Murder In America - EP. 90 ILLINOIS - Drew Peterson (PT 1): The Killer Cop

Episode Date: November 27, 2022

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘once a cheater, always a cheater’ and wondered whether that phrase might apply to other things…..like murder? Drew Peterson had been married four different times and had cheated on nearly every woman he had ever dated. His third wife had died under suspicious circumstances, and when his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, mysteriously disappeared in October 2007 it opened up a murder investigation that would eventually expose an awful and tragic truth. This is the story of Drew Peterson, the killer cop of Illinois, and you are listening to Murder in America. - This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/MIA and use our custom code MIA for 10% off your first month of easy online therapy - Give your hair what it deserves! Visit vegamour.com/MIA and use code MIA to save 20% off your first order - Don’t miss your chance for massive savings on an award-winning security system. Get 50% off any new system at simplisafe.com/state today. - Stay Connected:  Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook: (will eventually link to your Facebook Page) Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects. Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children. This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.

Evening of October 28, 2007, Cassandra Kales grew frantic as she desperately tried to get in contact with her sister, 23-year-old Stacey Peterson. She had been trying to call her for hours, but the line just kept ringing with no answer. As the hours passed that day, Cassandra knew something was wrong. Her sister wouldn't go this long without calling her back. So at around 11 p.m., she decides to drive by her home to see if she was there.

But as she pulls up to the house that Stacey shares with her husband, Drew Peterson, neither of their cars are in the driveway. Cassandra talks to Stacey's stepson, who informs her that Stacey and his dad got into a fight earlier that day. The two ended up leaving the home and hadn't returned since. And as soon as he said this, Cassandra felt her heart sink. She had never trusted her sister's husband. and something deep down inside of her told her that he was the reason.

Stacey wasn't answering her phone. So Cassandra decides to call Drew. When he answers, she immediately asks where Stacey is, but he claims he doesn't know. So Cassandra then asks, okay, well, where are you? And he says he's at his house. Cassandra knows this is a lie because she was just there and he wasn't home.

Why is he lying? What is he hiding? When the phone call ended, Cassandra's intuition told her that something horrible had happened to her sister. So she called the police to file a missing person's report,

but she knew it wouldn't be taken seriously. You see, Drew Peterson, Stacey's husband, was a police officer for the Bolingbrook Police Department in Illinois. And throughout Drew's life, he had a way of getting out of trouble. This night was the beginning of a nightmare for Cassandra and her family

because they would never get to see Stacey Peterson again. In fact, no one to this day has ever been able to find her. And just about everyone knew exactly who was responsible. Her husband and local police officer Drew Peterson. And have you ever heard the phrase, once a cheater, always a cheater? Well, this phrase definitely applies to Officer Peterson, who was married four times, and cheated on nearly every woman he ever dated. But it begs the question if that phrase applies to other things, like murder.

Is once a killer always a killer? Because years before Stacey's disappearance, Drew Peterson's, his third wife met an untimely and suspicious death. Follow us on this episode as we talk about Stacy Peterson and how her disappearance opened up a murder investigation and exposed the truth about the killer cop of Illinois. This is the story of Drew Peterson. I'm Courtney Brown and I'm Colin Brown.

And you're listening to Murder in America. Drew Peterson's life started off like any other. He was the first born child of Betty and Donald Peterson, born on January 5, 1954. He would go on to have two younger siblings, and they were all raised in a middle-class home outside of Chicago. And according to everyone that knew the family, they had a seemingly normal childhood. Drew was well-liked among his peers and considered himself the class clown in grade school. He liked to crack jokes and be the center of attention, a quality that you will later see

that followed him throughout his life. But other than that, there aren't really any remarkable stories about Drew Peterson when he was growing up. He cracked jokes and occasionally cooked the burgers for the neighborhood block party. There weren't any red flags or concerning behaviors that would make people believe he was a monster at heart. In fact, most people described Drew as a good guy and a hard worker. His father was a Marine, so Drew grew up with a lot of discipline. His father was tough on him, and it really molded him into someone that wanted to make something of himself. After his high school graduation from Willow Brook High in 1972, Drew went off to community college where he studied criminal justice.

And after a few years, he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and join the military. But Drew wasn't interested in being a Marine like his dad. He wanted to be a military policeman, stationed at Fort Meyer in Arlington, Virginia. Drew was part of an elite unit in the 516th military police company, and he had a pretty important job. Drew was tasked with protecting both President Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. He was even present during their laying of the wreaths. Little did anyone know. The man in charge of protecting the presidents would go on to be a murderer.

According to the people who knew Drew during this time, he was a very confident man, so confident that it bordered on arrogance. I feel like we all know someone like that. When Drew wasn't training as a policeman, he was known for entertaining the men in his unit by having quick-draw pistol contest with his military buddies. But by 1977, he realized that the military life wasn't for him. So instead, he decided to move back to Illinois and become a police officer for the Bolingbrook Police Department. At the time, he was married to his high school sweetheart, Carol Hamilton.

