May 7, 2009
Staff reportFormer Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson was arrested today in the death of his ex-wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found drowned in an empty bathtub in March 2004, according to Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow.
Authorities have scheduled an 8:30 p.m. news conference at state police District 5 headquarters near Joliet.
Will County state's attorney's office spokesman Chuck Pelkie confirmed Peterson was arrested about 5:40 p.m. during a traffic stop at Lily Cache Lane and Weber Road in Bolingbrook in connection with an indictment in the murder of Savio.
When reached early Thursday evening, Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, said he was unaware of the arrest.
"You know more than I do. I'm on a plane it's taking off in 5 minutes to go to NYC. I guess they'll have a bond hearing Monday," he said.
On March 1, 2004, Savio, 40, was discovered by neighbors in her Bolingbrook home in an empty bathtub with a 1-inch gash on the back of her scalp.
Savio and Peterson were divorced but the details of the divorce settlement were weeks away from being finalized when she died.
An autopsy at the time determined she drowned, and a coroner's jury ruled months later--based largely off the testimony of state police--that the death was accidental.
Authorities reopened Savio's case after Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, disappeared in October 2007.
The next month, Savio's remains were exhumed, and in February 2008, Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow said the second autopsy determined her death was a homicide. He classified the case as a murder investigation.
While authorities never named Peterson a suspect in her death, the same Will County grand jury that had been investigating Stacy Peterson's death was also investigating the Savio case.
Last month, relatives representing Savio's estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson seeking in excess of $300,000 for causing her death, losses arising from it and the injuries she suffered prior to her murder.
The attorney for Savio's family, Martin Glink, said the family was pleased authorities were able to put together a case. "We feel validated. I spoke with Sue Doman and she was very relieved that at long last her sister will get some measure of justice," Glink said.
"The family has waited five years for this moment. They feel grateful at all the efforts of the investigators and state police and state's attorneys involved," Glink said.
Glink said the lawsuit will be put on hold while the criminal case unfolds. He said once the criminal case is resolved, their case can proceed more expeditiously.
"We're ecstatic," Kathleen Savio's brother, Henry, said when reached this evening. "We're really happy. Drew's arrested and we're really happy." Savio, 50, said Illinois State Police called the family to let them know the arrest was taking place.
"We didn't really know too much what was going on. We wanted it to go this way and it did. It's been hard on my family, hard on my kids, my daughter has nightmares, I've had nightmares about this guy. It's a miracle. We feel like opening up champagne right now. But we know it's a long road ahead, but at least we're one step ahead right now," Henry Savio said.
He said his sister is on his mind.
"I think my sister is smiling and saying good, it's about time. It's about time. I feel sorry for her kids, my nephews. They're always in our hearts," he said.
Peterson, 55, was a 29-year veteran of the Bolingbrook Police Department. After his current wife disappeared, he was suspended from the department and he submitted his resignation shortly afterward. He draws a $6,068 monthly pension.
The saga captured the attention of the national media, which scrutinized every development in the investigation, including Peterson's love life, who openly dated young women and once had a 24-year-old woman he called his fiance move in with him for a short time.
Drew Peterson was supposed to fly to Reno on Friday to spend a weekend at the famous Moonlite BunnyRanch, where he was expected to meet owner Dennis Hof to talk about job possibilities.
Hof had said earlier Thursday that planned to offer Peterson a job as head of security at the Nevada brothel.
When reached at his Bolingbrook home early Thursday afternoon, Peterson declined to comment.
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