Too Little, Too Late: Drew Peterson Finally Offers Reward for Missing Wife Stacy Peterson

It's not often that you get to recycle a headline so quickly, but this week's wacky Chicago-based news environment offered a two-fer. First, Barack Obama suddenly catches on to what Jeremiah Wright, his pastor of twenty years, has been preaching and decides to say something about it: too little, too late.

Now former Bolingbrook, Ill cop Drew Peterson has decided to take time out from his media posturing to offer a reward for his missing wife, Stacy. You remember Stacy, mother of their two children, step-mother to two of Peterson's older children by his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Apparently Peterson has decided, in between dating and TV appearances, that he remembers his young fourth wife, too--although he says she ran off with another man.

Six months or so after Stacy's family, friends, volunteers, and just plain strangers have been constantly searching for her, Peterson is offering $25,000 for information about Stacy's disappearance: too little, too late.We're not sure where the money is coming from, as not too long ago, Peterson and his sidekick attorney Joel Brodsky were begging for monies for Drew on a website that quickly vanished.





Like the website, Stacy suddenly vanished, too. Just before she went missing, she told friends she wanted a divorce. She also told her pastor that Peterson had killed Savio, his third wife. Savio was found bruised and dead of what was first ruled an accidental drowning in a dry bathtub. Peterson controlled that crime scene.

Later, however, after Stacy's disappearance, Savio's body was exhumed for a second autopsy. That procedure, plus an outside autopsy by renowned pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, moved Savio's death into the "probable homicide" category. Savio, like Stacy, repeatedly told people that Peterson would kill her and get away with it.

Why was she so sure of that? He threatened her with that, many times, Savio told everyone who would listen. And then there was his stalking of Savio, control, and repeated physical abuse. Stacy, too, was monitored and tracked, and she was afraid she would be killed before she could get out.

Peterson's second wife, Viki Connolly, said the same thing, as did a former fiancee. Connolly says she's still afraid of Peterson.





Savio's family now, at last, has control of the seven-figure estate Peterson and the two minor Savio children inherited--which had been managed by Peterson, a boy who loves his toys (motorcycles, cars, guns,light aircraft). Lately, Peterson's been losing a lot: the Savio decision, the yanking of his weapons permit, and the court's refusal to give his guns back.

Apparently, Peterson and Brodsky have decided it's time for a little positive PR--or so the family and friends of both Savio and Stacy believe. We believe that too.

Peterson's recent media appearances have been more than a little bit frayed around the edges. His portrayal of the jovial college jock who is guffawing at a private joke about his self-professed "bad luck" with women is now several degrees beyond hackneyed.




Peterson, who we've written about ad nauseum (for some reason, the word "nausea" just comes up with the word "Peterson"), is most likely chumming for not only current PR, but to hook some sympathy with any potential jurors. Peterson, who says he expects to be arrested, alternates between fishing for sympathy and laughing it all off.

At this point, $25,000 isn't nearly enough to start cleaning up the ol' Drew dumpster enough to put even a dim shine on his public patina. However, it is enough to start speculation: did the offer hit the table as a ploy just before Peterson is arrested?

Stay tuned. Investigators still want answers about two timelines of extreme interests: Peterson's whereabouts before Savio died and before Stacy went missing.

Drew Peterson: Boy Toys Not Returned in Missing Wife Probe

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"Pig in Snow": Dr. Phil, Drew Peterson, Stacy Peterson, Kathleen Savio, Kyle Piry & The "Rotten Review"

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Drew Peterson Tried to Hire Truckers to Transport Package After Stacy Peterson Disappeared

This just in: the Illinois State Police have taken the extraordinary step of issuing an alert saying that former Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson and another male approached truckers and asked them to transport a package to an undisclosed location.

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
December 1, 2007 Trooper Mark T. Dorencz #4848
Safety Education Officer
Illinois State Police - District 5
(815) 726-6377 Ext. 271

JOLIET – On October 29, 2007 at approximately 3:30 am, two truck drivers were approached by two men at a truck stop in Bolingbrook , IL. One of the two men is believed to be Drew Peterson and the other described as a white male, early 50’s, salt-and-pepper hair, with a stocky build. The two men requested the truck drivers to transport a package to an undisclosed location. Upon reaching the location, the men would regain possession of the package and continue transporting it to a location not accessible by semi-trailers.

Anyone having a similar encounter is asked to contact the Illinois State Police at
815-740-0678 or America’s Most Wanted Hotline at 1-800-CRIME TV."