They married years prior in 1974, and from what we could tell, life was good for the new couple. Drew's new job at the police department seemed like a perfect fit for him, especially when he started doing undercover work. Drew Peterson had a way with lying to people. He was good at it, which made it the perfect job. job. Drew could go undercover, pretend he was a criminal, and no one ever noticed. Maybe because he was a liar at heart. Now, the town of Bolingbrook was fairly new compared to its surrounding cities. It was established in 1965 and considered a suburb of Chicago. It was a place that people moved to if they wanted to get out of the busy city and raise a family. But because it was

was such a new town. It didn't have much heritage or tradition. And their police department was definitely not perfect. A lot of the corruption in the Bolingbrook Police Department had to do with none other than Drew Peterson, which we will get to here in a second. Before things took a wrong turn, Drew and Carol's life seemed to be ideal. They were an attractive couple. Drew had a promising career, and they were growing their family. In 1978, they welcomed their first child, a son named Eric. And then one year later, they had another son named Stephen. At the time, Drew was working in a new unit called the Metropolitan Anti-Norcotic Squad, or M-A-N-S. But his career was like a lot of young cops. He spent a lot of time away from his family, and he didn't make as much

money as he wanted to. But ultimately, he really liked his job. He and his narcotics team looked like your typical 1970s cops. They wore their hair long, had beards, and they carried big guns. And Drew really got off on the fact that he was busting down on the drug scene in his area. He really liked the high-intensity environment, and the adrenaline he felt when they would bust through a drug house, not knowing what was inside, would thrill him. Their jobs were dangerous, and Drew was known to be somewhat reckless. And because they weren't a part of the Chicago, Congo police department or the DEA. They weren't as regulated, so it was easy for Drew to bend the rules a little bit. Drew Peterson was living a double life, a husband and father by day and an

undercover drug dealer by night. And his line of work meant that he was around a lot of seedy characters. He was also around a lot of beautiful women. And one thing you'll quickly learn about Drew Peterson is that he was a serial cheater. The definition of a womanizer. According to Drew's friends and colleagues, he could not resist the attention of a woman. If they went out, he was always on the hunt for a pretty girl to talk to,

and he met a number of these women while he was on the job. Eventually, his wife Carol started hearing rumors about her husband's affairs, and by then she was in. done with him. Not only was he never home, but he was openly flirting and sleeping with other women on the side. And it seemed like he didn't even care to hide what he was doing. One of the main rumors Carol heard about her husband was that he had an affair with a young woman who worked at a convenience store that Drew met while he was responding to a call. And after hearing this,

Carol filed for divorce. She eventually ended up getting full custody of their two sons. But Drew was determined to still be a part of their lives. He didn't want to be a deadbeat dad, so he made sure to always pay his child support on time and he continued to see his children every other weekend. It was definitely an adjustment for Carol and her new life as a single mother, but she would go on to be one of the lucky ones.

Out of Drew's four wives he would go on to have, Carol was one of the two who made it out alive. Over the next few years, Drew really leaned into his work and enjoyed his life as a bachelor. And in 1979, he even earned the title of Police Officer of the Year. But he eventually found another woman. Her name was Vicky Rukovic, and she was a divorced single mother with an eight-year-old daughter named Lisa. Vicky was going through a lot at this time in her life, and Drew was a source of comfort for her and her daughter, and in 1982, she and Drew got married. Once again, life was going really well for Drew Peterson. He was respected in his career, and he found another woman that thought the world of him.

Unfortunately, though, the Bolingbrook Police Department decided to phase Drew out of undercover work, and this was hard for him because he found Street Patrol to be incredibly boring. He wanted the excitement of taking down drug dealers, the adrenaline of the undercover life. Then briefly, in the early 80s, the narcotics unit brought him back, and this is where we start to see Drew Peterson's corruption as a police officer. And it was all because he was determined to bring down a notorious criminal named Anthony Rocky. In 1970, Anthony had been convicted of murdering a police officer, even though he wasn't the one to kill him. In that story, a snitch told the Joliet PD that Anthony planned on burglarizing of a police officer.

liquor store. So a team went to catch him in the act, and while it all went down, a different officer shot his fellow officer and killed him thinking that he was the burglar. It was a messy scenario, and since Anthony was the person in charge of the heist, they went ahead and charged him for murdering a cop. He would eventually get convicted, but in 1980, his sentence was reduced and Anthony Rock was back on the streets. And for whatever reason, Drew Peterson made it his life goal to take this man down. He was so determined that he decided to do, an undercover operation all in his own, without telling his superiors. To try and take down this known criminal, Drew Peterson approached Anthony Rock one day posing as a crooked cop.

He even recruited his wife's brother to help him in the scheme. You see, Vicky's brother was a part of a motorcycle gang called Hell's Hinchman. So seeing that this cop had a gang member on his side made it all the more convincing. But anyways, one day Drew approached Anthony and told him that he could supply him with all of the cocaine that he acquired from their drug rates, but only if he could get a cut of the profits. Now, Anthony actually turned down this offer and this made Drew Peterson very nervous. He was hoping to set Anthony up, but his plan failed. And the issue with doing undercover work behind your boss's back is that, If it gets back around to him, that meant that Drew was making deals with known drug dealers.

