Drew Peterson: Whatever Happened To The Convicted Killer?
Convicted murderer Drew Peterson is currently serving a 78-year sentence in a federal prison. The former Illinois police officer who infamously screamed in court over his sentencing for the murder of his wife, per NBC Chicago, made headlines in 2007 when his wife Stacy vanished. To this day, no one has been able to trace her whereabouts. But in the search for her, authorities also began to delve deeper into her husband's past — and not just regarding Stacy's disappearance. Peterson was already under suspicion in the death of a previous wife. A few years earlier, Peterson's ex-wife, Kathleen Savio, drowned in her bathtub and her death had been ruled an accident. When Stacy went missing, however, it renewed interest in what might have really happened to Savio.
Savio and Peterson got married in 1992 and divorced in 2003. That year he got remarried to a 19-year old named Stacy Cales, a young woman the then-49-year-old Peterson started dating when she was 16, according to ABC News. Together the couple had two children, but their household would soon have a total of four kids.
Stacy's disappearance leads to homicide discovery
In 2004, Savio was found dead in the bathtub of her home (CNN). At the time, investigators didn't suspect Peterson of being involved, and he also denied having anything to do with her death. Not long after, Stacy was also caring for Peterson's two sons with Savio and they became a family of six. But the couple was also going through a rough patch. According to an interview with ABC News, Stacy's sister said that the children were the only reason she decided to stay in her marriage. "They were the whole reason she stayed in that relationship. All she cared about was those kids," said Cassandra Cales.
The mother of four was reportedly not allowed to have any friends and was in a verbally abusive and controlling relationship with Peterson. A few years passed, and suddenly Peterson's then-current wife Stacy was reported missing in 2007. This led investigators to revisit the cause of Savio's death. In 2008, her body was exhumed and her death ruled a homicide. Not only was Peterson now considered the main suspect in his wife's disappearance, he was also the main suspect in his ex-wife's death. In 2009, he was finally charged for Savio's death.
The turn of events that led to a new conviction
The state's 2012 case against Drew Peterson for Kathleen Savio's murder ended in a guilty verdict against Peterson. His punishment for the crime? A 38-year prison sentence. You might be wondering how he's now serving a 78-year sentence. Not long after being found responsible for Savio's death, the prosecution was also preparing to investigate what happened to Stacy. But the case against Peterson led to a murder-for-hire plot.
Peterson set his eyes on prosecutor James Glasgow — the man who helped bring the case to convict him. Glasgow was also heading the investigation into what happened to Stacy, so Peterson tried to order a hit against him to impede the investigation — but he was caught on tape talking to an informant, reports NBC Chicago. In 2015, Peterson was charged for the plot, and stood trial the following year. Already serving 38 years, Peterson was convicted and sentenced to another 40 years in 2016, per The Chicago Tribune. So where is he now?
Where's Drew Peterson today?
Last year Peterson tried to appeal his conviction but it was denied (via Patch). He was initially serving his sentence at the Menard Correctional Center in Illinois but had to be moved across state lines to a prison facility in Terre Haute, Indiana in 2017, reported CBS Chicago. In 2019 he had to be moved again after a prison fight and transferred to an undisclosed facility located outside of the state of Illinois, according to reports. That location has been kept a secret since.
Peterson's information has been removed from the state's inmate search for "safety and security purposes." His missing wife, Stacy, has never been found and no charges have yet been brought against him for her death. But it is unclear if Will County has plans to proceed with their case against Peterson despite having no body. Stacy has long been presumed dead and Peterson maintains he doesn't know where she disappeared to. But at any point in time, State's Attorney Glasgow can bring new charges against him for Stacy's disappearance. And if they do, Peterson could possibly face a third conviction.