As Peterson tried to block a prayer vigil for missing fourth wife Stacy Peterson in his neighborhood, momentum continues to build in this increasingly bizaare case. His attorney, Joel Brodsky, whose own past includes loss of his law license for forging a check, continues to smear everyone else involved in Peterson's life.

Dr. Michael Baden remains firm that Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, was beaten and her death posed to look like a drowning. Found allegedly drowned in a dry bathtub, Savio had for years pleaded for help, to no avail, in dealing with Peterson's abuse. She, like other women in Peterson's life, had told others that Peterson bragged he could kill her, and as a cop, could make it look like an accident and get away with it.

The list of deaths, disappearances, and tragedies linked to the former Bolingbrook police officer continue to mouth. His step-brother, Thomas Morphey, tried to commit suicide after Peterson got him to help move a large container out of the Peterson home the day Stacy Peterson disappeared. Morphey, shaken, went to a friend and said that he was afraid he had just helped Peterson dispose of Stacy's body.

Here's a list of cases that 64 full-time Illinois investigators, the FBI, the Navy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--the military brought in to help with searches--are analyzing that are linked to Drew Peterson:

Fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, who told clergy that Peterson had killed Savio, and who told family and friends that she was afraid Peterson would kill her and make it look like an accident.

Third wife, Kathleen Savio, whose body was exhumed for new autopsies after Stacy Peterson's death. When her body was found, Peterson had falsely called in a "welfare check," then gave false information to medical techs about a non-existent heart condition, and managed to get the tub cleaned up without adequate investigation. In essence, he labelled it an accident.

During Savio's marriage, Peterson was having an affair with a young woman, whose brother protested. The brother was found dead, and labelled as a suicide. The officer first on the scene? Drew Peterson.

A local man, Jeffrey Archer, dated one of Peterson's ex-wives, angering Peterson. According to police documents, he was found dead in Sanitary Shipping Canal, one mile east of Routes 83 and 171- Cook County. That area has also been searched for any trace of Stacy Peterson's remains.

The lid is only now being slowly pulled back off a very nasty pot of years of alleged Peterson misconduct, on and off the job. Before he rushed to retirement after Stacy's case hit the media spotlight, he had earlier been suspended for misconduct on the job.

Two decades earlier, he'd been fired for a series of actions, including revealing the name of an undercover narcotics officer to a known killer. Peterson, adept at talking his way out of trouble, managed to get his job back.

Peterson has been named as a suspect in Stacy's death. Savio's case is being re-examined.

The archives contain numerous articles with background on this developing story.

How Believable is Drew Peterson? Citizen Panel Says: Not Very

How believable is Drew Peterson? Well below "zero," according to MediaCurve's analysis.

MediaCurves, a highly-specialized communications analysis group, showed clips of Matt Lauer's Today Show Nov. 14 interview with Peterson to a panel of 300 men and women. Using techniques developed by MediaCurves, the panel responded via mouse movements as they watched the clips.

After analysis, MediaCurves overlaid the survey results on the actual interview footage. The results are pretty amazing.

Peterson's believability repeatedly tanked into the minus 60% range. Men and women totally agreed on their perceptions.

However, Peterson did get one vote of confidence. When Lauer asked Peterson if he could present anything that would clear him in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy, or or the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Peterson said "no."

The score on that "no" immediately zoomed well above zero. The panel obviously believed that statement, unlike others.

MediaCurves also provided a "before and after" comparison of beliefs about Peterson's involvement in both cases. The results show that suspicion of Peterson increased dramatically after seeing the interview.

As experts have been saying all along: Peterson's using his own big mouth to dig an equally big hole.

The Blue Barrel: Popping the Lid on Drew Peterson, Kathleen Savio & Stacy Peterson?

The blogosphere is electric with reports that police may be ready to name who helped former Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson move a large blue plastic barrel out of his house right after fourth wife Stacy Peterson disappeared. Chips off that barrel, large enough to contain Stacy's body, were discovered in Peterson's SUV.

The Chicago Fox affiliate broke the news . The blue barrel, reportedly about a 55 gallon drum size, was moved from the Peterson bedroom to parts unknown.

More strange news from the Peterson bedroom (other than having a blue pool chemicals barrel as part of the decor): Stacy's nightstand is reported to be missing. Stacy, Peterson's fourth wife, is also missing, not that Peterson seems to be too upset about that.