He could lose his job, or even worse, go to prison. And that is exactly what would happen. The Bolingbrook Police Department ended up finding out about Drew going undercover behind their backs. And a grand jury would actually indict him for misconduct and failure to report a bribe attempt. Now, three months later, the charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence and the fact that Anthony Rock was not a reliable witness. And in return, Drew decided to not only sue the prosecutor in the case, but also his police chief and board of commissioners.

He eventually dropped the case against them, but Peterson made his point. If you were going to go after him, he was going to go. after you. After this, he even got his job back as a police officer, but he would never work undercover again. And this was a pretty rough time in Drew Peterson's life. Not only did he face prosecution, but it was also around this time when he and his second wife, Vicky, filed for divorce. According to her, Drew was not a nice husband. After their honeymoon phase was over, he was demeaning, only caring for himself. Vicky's daughter Lisa would also claim that Drew was both physically and sexually abusive throughout he and her mom's marriage. These allegations didn't come

until after the whole fiasco with the Drew Peterson story. And he denied all of it, but either way, it was clear to Vicky throughout their nine years of marriage that Drew Peterson was not a good person. He would beat her daughter with a belt over these smallest things. He would monitor and control her every move. He was definitely not faithful and one night. When the marriage was nearing its end, Vicky said she woke up and Drew was just standing over her while she slept. And he had this vacant look in his eyes, like he wanted to hurt her. It wasn't long after this when the couple finally separated. It's also interesting to know that near the end of their marriage,

Vicky was in a horrible car accident caused by faulty brakes. And although there was never any proof, many people believe that Drew Peterson had something to do with it, which isn't that far-fetched considering what would happen to his next two wives. Now a word from our sponsor BetterHelp. Oftentimes when I'm stuck with a problem in my life, I really get focused on the problem instead of looking for a solution. And something that I've learned recently is that if you change your mindset, you can work through problems and find these solutions so much easier. Because it can be tough to train your brain to stay in problem solving mode when faced with a challenge in life.

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been healing through some of my emotions and honestly my anxiety. I'm not going to say it's cured because it never is, but it's definitely helped with my anxiety. So if you're thinking of giving therapy a try, BetterHelp is a great option. It's convenient, accessible, affordable, and entirely online. With BetterHelp, you can get matched with a therapist after filling out a brief survey, and you can switch therapists at any time. So when you want to become a better problem solver, therapy can get you there. Visit betterhelp.com slash MIA. Today, to get 10% off, you are first month of therapy with better help. That's better help.com slash mIA for 10% off your first month of therapy. Seriously, if you ever feel overwhelmed, you ever feel stressed, I highly recommend that

you try out therapy. We love this company. We love working with them. Better help. And now let's get back to today's story. Another interesting thing to note is that according to Drew and Vicki's court documents, they had accumulated some pricey assets during their nine-year marriage, including real estate and a bar called Sudd's Pub in Montgomery, Illinois. They also had 100 shares of stock in Blue Lighting Incorporated, and the only reason we mention this is because they didn't make a lot of money. So the fact that Drew was able to acquire all of these assets on a police salary was suspicious to a lot of people. But nonetheless, Drew and Vicki's divorce was messy. On January 21, 1992, their property settlement stated that Drew was awarded their home in Bolingbrook, and he also received half of

their stocks. Vicky was awarded the other half of the stock and some real estate the two had in Montgomery, Illinois. The home the two shared as their family residence was sold and Vicky dollars, two cars, a 1990 Pontiac, and a 1985 Camaro. Drew Peterson kept his 1988 Ford truck and a boat. After his divorce from Vicki, Drew Peterson claimed he was broke. But that didn't really seem to be the case. Apparently, there were shady business dealings surrounding his ownership of their bar that could never be fully explained. Drew ended up paying Vicky $100,000 for her half of SUD's pub in 1992 after the divorce was final, and he was now the sole owner of the bar. He was a full-time police officer, full-time bar owner, and living the bachelor life once again.

And after Drew took ownership of the bar, business started doing really well, like abnormally well. There was speculation that he still had a connection to the Hell's Henshman Biker Gang, allowing the gang to use the business to launder dirty money. But again, there was never any proof of this, and his connection to the biker gang ended up getting murdered himself in 1994. But even if those suspicions were true, they would be nothing in comparison to the crimes he would go on to commit. Like we mentioned, Drew was a womanizer at his core.

And with every marriage, his preference for women started getting younger and younger. While he was still married to his second wife, Fickey, he met another young woman named Kathleen Savio. Kathleen was born on June 13, 1963. Her friends and family described her as beautiful, smart, and very strong willed. Kathleen was young and full of life, and she was working as an accountant in Illinois when she was set up on a blind date with 38-year-old Drew Peterson. There was a bit of an age difference between the two, but Drew seemed really put together. He was funny and charming, and the two really hit it off.

