By David Lohr
(Continued)
Stacy's sister reported her missing on Monday, October 29. The previous day, Stacy was supposed to help her sister and her sister's boyfriend paint their home, but she never showed up. Her family was unable to reach her by cell phone and, when they contacted Peterson, he told them that Stacy had called him at about 9 p.m. Sunday and told him that she was leaving. When police questioned Peterson later, he told them he had no reason to believe his wife was in danger and said that he had found his wife's 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix parked at Clow International Airport, suggesting she had left town.
According to Peterson, he met his wife six years ago when she was 17 and he was 47.
"I had this uncontrollable need to take care of her," Peterson said in an interview with Chicagotribune.com. "We just hit it off, and one thing led to another. It wasn't something I planned. It was a very romantic time—it was very exciting."
The couple was married two years after they met. It was Stacy's first marriage and Peterson's fourth. They had two children together, who are now ages 2 and 4.
|
Drew and Stacy Peterson |
By Peterson's own account, he met Stacy in 2001, and the couple's first child was born in 2003. At that time, Peterson was still married to his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Court records show that Kathleen had obtained an order of protection against her husband in 2002, alleging a pattern of physical abuse and threats. Peterson and Kathleen were divorced on October 10, 2003, just eight days before Peterson's marriage to Stacy.
Throughout 2003, Peterson and Kathleen were involved in several legal battles over child support for the two children they had together and about alimony. A trial to determine the issues was scheduled for April 6, 2004; however, Kathleen never made it to court.
Next Page
Previous Page