Peterson is, however, really upset about media coverage of Stacy's disappearance, and everything else that keeps surfacing. Yes, this is the same guy who posed for the cover of People Magazine and who's been yapping away at media for weeks now. He's already said he's misunderstood, that Stacy ran away due to PMS, and that he's a "good guy."

But when it came to the grand jury investigating Stacy's disappearance and the death of third wife Kathleen Savio, Peterson got lockjaw. He "took the fifth," citing his Fifth Amendment rights to not make self-incriminating statements.

Among the grand jury witnesses, one from beyond the grave: third wife Kathleen Savio, whose body was exhumed for more autopsies. She's the wife who mysteriously drowned in a dry bathtub, leaving Peterson free of child support payments and richer by more than a million dollars in life insurance and co-owned property.

She'd filed 18 abuse reports, had pleaded for help, and warned anyone who would listen that Peterson had bragged that he could kill her and make it look like an accident. Among the documents in the Savio case: an emergency room report from a head injury when Peterson knocked her against a table.

Mix together: missing child bride Stacy, who was afraid and wanted a divorce, a controlling and abusive husband, a fight between the two, the disappearing nightstand and then, appearing center stage: that blue barrel carried into and out of the bedroom. Stacy, too, had warned that she thought Peterson would kill her.

Noted forensic expert Dr. Michael Baden, who performed a post-exhumation autopsy for Savio's family, said Stavio's death was a homicide. There seems to be a lot of suffering, abuse, blood, and even death around Peterson.

New reports that put Peterson at the scene of the deaths of two men who had angered him are also on the radar. In fact, Peterson found one that was allegedly a suicide. What linked them together? Women Peterson was dating or had dumped. In one case, a brother who warned his sister to avoid Peterson; the other a man who'd dated his second ex-wife, Viki Connell.

Bolingbrook Police Chief Chief Ray McGury is the man who inherited the Peterson mess--and he's furious. Peterson raced to grab his $72,000 a year retirement, knowing that he was under internal investigation for police misconduct in addition to having a missing wife and a mysteriously dead former wife. McGury had suspended Peterson in September, wanted him fired, and hopes to have him arrested on charges that would nullify his pension.

This isn't the first time around for Peterson and internal investigations, either. At one point, he was fired for betraying an undercover officer to a known killer, and for reportedly taking drugs and possibly money for inside information on police investigations. But Peterson managed to get his job back.

Peterson, who ran bars in his off-duty hours, also managed to attract women. A former fiancee, Kyle Piry, said that he stalked her after she heeded her instincts and broke things off. She also said that he mis-used his power as a cop to harass her, even arresting her once at work for unpaid parking tickets. Peterson says he can't remember Piry. Piry said that she thinks he's capable of murder.

The tentacles in this monster of a case keep sprouting. Peterson reportedly was hanging out with fired Oak Brook cop Randy Mucha around the time of Stacy's disappearance. Mucha got the ax for lying, misconduct including harassing civilians, and oh yes--costing the town $2 million in lawsuits. Mucha, borrowing a leaf from Peterson's old book, is suing to get his job back.

Speaking of the courtroom, Peterson's attorney Joel Brodsky is busy tarring Stacy's reputation (never mind her kids' feelings) and re-framing Peterson as a victim of a "witch hunt." Brodsky himself isn't too clean: he briefly lost his law license for financial irregularities in signing checks for a dead client. There's also a domestic abuse report filed on a Joel Brodsky of the same age, and his own failed lawsuit in which he tried to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying lawyers who'd worked for his children during Brodsky's divorce.

In the middle of all the decades of dramas and pain: six children, two of whom are now adults. Still in the Peterson home: the two children of Kathleen Savio, and the two children of Stacy Peterson.

With the FBI now involved, along with dozens of Illinois State Police investigators, the Peterson case is casting very long shadows. Lurking in them, a key question: how did Peterson wear a badge for so long?

Seeking answers: Greta Van Susteren, who's followed the Peterson case determinedly. She also has a confidential tip line that's getting plenty of action. Stay tuned to Greta for new developments.

Kathleen Savio, Stacy Peterson & Drew Peterson: The Lost, The Search

Today Stacy Peterson's family, friends, and supporters will launch another search for the missing Bolingbrook mom. Information is available at Find Stacy Peterson.