Strangely enough, on their first date, Drew actually gave Kathleen a picture of him wearing his police uniform, which I think is cute if you've been dating for a while, but if a guy gave me a picture of himself on the first date, I would be a little weirded out. Drew obviously thinks very highly of himself, but after he and Kathleen went on a few dates, she actually finds that he's still married, and she's obviously very upset. But Drew assures her that he and Vicky were in the process of getting a divorce

and that she had nothing to worry about. And he even lied to her and said that Bickey was this crazy cocaine, cane addict, which is why he had to get out of their relationship. And Kathleen believed every word he told her. She was in love, and she had no reason to believe that her new boyfriend, who was a cop, was a liar. At the beginning of her and Drew's relationship, things were really good. Kathleen was the happiest she had ever been. Drew was really good at love bombing. He would buy her fancy gifts take her on trips all over. He lived in a nice home and he was offering Kathleen the world, a life that was very hard for her to resist. Then, just six months after their first date,

he proposes. And the two end up getting married in May of 1992. Just months after his divorce with Vicky was finalized. Kathleen and Drew would go on to have two children, together, Christopher and Thomas, born just 19 months apart. Then, around 1994, Kathleen seems to have been estranged from her family. It was known that the Savio family didn't approve of Drew from the beginning. Peterson said and Drew Peterson exposed that they were instantly against the idea of their daughter marrying a policeman. They seemed to think all cops were cheaters. They were always looking at me out of the corner of their eye. In 10 years of marriage, they never warmed up to me. And sometimes our family members can see things that we can't.

Oftentimes, love can cloud judgment and we overlook things that are red flags. And the fact that Drew was saying that Kathleen's family thought he was a cheater was exactly right. Drew Peterson was a serial cheater, and they had every right to be suspicious of him. And even though Kathleen didn't see these red flags at first, she eventually would. According to her, after she gave birth to their two sons, Drew treated her horribly. Not only was he not interested in her anymore, but he was very open about how he didn't find her attractive. And I know I have never given birth myself, but I've learned that postpartum is a very difficult part of motherhood. Not only are your hormones all out of whack, but your body is physically going through changes that are hard to adjust to.

And then on top of that, you're dealing with lack of sleep and making sure your baby is safe and comfortable. It's hard for any mother to deal with, and the support of a husband during this time is vital. But Drew Peterson didn't care about that. Instead, he would constantly tell Kathleen that she was fat and unattractive. He would tell her that she let herself go and, quote, looked like a dog. And soon enough, he wasn't just verbally abusing her, but physically abusing her as well. According to the book Fatal Vows, and Kathleen's own words, quote, Several times he has restrained me, held me down, knocked me into walls,

come after me with a poker, ripped my necklace off, left marks on my body all the time, threatened to steal my kids, and desert me, end quote. However, all of these allegations against Peterson were never reported to the police. Please. Kathleen didn't want her husband to get in trouble. She loved him. But in one instance, the two got into a fight and Drew grabbed Kathleen and threw her across the room.

She ended up hitting her face on the refrigerator. Kathleen said that Drew then started beating her face into the dining room table. She ended up having to go to the emergency room because of the injuries on her face. The police were called to the Peterson residence during this incident, but a police report was never made. Drew felt as if he was above the law. The police officers that showed up were his colleagues. So there was no way he would get in trouble for this, and he wouldn't. In December of 1999, the couple bought a new house at 392 Feasant Chase Drive.

The home was in a middle class area of Bowling Brook. Many of the homes in this area were new construction, and the Peterson scored a spacious brick-front home with a nice basement. The home purchased was $277,000, which is $493,000 in today's money. The Peterson's took out a mortgage for $180,000, and they put a $100,000 down payment on the home. It isn't known how Drew was able to afford the hefty down payment. In 1986, he had claimed to be broke, and he was also paying child support for two children.

Many people didn't understand how he could afford his mortgage for the pub and his home and also buy many luxury things like a boat, motorcycles, a swimming pool, and a camper. Peterson would later claim he had always been a hard worker and had a few side hustles that were all cash businesses. He also claimed to dabble in freelance photography and chimney sweeping when he wasn't running his bar. On the outside looking in, Drew and Kathleen had a perfect life. They had a beautiful home, children, nice things, the respect of their community.

but things aren't always as they appear. Within the walls of their home, Drew and Kathleen's marriage was deteriorating. Not only was he growing more violent with his wife, but he was also growing more distant. By the year 2000, Drew and Kathleen weren't even sleeping in the same bed. In fact, while Kathleen slept upstairs in their bedroom, Drew slept in the basement every single night.

And eventually, he wasn't alone down there. Behind his wife's back, Drew Peterson started bringing a 17-year-old girl into his home to spend the night with him. Her name was Stacey Kales, and she met Drew while she was working at the front desk of a Spring Hill hotel. And just like he did with his previous wife, Drew told Stacy that he and Kathleen were getting divorced. He said that the only reason he was still living there was so that he could save up money. until he was ready to buy a new house. And Stacey believed him.

