’s estate pending the outcome of an appeal that would close the estate

The next court hearing has been set for 10 a.m. July 17 in Will County.

Peterson’s attorney, Joel Brodsky, also announced Thursday that he will be seeking to subpoena the Bolingbrook Police Department for records relating to the registration of a gun owned by Peterson found to be illegal — the source of Peterson’s arrest Wednesday.

Brodsky has contended that Peterson owned the gun for more than ten years and used it as a SWAT team duty weapon. Brodsky further claims that the Bolingbrook Police Department had approved the weapon and therefore Peterson broke no law in possessing it.

A Will County judge is expected to decide Thursday afternoon whether Peterson can transfer eight guns seized from his home to his son Stephen Peterson.

By Danya Hooker, dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

A sister of Drew Peterson’s deceased third wife testified Thursday before the grand jury investigating Kathleen Savio’s death and the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy.

Savio’s sister Anna Doman confirmed she had testified but declined to comment any further as she left the Will County Court Annex building Thursday.

Bolingbrook police officer Rich Berg also testified Thursday and declined comment.

Doman is the second family member called to testify before the grand jury. Last week, her sister Susan Doman testified, as well as Steve Maniaci, Savio’s boyfriend at the time of her death.

Savio was found drowned in a bathtub in March 2004, shortly before she and Drew Peterson were to finalize the financial terms of their divorce. Although the death was ruled accidental at the time, investigators reopened the case in November after Stacy Peterson disappeared Oct. 28.

An independent pathologist for Will County recently ruled the death a homicide. Police have not named a suspect.

Drew Peterson is a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, which police are calling a potential homicide. He has denied any wrongdoing in either case and has not been charged with a crime.

By Danya Hooker, dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

The sister of Drew Peterson’s deceased third wife testified Thursday before the grand jury investigating that death and the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife Stacy.

Susan Doman, sister of Kathleen Savio, declined to comment on the details of her testimony but said her family is still reeling from her sister’s death four years ago.

“Our family hasn’t been the same since,” Doman said. “She was the one that kept the family together.”

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By Danya Hooker, dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

Drew Peterson’s attorney, Joel Brodsky, filed an appeal Tuesday against a Will County judge’s decision to reopen the estate of Peterson’s third wife, Kathleen Savio, Brodsky confirmed Wednesday.

Judge Carmen Goodman granted a petition by Savio’s family and ordered the estate reopened April 17. The decision opened the door for Savio’s family to investigate whether there is enough evidence to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson.

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Danya Hooker, dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

Drew Peterson’s attorney, Joel Brodsky, filed an appeal Tuesday against a Will County judge’s decision to reopen the estate of Peterson’s third wife.

The appeal, filed on behalf of James Carroll, Peterson’s uncle and the current executor of Kathleen Savio’s estate, asks the appellate court to reverse an April 17 decision that reopened the estate and removed Carroll as executor.

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By Danya Hooker, dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

A Will County judge ordered Kathleen Savio’s estate reopened Thursday, paving the way for Savio’s family to investigate whether there is sufficient evidence to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

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By Danya Hooker

dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

A Will County judge will hear the first arguments on a petition to re-open Kathleen Savio’s estate during a hearing next month.

Five of Savio’s relatives filed a joint petition Monday to re-open the estate in preparation for a wrongful death lawsuit against her ex-husband Drew Peterson, according to Lawrence Varsek, an attorney for two of Savio’s siblings.

“They (the family) have a lot of questions,” Varsek said. “They’re not satisfied with the previous answers and we need the authority of this court to find the answers.”

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By Danya Hooker

dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

A pathologist investigating the March 2004 death of Drew Peterson’s third wife has ruled her death a homicide, the Will County state’s attorney announced Thursday night.

Dr. Larry Blum, an independent pathologist who performed the autopsy on Kathleen Savio for the state, handed over his report to the Will County coroner’s office Thursday.

In it, he ruled the cause of death as drowning by homicide.

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By Danya Hooker
dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com
A hearing on two requests to reopen the estate of Drew Peterson’s third wife is set to go before a Will County judge briefly Wednesday morning.

Attorneys for both sides expect the judge to schedule another hearing for Monday, March 17, to give both sides more time to prepare before presenting their petitions and arguments.

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Here’s the statement released Thrusday afternoon”

The Will County state’s attorney’s office has been working closely with the Illinois State Police Investigative Task Forces that are investigating the disappearance of Stacy Peterson and the death of Kathleen Savio. The task forces have notified the state’s attorney’s office that they have investigated more than 1,900 tips and leads since this investigation began in late October. The task forces continue to investigate these top priority cases utilizing all available resources.

At the same time, the Will County state’s attorney’s office has convened a Special Grand Jury to investigate Stacy Peterson’s disappearance and Kathleen Savio’s death. The Special Grand Jury was convened in November and is in session and working each Thursday. It will continue to meet for roughly the next four months with an option to extend its service for another six-month term should that become necessary.

The Will County state’s attorney’s office remains confident that justice will be served at the conclusion of these methodical and disciplined investigations.

Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Stacy Peterson or the death of Kathleen Savio is asked to contact the Illinois State Police Investigative Task Forces Office at (815) 740-0678 or e-mail the office at Thomas_Burek@isp.state.il.us.

By Danya Hooker
dhooker@mysuburbanlife.comnal “exotic” toxicology tests ordered as part of the Kathleen Savio death investigation might be an attempt to rule out the possibility of accidental drowning.

“It sounds like he’s making sure he covers all the bases,” Dr. Michael Baden said of the tests ordered by independent pathologist Dr. Larry Blum.

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By Don Grigas
dgrigas@mysuburbanlife.com

The results of toxicology tests being done on the body of Kathleen Savio are taking longer than normal because of the complexity of requested tests.

“Following the autopsy conducted Nov. 13 on Kathleen Savio by independent pathologist Dr. Larry Blum, toxicology testing was requested on various samples,” said Patrick O’Neil, Will County coroner.

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By Danya Hooker
dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com

The family of Kathleen Savio, third wife of former Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson, has set up a Web site to gather information and tips regarding her 2004 death.

“We’re trying to get anybody that knows anything about her death to contact Illinois State Police,” Savio’s younger brother Nick, 25, said.

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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.

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