Reading blogs and forums, it's easy to see that this particular case has not only touched many hearts, but raised a great deal of anger. As Drew Peterson continues to clown around for the cameras and his attorney launches a smear campaign against Stacy, it's important to note two things: 1) Peterson has not yet been charged with any crime and 2) it's ironic that the disappearance of Stacy has proved to be the catalyst that is pulling back the covers of Peterson's true self and his checkered past.

But for the families involved, this story is about endless fear, frustration, and loss. Domestic abuse is like that: it's a cancer that spreads and affects anyone it touches. Perhaps Stacy's disappearance and Kathleen Savio's death--now determined to be a homicide by at least one expert--are shining a light into the decaying mess of the Peterson cellar of infamy.

Between investigations of potential felony-level misconduct in the discharge of his duties as a police officer, his firing for revealing an undercover officer's identity to a known killer, and the glare of publicity, Peterson finds himself in an unlikely position. Instead of the controller, he's now having to tread in a world that he can't control, try as he and attorney Joel Brodsky might.

Among the more blatant and disgusting media tricks: Peterson making sure he's photographed removing mail from his mailbox, late at night (when the camera lights will show up him even clearer) right after the anonymous Peoria letter. That's the letter that Brodsky rushed to the media to hint about, the one claiming the writer had seen Stacy in Peoria. But the writer didn't inform the police, or even go for the reward. No, they dropped a line to Peterson, who read the letter at his leisure, and from there: media blitz.

As is usual in missing persons cases, there will be reported sightings. That's human nature. However, this one is so obviously stage-managed and crafted, right to Drew's appearance onstage taking a long time to remove mail from his box (ample time for pictures) that it fairly shouts: looky here! Drew and team are "messing" with everyone!

Meanwhile, there's four kids involved, two of them Stacy's by birth, two by adoption from Peterson's prior marriage to Kathleen Savio. How are the kids doing? Well, Peterson weighed in on that during one of his media appearances:

"sure their mom's missing and they're upset but there are more important things to worry about."

There are more important things to worry about? Like what? Carrying apparently endless streams of drycleaning in and out of the house? Peterson posing for People Magazine?

Yea, it's about people--but not publicity. It's about Kathleen Savio, Stacy Peterson, their families and friends, the kids, second wife Viki Connolly who says she's still afraid of Peterson, and the rest of Peterson's victims, including other police officers.

As Bolingbrook Police Chief Ray McGury, who's received death threats, struggles to clear his department of Peterson issues that occurred before he took over two years ago, it's clear that the list of those harmed is huge. If Peterson is charged with misconduct, what does that say about the quality of protection given to citizens who encountered Peterson The Cop?

Make no mistake: there are many, many honest, dedicated, caring police officers. In fact, that group is the majority of officers I've encountered. But one Peterson--and the questions about how he got reinstated decades ago, as well as other deaths he "discovered"--can splash mud and grime across badges around the country.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking that Peterson is a typical cop, or that whatever functions in Bolingbrook to have so much covered up for so long is an honest cop's choice. And above all, remember that the cover of People Magazine will soon be used for puppy housebreaking and bird cages, but the real people in Stacy's, Savio's, and Connolly's families, among others, are suffering, still.

Join others in lighting a candle for Stacy at Gratefulness.org And, I've also created a group so that you may also light a candle for Kathleen Savio . Note: at first, you may have to use the "search" function: type in either Stacy or Savio.

It's time for the light of truth to reveal what lies beneath the cover of the jovial clown mugging for the cameras.



And spread the word:

Drew Peterson: My Attorney Made Me Do It

Poor Drew Peterson. The guy who a few days ago said "I'm a media sensation" now whines about how he's suffering with the media attention.

That, of course, is after he did the People Magazine gig.

But, when asked why he was talking to the media almost non-stop, Peterson once again sloughed off responsibility. He claimed his attorney "made" him.

Astute reporters asked why he had done so many interviews before attorney Joel Brodsky, who himself has serious credibility issues, "made" him do interviews. No real answer there.

It's obvious that there's now a whirlwind of repackaging Drew Peterson. In this interview, he says that he's a jokester, and that he hides his pain with jokes and laughing.

When directly asked "what is your hurt and pain?" Peterson doesn't hesitate a millisecond with his answer.

"My hurt and pain is all the media in front of my house," he snapped.

Luckily, a reporter reminded him of missing fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, and asked him if he felt any pain about that. Oh yea, Peterson, quick to catch up, said. Sure thing.