For months, he would sneak her into the basement and have sex with the minor while his wife and children were asleep upstairs. Then the next morning, she would sneak out before anyone in the home woke up. But before we start pointing the finger at Stacey, it's important to remember that she was a teenager, being groomed by a 46-year-old cop. And there are some discrepancies on exactly when she and Drew Peterson met, but according to friends of Stacey,

they met the year prior when she was just 16 years old. Drew Peterson was manipulative, and he promised Stacey a good life that was hard to resist. Stacey Kales faced a lot of hardships throughout her life. She was born on January 20th, 1984, in Downer's Grove, which is a suburb outside of Chicago. And she was the third child born to Anthony and Christy Kales. But tragedy struck her family even before she was born. But tragedy struck her family even before she was born.

While her mother was pregnant with her, their family's house caught on fire. Her father, Anthony, wasn't home, but her mom and siblings were. Her mother managed to escape the fiery blaze by climbing through a window, but her one-year-old daughter, Jessica, ultimately died. Christy was eight months pregnant with Stacy, standing barefoot in their front lawn as she watched the fire department carry her one-year-old baby out of the home. The amount of trauma someone would face from this is, unimaginable, especially being eight months pregnant.

After the fire, Stacey was eventually born and Christy and Anthony did their best to pick up the pieces and continue on with their life. They would end up having two more daughters, Cassandra, born in 1985, and then Lacey, born in 1987. But soon after, tragedy would strike again. In October of 1987, their youngest daughter would unexpectedly die from sudden infant death syndrome, which is where a baby typically dies in their sleep for an unknown reason. SIDS is not extremely common, but when it does happen in a family, it's devastating.

The mom typically goes into their child's room and finds them unresponsive in their crib. Christy Kales was absolutely heartbroken over the death of Lacey. That was her second child to die within four years. And afterwards, she seemed to spiral out of control, understandably. After the deaths of her two children, Christy fell into a day. deep depression and she suffered from alcoholism. According to her family, it was common for her to up and leave for weeks at a time. She even spent some time in a psychiatric institution. Christy's absence left Stacey, her older brother Yelton, and younger sister Cassandra, without a mother figure.

When Christy did come around, she wasn't a very present mother. When her oldest son Yelton was seven years old, Christy was charged with neglect. after she let him run around in the snow without proper clothing. In November of 1989, she was arrested again for stealing cigarettes and vodka from a store. And then just one month later, she was arrested again for the same thing. She also had convictions for drunk driving battery and damage to property. In 1990, Christy and Anthony got a divorce. and although she wanted custody of her children, she never showed up to court, so Yelton,

Stacey, and Cassandra then moved in with their father, while Christy's oldest daughter, Tina, from a previous marriage, was put into foster care. So as you can see, for most of Stacey's childhood, her mother was in and out of her life. She felt as if she had abandoned her, which will be an important thing. to remember later on in our story. But after this, Stacey and her family moved to Florida, then Louisiana, and Stacey stopped having contact with her mom's side of the family, which was sad for Stacey because she had always been very close to her mom's sister, Candice. Luckily, they would end up rekindling their relationship a few years down the line.

Her aunt Candice would later say, quote, I was like a mother to them. Stacey was like a daughter. I was very close to her, end quote. Stacey's father, Anthony, would end up getting remarried, but he too became an alcoholic and distant parent. Throughout Stacy's childhood and adolescence, she and her siblings had to fend for themselves. They got up every morning, got dressed, fed themselves,

got themselves to school every day, and any time someone would suspect that they weren't being taken care of, or were without parental supervision, the siblings would work together to ease their suspicion. out of fear that they'd be taken away and separated. In 1997, when Stacey was 13 years old, her father moved them back to Illinois. It's unclear whether or not Stacey got to see her mom much during this time, but the next year, in 1998, her mother, Christy grabbed the Bible and her purse

and she said she wanted to go to church before walking off down the road. After this, Christy was never seen or heard from again. No one knows exactly what happened to Christy Gales. Many people believe she was murdered by her living. boyfriend, but it's still a mystery, which is heartbreaking because, as you'll learn here in a bit, that's exactly what would happen to her daughter, Stacey, vanished into thin air, never to be seen again. Stacey again felt abandoned, and not long after this, her father would abandon her as well. He gave up custody of his children, and they were all split up. Stacey went to live with her half-sister

Tina, and her younger sister, Cassandra, lived with her employer. It was a messy situation, and not long after, Stacey started getting into some trouble and eventually was put on juvenile probation. In September of 2000, Stacey was transferred into the care of a family friend and eventually became a word of the state. But despite all of her hardships, Stacey worked hard and got her high school diploma from Romeoville High. And she even graduated a semester early. After high school, Stacey took her. a job as a hotel desk clerk at the Spring Hill Hotel, where she would eventually meet 46-year-old Drew Peterson. And although there was a nearly 30-year age gap between the two,

Stacey didn't mind. She had to grow up fast due to her tumultuous childhood. And to her, Drew was a breath of fresh air. He had his life together, and he was good to her. And being 17 years old, she believed him when he told her that he and his wife Kathleen were going through a divorce. And this is where Drew starts to bring Stacey over to their home, spending the night with him in his basement while his family was upstairs. And their relationship got pretty serious pretty quickly. Because of Drew's job as a police officer, he managed to pull some strings and get Stacy a job at the Bowling Brook Village office where she worked part-time. Around the same time, she was she got this job, Drew also arranged to get Stacey an apartment in Bolingbrook, rent-free.

