Inside the Drew Peterson Case That Shocked America
In October 2007, a young Illinois mother vanished without a trace.
Her name was Stacy Peterson, and almost immediately, suspicion turned toward the man who should have known her best—her husband, Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson.
The case would become one of the most notorious true crime stories in modern American history. Not just because of Stacy’s disappearance, but because of what investigators uncovered next: another wife of Drew Peterson had died under suspicious circumstances just a few years earlier.
One wife dead.
Another missing.
And a former police officer at the center of it all.
Nearly two decades later, Stacy Peterson has never been found.
Who Was Stacy Peterson?
Stacy Ann Cales Peterson was just 23 years old when she disappeared. She was known as friendly, energetic, and deeply devoted to her children. Friends described her as someone who loved being a mother and tried to maintain a positive outlook, even when life became difficult.
In 2003, when she was only 19 years old, Stacy married Drew Peterson, a police sergeant nearly 30 years her senior. It was Drew’s fourth marriage.
At first, their relationship appeared stable. The couple lived in Bolingbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and together they were raising four children. But behind closed doors, things were beginning to unravel.
Friends and family would later say Stacy had become increasingly unhappy in the marriage and had even begun talking about leaving Drew.
Those conversations would become crucial to the investigation that followed.
The Night Stacy Peterson Disappeared
On October 28, 2007, Drew Peterson reported that Stacy was missing.
According to Drew, Stacy had left home after an argument and taken a small amount of cash and her vehicle. He claimed she might have run off with another man. But the story immediately raised questions.
Stacy had left behind:
- her wallet
- her cell phone
- her keys
- and most importantly, her children
Family members insisted Stacy would never abandon her kids. Within days, police and volunteers launched a massive search effort across the Bolingbrook area. Divers searched nearby waterways, including canals and lakes.
But investigators found no sign of Stacy Peterson.
A Suspicious Pattern Emerges
As the search intensified, attention quickly turned to Drew Peterson himself. Reporters began digging into his past—and what they found changed everything.
Just three years earlier, in 2004, Drew’s third wife, Kathleen Savio, had been found dead in her bathtub. At the time, her death had been ruled an accidental drowning.
But as Stacy’s disappearance dominated headlines, authorities reopened Savio’s case.
The new autopsy revealed something alarming. Kathleen Savio had not drowned accidentally.
She had been the victim of a homicide.
Suddenly, investigators were dealing with a disturbing possibility: Drew Peterson’s third wife had been murdered, and his fourth wife had vanished.
The Media Circus
The Drew Peterson case quickly exploded into a national media sensation. Peterson himself fueled the frenzy.
Instead of avoiding reporters, he often appeared eager to speak to the media, giving interviews and making provocative statements. At one point, he even joked publicly about being a suspect.
His behavior shocked many observers, especially given that his wife was missing.
The case drew nonstop coverage from national outlets including CNN, CBS, and major Chicago news organizations. Television programs and true crime documentaries began examining the story in depth.
Meanwhile, investigators quietly continued building their case.
A Rare Legal Strategy
One of the biggest challenges prosecutors faced was that Stacy Peterson’s body had never been found. Without a body, proving murder in court becomes significantly harder.
But prosecutors pursued a strategy that would ultimately make legal history. They introduced testimony from witnesses who said Stacy had told them Drew threatened to kill her.
Under normal rules, such statements would be considered hearsay and not allowed in court. However, Illinois courts ruled that the statements could be admitted because they were relevant to demonstrating Drew Peterson’s history of violence and intimidation.
The decision allowed witnesses to essentially testify about what Stacy had said before she disappeared. The controversial legal move became known as “the Drew Peterson law.”
The Trial for Kathleen Savio’s Murder
In 2012, Drew Peterson went on trial—not for Stacy’s disappearance, but for the murder of Kathleen Savio. Prosecutors argued Savio’s death had been staged to look like an accident.
Evidence showed that Savio had been preparing to finalize her divorce from Peterson and had recently obtained financial advantages in the settlement. According to investigators, Drew had motive.
During the trial, jurors heard testimony about Peterson’s behavior toward both Savio and Stacy. Witnesses described patterns of intimidation, manipulation, and threats. After weeks of testimony, the jury reached a verdict.
Drew Peterson was found guilty of first-degree murder.
He was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
The Mystery of Stacy Peterson
Even with Drew Peterson behind bars, one devastating question remains unanswered:
What happened to Stacy Peterson?
Her body has never been located.
