Drew Peterson: Ex-Bolingbrook cop drawn to perks of notoriety

Article from April 3, 2009

Chicago Tribune

Erika Slife Tribune Reporter

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Media appearances can yield paid vacations to New York or Los Angeles, book deals and more

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Even in today's troubled economy, nothing seems to shut down the high-flying media circus surrounding the Drew Peterson story...

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Peterson, 55, and fiance Christina Raines, 24, were recently featured in People magazine—the second time Peterson has graced the pages of the celebrity magazine.

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Peterson said he wasn't paid for the People article and that he has not made a penny since he became the suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy, and implicated in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Although there have been two books written about the cases, and Peterson has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, he says he doesn't get royalties from the books and doesn't get paid for appearing on shows.

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And as for flying to New York or Los Angeles for interviews—which are essentially paid vacations—Peterson, who has not been charged in either case and denies wrongdoing, responds: Well, why shouldn't I?

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"It was kind of exciting meeting famous people. It was fun," he said. "I'm sorry Kathleen died; it was an accident. My ass... Stacy ran off, but that was her choice. I did my crying. Now it's time to live my life."

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Others involved in the case, such as potential witnesses and former friends of Peterson's, have also taken advantage of the paid first-class flights coast-to-coast and hotels with expense accounts, courtesy of TV networks. Some say they do it to set the facts straight, but others question their motives.

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Meanwhile, the families of Peterson's wives have, for the most part, stayed off the TV-interview circuit. "I think the people who are really out there doing all this stuff are doing it for the quick buck," said Pam Bosco, a spokeswoman for Stacy Peterson's family. "They don't really care about the outcome. But for us, obviously it was never about the money. It was about the outcome. It was about the truth being told."

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But Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, said he doesn't see a problem in trying to make a buck off the story. Several weeks ago, he got into a dispute with Randy Miller, a guest disc jockey on WGN, after Miller blasted Brodsky for demanding that a bar and grill that he partly owned be plugged on the air in exchange for an interview with Peterson.

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"What difference does it make? People do advertising for their businesses all the time. So what?" said Brodsky, who provided an e-mail showing that Miller had agreed to do the plugs. "We're out there at their request. I'm not asking to be on TV. I don't ask to be on the radio shows. They're not paying me any money to be on there. It's taking time out of my day. So, like everybody else, I plug something that's important to me." Miller told the Tribune that he never had any intention of honoring Brodsky's request.

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The episode underscores complaints by loved ones of Peterson's wives who believe that people are benefiting from their grief. Stacy Peterson was 23 when she was last seen in October 2007. That investigation led authorities to re-examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Savio, who was 40 when she was found dead in an empty bathtub of her home.

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A special grand jury has been investigating the Peterson cases, and Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow has said he expects a resolution in at least one of the investigations in the near future. But Peterson said he's moving on with his life.

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Just when things seem to start to settle down in the Bolingbrook neighborhood, something new arises to spark the public's imagination. Such as Peterson's on-again, off-again relationship—and ultimate engagement—to Raines.

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After Christina Raines moved in with Peterson, her father, Ernie, appeared on the Dr. Phil show to ask for help in persuading his daughter to leave Peterson. Interviews with the network morning programs quickly followed. A week later, Christina Raines did an about-face, left Peterson and called their relationship a publicity stunt on CBS' "The Early Show." Then days later she went back to him, and soon both were seen by millions canoodling on NBC's "Today" show.

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"Reality television is very big, and for him, instead of being [on] 'The Biggest Loser,' it's played out in the press," said Irving Rein, professor of communication studies at Northwestern University. "There's one episode after another—and it keeps people interested to see what will happen. It's human nature to be interested in fascinating stories. Drew Peterson is a fascinating story." And in this celebrity-driven, 24-7 news cycle, any story that captures the public's attention can turn into a gold mine for the subject...

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As for Peterson, he remains out of work since he retired from the Police Department shortly after his wife vanished. He lives off a $6,068 monthly pension that he earned after nearly 30 years on the force. He said he would be open to any money-making possibilities that came as a result of his notoriety.

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He said he has not sold any of his interviews, unlike one of his former friends, Ric Mims, who was paid for his exclusive with the National Enquirer in 2007. At the time, Mims said he needed the money to pay large cell phone bills that were a result of the investigation.

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Peterson said it's just one example of people who have made money off his fame. "It's funny, all these people who are criticizing me are profiting from me," he said. "These people are capitalizing. I'm not making any money."

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But Melissa Doman, Savio's niece, said she doesn't buy Peterson's denials that he's not benefiting from the tragedy. She said his love affair with the press is proof enough that he's cashing in on all of the attention. "Watching all this stuff that Drew has done, it amazes me," Doman said. "He claims that he didn't want to be in the public, this and that, but he does all these things to be in the public eye, and it's comical. It's not amusing. It amazes me."