There were certain apartment complexes around the city that allowed police officers a free apartment in exchange for crime prevention in the complex. Drew also bought Stacey a new car, a Pontiac Grand Prix. As you can imagine, Stacey was over the moon. Her entire life she had struggled, and she felt abandoned by the people who were supposed to love her the most. And now she had this man who was providing for her and giving her the support she always needed. And again, she thought that Drew and Kathleen were in the process of a divorce, but that wasn't the case. Kathleen knew that she and Drew's marriage was not doing great, but she was completely unaware that her husband had a 17-year-old lover, and it took months for her to eventually find out.

And how she found out, you may ask, with an anonymous letter sent to her home. This letter is being sent to you for your benefit. At this point in time, you were probably well aware that your husband is having an affair. The girl's name, and she is just that, a girl, is Stacy, born 1984, resides at 51 Preston, Bowlingbrook, Illinois. You may already have all of this information, but if not, you will need it to prevent any further embarrassment and disgrace to you and your family. This affair has been going on for several months, and several people have been aware of this situation. because of her age, 17, and the fact that she is an employee of the village, and because of Drew's age and his occupation, he holds a position of authority over her.

Drew could be charged criminally for his intimate involvement with a minor. Village officials, mayors, and trustees, and everyone at the police department have complete knowledge of this situation. It has been an ongoing joke within the department. The issue has been discussed and has been decided to conceal his behavior to protect the village and Drew. Because of his political alliance with Roper-Clar and Ken each, they are protecting themselves from the embarrassment and the liability. The real victims being you and your family should be the ones protected from the embarrassment. This is not the first time in the past year that Drew's immoral and unethical behavior has been concealed.

This past summer, Drew allowed the beating of an arrestee who was handcuffed and defenseless. The past fall, Drew was suspected of having planted narcotics, cocaine, on two separate drug rates to obtain a substantial arrest to overshadow his recent behavior. and now his illegal intimate relationship with a minor. Drew has been willing to sacrifice his integrity for his personal gain, with total disregard that his actions will embarrass and disrespect his wife and children. Beware whom you talk to within the village administration and within the police department. Protect yourself and your family. Upon reading this letter, Kathleen was dead.

devastated, and it all started to make sense. Drew was a bad man. Not only was he a crooked cop who would plant evidence and use police brutality, but he was a cheater and he was never going to change. Kathleen also realized that the same way he started his relationship with Stacy was exactly how their relationship started. He told her that he and his second wife Vicky were getting divorced when that most likely wasn't even the case. He was a cheater, always looking for a better and younger woman to victimize. And even worse, when Kathleen confronted her husband about the letter and his affair, he beat her, busting her face. Drew told Kathleen that it was all a lie and that someone at work was making up lies and was out to get him. But Kathleen didn't believe another word out of his

mouth. And from that moment, their marriage was over. Shortly after they separated, Drew and Stacey started publicly dating as he and Kathleen initiated their divorce in early 2002. In as if Drew's relationship with a teenager wasn't hard enough for Kathleen. He and Stacy actually bought a home right down the street from her house, which they obviously did on purpose. And Drew and Stacy would taunt Kathleen by rollerblading past her home while she and the kids were outside. Other times, they would drive by and give her the finger. Drew and Kathleen's divorce was rough, and these acts were done to purposely hurt her. Over the next few months, she and Drew were constantly fighting over child support and his pension. Drew didn't want to give Kathleen any of it, but she was determined

to get that money so she could continue to support her and her two kids, especially since Drew was the reason they separated. The first report of the Bolingbrook police being called to her home was on February 17, 2002, and they were called because of a fight between Drew and Kathleen. But this call was only the beginning of a nightmare for their family. In total, the Bolingbrook police would be called 18 times regarding fights between Drew, Stacey, and Kathleen. You know what's really a crime?

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Vegamore, great company, great products, super good. We love to hear that everything is cruelty-free and seriously, I do love how it's changed my hair, so vagamore.com slash MIA. And now let's get back to today's story. In April of 2002, just days after their divorce was finalized, Kathleen went over to Drew and Stacey's house and started taking things from his truck that she believed belonged to her. Once again, the police were called,

and Drew told his fellow officers that Kathleen had struck him in the back multiple times when he tried to stop her from stealing. A police report was filed, but Drew never pressed charges. Then, five days later, on May 3, 2002, Drew told police that Kathleen pushed him and spit at him. Later that month, when Drew and Stacey were dropping off the kids, they claimed that Kathleen punched Stacey while she was sitting in the car. And when the police arrived, they arrested her and charged her with battery. According to Kathleen's sister, Anna Marie, the process, Prosecutors wanted her to plead guilty for a reduced sentence of one-year probation.