Over the years, investigators have conducted numerous searches in lakes, forest preserves, and other remote areas in Illinois. Some searches were prompted by tips, while others followed new investigative leads.
But none have produced definitive answers. Stacy’s family continues to push for new searches and new information. For them, the case isn’t just about justice.
It’s about finding Stacy.
A Family Still Waiting for Answers
Stacy Peterson’s sister, Cassandra Cales, has been one of the most vocal advocates for keeping the case alive. For years she has continued speaking publicly about the investigation and urging authorities to continue searching for Stacy’s remains. She has repeatedly said that her family believes Stacy’s body is still out there somewhere waiting to be found.
And until that day comes, the case can never truly be closed.
The Legacy of the Case
The Drew Peterson case left a lasting impact on both law enforcement and the legal system. It demonstrated how patterns of domestic violence can escalate over time and how crucial it is to take threats seriously before tragedy occurs.
The case also helped establish legal precedents allowing courts to consider statements from victims who can no longer speak for themselves. Most importantly, it ensured that Stacy Peterson’s story would never disappear. Even without a body. Even without every answer.
Her name—and the mystery surrounding her disappearance—continues to echo through one of the most chilling cases in modern true crime history.
Where the Case Stands Today
Today, Drew Peterson remains incarcerated in an Illinois state prison. He continues to maintain his innocence in Kathleen Savio’s murder.
Meanwhile, Stacy Peterson remains officially listed as missing, though she has been presumed dead. Nearly two decades after she vanished, investigators still say they will pursue credible leads. For Stacy’s family, hope has never completely disappeared.
Because until the truth is fully uncovered…
The search for Stacy Peterson continues.
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Resources:
Book Sources:
Hosey, J. (2013). Fatal vows: The tragic wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson. WildBlue Press.
Smith, C. (2011). Cold as ice: A true story of murder, disappearance, and the multiple lives of Drew Peterson. St. Martin’s Press.
Chicago Tribune. (2012). Drew Peterson: The Tribune files. Chicago Tribune.
Armstrong, D. (2014). Drew Peterson exposed. WildBlue Press.
Other Resources:
ABC News. (2013). Drew Peterson shouts “I didn’t kill Kathleen” after 38-year sentence. https://abcnews.go.com/US/drew-peterson-shouts-kill-kathleen-38-year-sentence/story?id=18559346
ABC7 Chicago. (2012). Jury selected in Drew Peterson murder trial. https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8746096/
ABC7 News. (2010). Lawyer says Stacy Peterson talked about Drew Peterson threatening her. https://abc7news.com/archive/7265367/
ABC30. (2010). Body of Kathleen Savio exhumed during Drew Peterson investigation. https://abc30.com/archive/7480699/
CBS News. (n.d.). Stacy Peterson case remains a mystery. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stacy-peterson-case-remains-a-mystery/
CNN. (2007, November 30). Missing wife of Illinois police officer sparks investigation. https://web.archive.org/web/20080305074551/http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/30/missing.wife.ap/index.html
Court TV. (n.d.). Stacy Peterson’s sister believes her remains have been found. https://www.courttv.com/news/stacy-petersons-sister-believes-her-remains-have-been-found/
Daily Herald. (2012, September 6). Quotes from the Drew Peterson trial. https://www.dailyherald.com/20120906/news/quotes-from-the-drew-peterson-trial/
E! Online. (2021). One wife dead and another missing: Inside Drew Peterson’s twisted path to prison. Inside Drew Peterson’s Twisted Path to Prison: One Wife Dead and Another Missing Without a Trace
Fox 32 Chicago. (n.d.). 14 years after her disappearance, new search started for Stacy Peterson. Sister of missing mom Stacy Peterson says she found body using sonar, cops searched but found nothing | FOX 32 Chicago
Patch. (n.d.). Sister wants Stacy Peterson declared dead. Sister Wants Stacy Peterson Declared Dead | Romeoville, IL Patch
People. (n.d.). Stacy Peterson’s sister begged her to divorce Drew Peterson. Stacy Peterson’s Sister Begged Her to Divorce Drew Peterson
Rosenblat Law. (n.d.). State win: Right to have witnesses testify “from the grave” against Drew Peterson. State win right to have witnesses testify from the grave against Drew Peterson | Chicago Healthcare Fraud Defense Lawyer Blog
Chicago Sun-Times. (2018). Stacy Peterson’s grieving sister says one more dive could recover her body. Stacy Peterson’s grieving sister says one more dive would recover body – Chicago Sun-Times