Peterson also had a good laugh when he said: "I'd really like to mess with you guys (ed: the media) but I'm being held back."

Peterson and Brodsky are messing with the media. Brodsky, who briefly lost his law license in a scandal involving a client's funds, couldn't wait to run to the media with the anonymous letter claiming the sighting of Stacy in Peoria.

The game is afoot, as Sherlock would say. And Brodsky's game is to market Drew as a really nice guy whose suffering from the media--not the missing wife--is immense. The second offensive ploy is to tar Stacy's reputation. The second tactic is standard sleazy fare when a woman is the victim.

As for Peterson's claims that his attorney "made" him do all those interviews: give us a break. Peterson, despite that one firing, brags he's been a cop for more than 30 years. He's a father.

He knows the word "no."

But Peterson, showing his scorn for the women in his life, the public, the police, and the media, isn't going to give up the media spotlight. After all, he likes "messing with" people.

Still to come: the result of investigations into Peterson's actions as a Bolingbrook police sergeant. Although Peterson raced to grab retirement, officials have said that serious charges of misconduct on the job could divest him of his $72,000 a year pension.

The photo of Peterson is by John Smierciak of the Chicago Tribune. Smierciak has done some excellent work in covering this case.

Stacy Peterson Sighting?

In another weird development, the AP in Chicago is reporting that Stacy Peterson may have been sighted -- according to her media-mugging husband, former police sergeant Drew Peterson.

Attorney Joel Brodsky has alleged that Peterson, who is under scrutiny for the mysterious death of third wife Kathleen Savio and the disappearance of fourth wife Stacy, has received anonymous mail. Although Brodsky won't release any details beyond the claim of a sighting and letter, he claimed that the anonymous letter described chatting up Stacy in a grocery store in Peoria.

Peterson's also on the hot seat with his former employer, the Bolingbrook police department. Although officials accepted his pension-saving retirement over the objections of Police Chief Ray McGury, that pension may be in jeopardy.

Illinois state police say that they've uncovered evidence of potential crimes committed by Peterson while still working as a police officer. Peterson's rush retirement effectively blocked McGury and the department from launching an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Peterson was previously fired for revealing the identity of an undercover officer to a known killer. He managed to get his job back.

Allegations of abuse throughout at least three of of his four marriages, and an engagement Peterson says he can't remember, continue to surface. Now an anonymous letter, claimed by Peterson and handed off to Brodsky for, apparently, publicity purposes, joins the mix of this increasingly bizarre affair.

And oh yes, Peterson made it onto the cover of People Magazine. Meawhile, cops who are doing their jobs, without abuse reports from wives and women, and without misconduct reports and firing offenses, don't get much media attention.

Maybe an anonymous letter from Elvis would help balance that out?

Black Friday, Kathleen Savio, Stacy Peterson & Domestic Abuse

It's called "Black Friday"--the day after Thanksgiving, when retailers hope that the holiday shopping season will put their revenue in the black.

I think it's time for another Black Friday--one that remembers the women and children who are the victims of domestic abuse. After writing about the Drew Peterson saga--and new revelations are forthcoming--I've decided that I've had it with bullies who hurt and terrorize other people.

The bottom line: abusers are cowards. They'll coerce, control, bully, hurt, torture (mentally, spiritually, and physically), and even kill--but only those who are vulnerable to them.

If you know someone who is abusing animals--get away from them. People who abuse animals never stop there.

If you are in an abusive relationship, seek help. Make your escape plan. If you have children at risk, consider this: why do you want their psyches and their very lives to be at risk?

Let's honor the countless victims of domestic abuse on Black Friday. Using the great Ribbon-a-Matic, I've created a special ribbon to remember those who suffer at the hands of abusers.

Feel free to post this on your websites and blogs if you think it has a worthwhile message. All I ask is a link back to this website, as more coverage of the Peterson saga and other relevant issues is planned.

No more excuses. No more letting bullies get away with it. If you know someone who is abusive, don't tolerate it anymore. Don't say "well, it's good ol' Joe's business, but he's a great fishing buddy." Stand up for what's right.

Abusers are cowards, and if enough strong people and strong communities stand against them, they can be outed.

Forensics Casebook III: Kathleen Savio, Stacy Peterson, the Chicago Cop & Faking Death by Drowning

As promised in Forensics Casebook II: Kathleen Savio, Stacy Peterson, Dr. Baden, & the Chicago Cop, I'm going to tell you how a homicide can be made to look like a drowning. Given that Savio apparently drowned, battered and bruised, in a dry bathtub, the questions asked in Forensics Casebook II are especially relevant to the mystery of her death.