But Kathleen's response was, kiss my ass. Anna Marie said, they tried to push her into a confession and she refused. That's my sister. When she's right, she would not have backed down. She was a tiger. And luckily for her, the charges were later dropped. Throughout the 18 phone calls to the Bolingbrook police, sometimes it was Drew calling them, claiming that Kathleen was attacking him.

and in other times it was Kathleen on the receiving end. But out of all of those calls, the worst was on July 5, 2002. On this day, Drew broke into the house that Kathleen shared with their two children, and he got in by using a garage door opener that he programmed for himself behind her back. Once in the house, Drew waited for Kathleen to come downstairs, And once she did, he attacked her. Afterwards, Drew forced Kathleen on the ground and made her sit on the stairs for hours while he threatened her with a knife. Drew told her that if she moved from that spot, he was going to kill her.

And the reason he was threatening her that day was because a judge had just ruled that he had to pay Kathleen child support. And he didn't want to do that. After Drew left her home, Kathleen would call the police, but as usual, nothing was done. And Kathleen felt trapped. It was as if her ex-husband was invincible. She knew he would never go to jail for this. The police department that she would call to report this incident consisted of Drew Peterson's friends and colleagues. And like every time before, after coming to the home and hearing her side of the story,

the police would just leave and convince her not to press charges. But Kathleen must have known that her life was in danger. And since the Bolingbrook PD wouldn't do anything, she decided to write to the state's attorney office about the abuse she faced at the hands of one of their own police officers, Drew Peterson. So, on November 14, 2002, Kathleen wrote a letter to the state's attorney's office that went like this. Miss Fragel, on three different occasions, I have tried to reach you over the phone regarding charges I filed against Drew Peterson on the date July 5, 2002. Note, I did contact the police department and talked to Assistant Chief Mike Calgano in reference to Drew's break-in that same weekend. I then filed a report in regards to my safety from Drew by two officers that arrived at my residence. When I found out Mr. Peterson was having an affair with a minor at the police department, he began to get very violent.

by striking me with his hand and chasing me through the house with a police stick. At that time, on record, I had to get an order of protection from him. There have been several times throughout my marriage with this man where I ended up at the emergency room in Bollingbrook for injuries. And I have reported this only to have the police leave my home without filing any reports. On July 5th, Mr. Peterson got into my home with a garage door opener he programmed for himself while I was out of town with my sons. I was unaware of his presence and I was very afraid for my life. This man pops out from our living room while I was walking downstairs with a basket of laundry.

I was shocked and dropped all the clothes and just stood there asking him to get out. Drew was in uniform, SWAT uniform, with his police radio in his ear. He yelled for me to sit down and be quiet. I refused and he pushed me on the stairs. He told me to move down to the third step and to not move or speak. He was angry that in our divorce, the judge ruled he would have to pay me child support. He told me he didn't want to pay anything. He left my boys, eight and nine, and I with many bills, up to $2,000, and with an $11,000 income tax bill,

as well as $6,800 in property tax for us to pay. Needless to say, we are without money or any credit. He kept me in this position for a very long length of time, while trying to convince me how horrible I am and I just needed to die. He asked me several times if I was afraid. I started to panic. He pulled out his knife that he kept around his left and brought it to my neck. I thought I'd never see my boys again.

I just told him to end this craziness and he, for some reason, pulled back. I didn't tell the police because I know they can't protect me from him. I know he will be back. He's now attempting to try and make me look like. like the bad guy with untrue charges of battery against him and his 17-year-old girlfriend. The sick thing is that I really think they're enjoying this. Over the summer, they went out of their way to rollerblade right in front of my home, drive by and stop for long lengths of time in front of the house.

Childish things like his girlfriend flipping me off while I was out in front with the kids while driving by. At the present time, my children have been in a program at school called Rainbows, in efforts to repair some of the damage Drew and his girlfriend have created. One of which Drew falsely arrested me in front of my children with my face in the grass and called me a criminal for hitting his girlfriend, which didn't happen. Instead, she called me a bunch of inappropriate names in front of my children, so I felt it was necessary to get them back in the house, away from this. When I ran to the truck, it being very high up,

I noticed Stacy, his girlfriend, taping me with the stolen camera Drew took from our home. I attempted to take the camera, and my next goal was to return home with my children. But I was thrown to the ground and treated like an outlaw, and I was booked and arrested for no reason. My wrist was sprang to when I was thrown to the ground and held down by Drew, who was not on duty at the time. While this was happening, my children were being held against their own will by Stacy when she told them to sit down and be quiet. My son's psychologist is working with them but states, quote, she can't fix what continues to happen on an ongoing basis.

My eight-year-old came home from spending one hour with his dad. because he's never really there. He pushes his sons and girlfriend on my son all the time and express to me that he was confused. It seems that Drew's living girlfriend showed both my sons her wedding dress and ring and told them she was going to marry their father. Of course that's okay for adults,

but when my boys come home with tears in their eyes, still hoping for mom and dad to get back together again, It becomes heartbreaking and very confusing to them. They don't understand how dad can get married if he's still married to their mommy. The list goes on, and I understand it's just a part of it, but it needs to stop. My sons and I would like to move away from this area for our safety and sanctity. I am a full-time nursing student and Drew left me while in the middle of the program. I don't want my career or my sons to suffer this nightmare anymore.

