Drew Peterson’s Life Behind Bars: The Missing Wife Mystery That Still Haunts His Family

More than two decades after the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, and nearly 19 years after his fourth wife, Stacy Ann Peterson, disappeared, former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson remains imprisoned for a murder that shocked the United States.

Peterson was convicted in 2012 of murdering Savio, whose body was found in a bathtub at her home in March 2004. Her death was initially ruled an accident, but investigators reopened the case after Stacy vanished in October 2007. A subsequent investigation determined that Savio had been killed.

Prosecutors argued that Peterson murdered Savio amid their bitter divorce and custody disputes. He has denied killing her, but a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and he received a 38-year prison sentence.

The disappearance of Stacy, Peterson’s fourth wife, remains unresolved. She was 23 when she vanished, leaving behind two young children. Her family has consistently rejected Peterson’s claim that she voluntarily left her husband, believing instead that she was killed.

Despite extensive searches and years of investigation, Stacy’s remains have never been found. Her disappearance has continued to draw attention to the case, even as Peterson serves his sentence for Savio’s murder.

Peterson’s criminal troubles did not end with his murder conviction. In 2016, he received an additional 40-year prison sentence for soliciting the murder of James Glasgow, the prosecutor who had successfully secured his conviction. Evidence presented in that case included recordings made by an inmate who cooperated with investigators.

Together, the two sentences total 78 years in prison. Peterson has continued to challenge his murder conviction, arguing that his original defense was inadequate. His efforts to overturn the conviction have so far been unsuccessful.

His legal team has also sought further review of his case, including proceedings involving his ability to pursue post-conviction claims. Meanwhile, his exact prison location has not consistently been made public.

For Peterson’s children and the relatives of both women, the case carries consequences far beyond the courtroom. Savio’s murder led to a conviction, but Stacy’s disappearance remains an unanswered question.

Nearly two decades after Stacy was last seen, the mystery surrounding her fate continues to cast a shadow over one of Illinois’ most notorious criminal cases.

Source:  PEOPLE