But first, a PSA (no, not a Public Service Announcement, a Peterson Service Announcement): now that Drew Peterson, the hastily-retired former Bolingbrook police sergeant, has lawyered up, we're all supposed to note a few things. First, Joel A. Brodsky wants it made clear that noted expert Dr. Michael Baden did not identify Peterson as the culprit in any homicide of Kathleen Savio.

In one of the most wasted and uncomfortable interviews in this whole mess, Matt Lauer tackled Brodsky and the snickering Peterson. Brodsky, with Peterson literally jammed up shoulder-to-shoulder and arm-to-arm with him, noted that there is no official linking of Peterson to either Savio's death or the fact that Stacy Peterson, wife #4, missing.

OK, so Peterson's been officially named a suspect in Stacy's disappearance, but there's no linkage between him and the questions about the lives and fates of his wives. There's an entire Peterson laundry list of control factors for the world, announced by his lawyer as Peterson clams up, then tweaked by Peterson when he un-clams.

Like this: Peterson says he's distressed about the effect of media coverage on him. Oh, today's People Magazine shoot? He didn't mean that, obviously. Nor did he think that the People shoot would disrupt his family life. It's so hard, you know, being a media phenomenon: you have to tease 'em with "no," then give 'em a little leg and a little "yes, yes."

But in the middle of all this we find: shattered lives. Back to Baden's autopsy of Kathleen Savio, Peterson's third wife (Stacy, #4, is still missing in case you lost that among all the Drew, Drew, Drew promotions). Funny thing: Baden never said that Peterson did it. He specifically said that "who done it" wasn't part of the responsibility of an autopsy. But apparently Brodsky wanted to make it clear that what Baden didn't say wasn't right.

However, Savio's exhumed body stood as mute witness to her death. Baden, acting for the Savio family, said it was definitely a homicide. Initially, the authorities had ruled it an accident by drowning.

Savio's first autopsy had revealed "moderate edema" of the respiratory system. The head laceration and some bruises were also noted.

There are many good references for forensics. For this, I chose Forensics for Dummies simply because it is accessible to the layperson and forthrightly stated.

Here's they key point: "... If you place a corpse in water, and it remains submerged for a period of time after death, the lungs passively fill with water, and the ME's examination can't distinguish this postmortem fluid in the lungs from liquid that resulted in death."

Savio was in the water long enough to have wrinkled fingers, when found in the dry tub. How long was that? And was the "moderate edema" of the respiratory system caused by water entering the lungs before or after death?

Was Savio unconscious, or even dead, when she was placed in water? There are many things, including inconsistent statements from Peterson and witnesses, that need explaining.

Drew's Clues: Wife #2 Says Peterson Bragged He Could Safely Kill Her

Drew Peterson, who even has Dr. Phil worried, is quite a guy. Peterson hit his second wife, cheated on her (eventually with the woman who became his third, the one who drowned in a dry bathtub), was so controlling that he bugged their house and -- oh yes, told her he could kill her and make it look like an accident.

Funny thing, he said that to wife #3, Kathleen Savio, who wound up dead. He threatened wife #4, Stacy Peterson, with the same thing. Everyone's looking for Stacy, except Peterson, who coldly described her to Matt Lauer as "spoiled".

Where was Drew? Follow the clues; follow the money. Peterson was busy protecting his pension--about $72,000 a year-- while pleading for a free defense attorney, and, in his media work, casting slurs on his third and fourth wives. Peterson proclaimed that he married both of them because they were "beautiful" and "fun," but then later found out that both had serious "emotional problems." (Nothing to do with him, of course, if you believe him.)

According to a solid interview by Chicago Tribune writer Erika Slife, Peterson also bragged about how he could deceive people. In her interview, Slife covers a lot of ground with Vicki Connolly, who says she's still afraid of Peterson.

"... in the first interview granted by one of his ex-wives since Stacy's disappearance, Connolly, 48, said Thursday that during their marriage an increasingly controlling Peterson told her he could kill her and make it look like an accident."

Connolly peels back the covering on Peterson's second marriage. If you think you see patterns, you're right. When he moved on from Connolly, he was already involved with Savio. When he was ready to replace Savio, he was already involved with Stacy, the then 17-year-old teenager who he got pregnant.