He knows how to manipulate the system, and his next step is to take my children away, or kill me instead. I would really like to know why this man wasn't charged with unlawful entry, an attempt on my life. I am willing to take any test you want me to take to prove my innocence of the charges against me, and also any lie detector test on the statement I filed against him. I really feel Drew is a loose cannon. He's out on the streets of Bolingbrook patrolling and just taking the law into his own hands.

I haven't received help from the police here in Bolingbrook and I'm asking for your help now before it's too late. I really hope by filing this charge it might stop him from trying to hurt us. Please return my call or write with any answers to my questions. But like always, Kathleen was failed by the system. Nothing ended up happening after she sent this letter. Throughout the rest of that year, the two continued to have domestic altercations,

most of them regarding their children and custody issues. But luckily, in 2003, things seemed to quiet down a bit. In July, Drew and Stacey welcomed their first child, a son named Anthony. Then, just three months later, the couple got married. Kathleen had moved on as well with a man named Steve Maniachi. And the two were even talking about marriage. The divorce between she and Drew had been nasty,

and it still wasn't really over in terms of division of property, a process which was set to take place in January 2004. It was obvious that Kathleen was going to benefit from this and come out financially secure once the court case was presented. At the time, Drew Peterson was paying for, her around $2,000 a month in child support, so she was going to get the house at 392 Feasant Chase Drive, and she was also going to receive half his police pension. And to say Drew was angry about this was an understatement. The court date in January was rescheduled

for unknown reasons to a new date of April 6, 2004. Drew Peterson had recently changed lawyers, so it's possible his new attorney, Joseph Mazone, needed more time to prepare, but Kathleen would never make it to the next court appearance. At Murder in America, we believe home should be where you and your family feel the safest, especially over the holidays. This season, give yourself and your family the gift of peace and protection with the number one rated home security system, SimplySafe. And right now, SimpliSafe is offering Murder in America listeners 40% off a new security system.

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the backseat, and he walked up to her door. But when he knocked, there was no answer. This was strange because Kathleen was always very punctual when it came to drop-offs and pickups of her boys. So after this, Drew drives back to his house and his son stay an extra night with their dad. The next night, March 1, 2004, who was on patrol at the time decided to go back to Kathleen's home to see if she was there. He pulled up in his squad car in full uniform and he knocked on her door but again, no answer. This time he summoned the help of a neighbor and a locksmith was called to unlock her door. And this is strange because with him being a cop, why did he need the neighbor's assistance going into the home? When the locksmith arrived, Drew and the two neighbors named Steve and Mary entered Kathleen's home.

Steve had witnessed firsthand the nasty arguments between Kathleen and Drew, and Drew was smart enough to not enter himself because of his violent history. But Drew knew Kathleen was home, and he also knew she wasn't going to answer the door. Once they entered the residence, there was an eerie silence that filled the air. The neighbors and Drew went room to room, calling out Kathleen's name. But there was no answer. They then made their way upstairs, and Steve walked into Kathleen's bedroom, where he made a gruesome discovery. There, and Kathleen's small bathtub lay her body. She was naked on her side, curled up in the fetal position.

And it was very clear that she was dead. Drew followed close behind, pretending to her. to be shocked at the discovery of his ex-wife's body. The Bolingbrook police were quickly called in, but they decided to pass the investigation over to the Illinois State Police because Drew was one of their own, and they knew the history of their volatile relationship. Kathleen's body was then taken to the medical examiner for an autopsy. In the town of Bolingbrook, Illinois, had no idea that one of their own had just been murdered by a cop. someone who took an oath to protect and serve.

And that's where we're going to end the story for today. Make sure you tune in next week, where we talk about how the police handled Kathleen's death and all of the insane tragedies that followed. This truly is a wild case that continues to blow your mind the more you look into it. And we're including a ton of audio that makes this case all the more intriguing.

So you guys really don't want to miss part two. Hey, everybody, it's Colin here. And Courtney. Thank you again for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America. We know this episode was a little bit late, but it is a holiday week. So we have been, what have we been doing in the last couple days? We drove 22 hours from Pennsylvania to Texas. So we've been busy.

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For a limited time, listeners can get $25 off their best-selling Carver Matt Frame with code MIA. That's A-U-R-A-Frames.com promo code M-I-A. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and Conditions Apply. I just wanted to say I meant to make this just one part, but we ended up finding so much research and so many audio clips that it would be way too long. So sorry, it has to be a part two. And I mean, this is a crazy story that we both love and it deserves a part too because there is so much information. and some of this audio that you're going to hear is genuinely really disturbing.

Courtney, what do you wrap up thoughts on this case? I think next week you guys are going to be in for a wild ride. This is honestly one of the craziest stories, so we're excited to tell it. And we have a lot of new stories coming up that you guys probably have never heard. We just want to remind everybody you can follow us on Instagram at Murder in America if you want to see photos from every case that we cover. but we hope everybody has a safe or head of safe Thanksgiving if you're celebrating. And yeah, we have some big stuff coming up, but we love y'all. We also have some very, very exciting changes coming up for 2023 with Murder in America.

We are going to completely redo the way that we do things now. And I think, shh, don't share the secret. We'll see y'all next week.