Stacy Peterson: Missing 2 Years Today

[Delilah]

Many of us met and came together because of the disappearance of Stacy Peterson. Unbelievably, it's been two years and, in one of the highest profile missing persons cases I've seen, she has not been found. Susan Murphy Milano was one of the first bloggers who wrote in detail about the case from the very beginning. I thought it would be nice for all of us to remember Stacy.


Silenced

By Susan Murphy-Milano

Two years ago today, 23-year-old Stacy Ann Peterson vanished from the house in the Illinois suburb of Bolingbrook that she shared with her police-officer husband Drew Peterson, her two children and his two sons, whom she'd adopted.

After several months of being stalked and living under her husband's tight, controlling reins, Stacy Peterson told her husband the marriage was over. In October 2007, Stacy met and consulted with divorce attorney Harry Smith -- ironically, the same lawyer Kathleen Savio hired to represent her when she decided to divorce Peterson.

When Stacy failed to show up at her brother's house that late-October day, family members were concerned, especially her sister Cassandra Cales. Just two days earlier, after a cozy family night of movie and pizza, Stacy warned Cassandra that she planned to leave Peterson and said: "If something happens to me, I just want you to know it was Drew." When Cassandra couldn't reach her missing sister, she went to Stacy's house and found the four children home alone, with no sign of Peterson's car. At the Bolingbrook Police Department, Cassandra filed a missing-person report.

Within 48 hours, camera crews and journalists besieged the once quiet suburban cul-de-sac. Peterson, then a police sergeant, gave them a show -- a bizarre public display including personal attacks on his wife and her family in the wake of her disappearance. The national media covered Peterson's act like a low-life reality TV show. Each day as Peterson left his house, journalists shoved microphones in his face, hungry for a sound bite for evening crime or news broadcasts. If you were a resident of Illinois during the first three weeks after Stacy vanished, you saw Peterson served up on local, cable and radio programs like a charred chicken flapping its wings almost around the clock.

To me, it seemed Peterson treated Stacy's life like a dirty rag. In his attempts to discredit her, Peterson made comments such as "You know she came from a broken home," or, "Her mother went missing too, so this is not a surprise." Then I heard Peterson say, "Stacy is where she wants to be." My heart sank as I thought of the boys who'd now lost a mother twice.

Seventeen days after Cassandra reported Stacy's disappearance, the Will County State Attorney's Office obtained a court order and exhumed the body of Kathleen Savio. Savio, Peterson's previous wife, was discovered dead in a bathtub in the marital house in 2004. Suddenly, the media and police focus swung from Stacy's disappearance to a new autopsy into the cause of Kathleen's death. The effort to find Stacy lost its momentum. The ground began to freeze, making the search more difficult for family and teams of volunteers. And the media remained hooked on Drew's public displays and his love life, leaving no time to find answers or enlist the public's help in finding Stacy.

In the months that followed, I met with people who knew Stacy personally. From the moment she married Drew, Stacy worked to knit a loving family environment, integrating Drew's then-estranged family into the couple's new life. From all accounts, she had a kind, warm and giving heart. People's eyes sparkled when they spoke of her. She made friends and family feel welcome. When a guest didn't show up for a gathering, Stacy called urged, "Come on," one relative recalled. "We're holding dinner, where are you? We're not starting until you get here."

Another told me: "Stacy was the glue, and that's why her disappearance is so painful to those of us who knew her."

Stacy Peterson's dream was to be a loving wife and mother, an all-around nurturer. She enrolled in nursing classes at a local college. When Stacy could no longer live under Peterson's heavy-handed control and constant watch, she made plans to leave. But like many women in her position, she made a mistake. She told her husband what she planned before she moved to a place where she'd be safe from him.

Stacy was silenced in the prime of her life. But there can be no silencing of family and friends who will continue to search for her until she is found. A grand jury met for 18 months before handing down an indictment against Drew Peterson for the death of Kathleen Savio.

I believe when that trial begins, the long silence about how Kathleen Savio lost her life will be lifted and the truth about how she died will also be revealed. During the trial, thanks to Illinois' new hearsay law, Stacy Peterson's words will finally be heard.

[Karen Ward]

May God Bless You, Today, and Always, Stacy!

[Sheila Joyce Gibbs]

My prayers are with Stacy's family & children !
Please let them know, we are all with them in spirit...
May our Saviour's arms surround them, strengthen them & give them courage, as only HE can do !

[Maureen]

May the family get much needed answers and may justice be served. Prayers to her family and friends.

[jerdonna]

May her family get the justice that they have longley deserve,my heart goes out to the family ,i cried when i read that and i really hope that DREW gets what is coming to him he is a very sick,man!!!!All i do know is that,no matter what,you hold on to hope......for a happy ending,she is in my thoughts and prayers!!!!Bless Stacey to day and always!!!

[Kathleen Zelaya Howarth]

God bless you, Stacy and family! My heart aches for all of you. Stacy I know you are watching down on all of us - help yourself and let your body be found so that *!X0#*! can rot in jail. Not just for Kathleen, but for you and the next soon to be Mrs. Drew Peterson.

[Sarah Teague]

From the very beginning, this has been one of 'those cases' where you just want to get ahold of someone. Drew Peterson is probably one of the most arrogant and hateful people in this world. Those precious children are left without their mother. Stacy was so beautiful. For him to tell those babies that she left with someone else shows how arrogant and downright mean he is. I pray that Stacy is found. Matthew 10:26
'When hearts break with ours...the walls of injustice will fall down'.

[Teresa REIS]

my prayers are with her family and friends at this time. i just watched a show about her on tv yesterday. i do believe her husband did it. he will get what he deserves.

[Bradley Olsen]

Drew will have his day. As all who are familier with this case. I as the Mother of Missing Bradley Olsen 1/20/07. will continue to seek justice for Stacy, Lisa, Brad, John, Scott and all the Missing in this immediate area. We will continue to persue our goals in finding all of them.
My heart goes out to Stacy's family and her young children who have to still live in the grips of there disfuctional Father and his family.

Hugs, Sue Olsen ( We will never give up)

[Delilah]

Sue, thank you for reminding us that there are several missing from your area! Along with Stacy Peterson, Bradley Olsen, Lisa Stebic, John Spira and Scott Arcaro and Rachel Mellon along with Tianda and Diamond.

We often forget, also, that Stacy's own mother, Christie Cales is still missing.

May they all be found and justice prevail! It just seems like so many from one area!