The Backroom

Drew Peterson: Police Officer and Murderer

September 04, 2022 Tyriek Ingram Episode 88
Drew Peterson: Police Officer and Murderer
The Backroom
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The Backroom
Drew Peterson: Police Officer and Murderer
Sep 04, 2022 Episode 88
Tyriek Ingram

As a respected decorated police officer, Drew Peterson took down some of Chicago's toughest drug dealers during the 80s and 90s. He could keep bad guys off the streets, but he couldn't keep his wives. Married four times, Peterson was unfaithful, controlling, and abusive. He was an arrogant asshole who really played the nice guy part. After two failed marriages, he married Kathleen Savio in 1992. Things turned sour soon after and Kathleen filed for divorce in 2003. The next year, Kathleen's body was found in a dry bathtub. Her body had scrapes and bruises and an unexplained gash on her scalp. Her death was ruled an accident. Drew was considered a suspect but those involved in the investigation knew Drew personally and all evidence that point to foul play was non existent. At age 49, he married 19 year old Stacy Ann Cales. The had two children together and she even adopted Savio's children. In 2007, after not showing up to help her sister, Stacy was reported missing. Drew was in the media quite frequently after this. He taunted reporters and camera crews outside his house. Finally in 2009, he was arrested and charged with Savio's murder after the case was reopened. Questions started to rise about Stacy as well. According to Drew, she ran away with another man. But according to Drew's stepbrother and some neighbors, Drew and his stepbrother loaded Drew's SUV with a blue, 55 gallon barrel in the middle of the night. Stacy Ann Peterson has never been found. He was convicted of Kathleen Savio's murder in 2012 and was sentenced to 38 years in prison. In 2015, Peterson asked another prisoner, who later turned out to be an informant, to kill the prosecuting attorney in his ex wife's murder case. Peterson was charged with soliciting murder for hire and was sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison. 

Show Notes

As a respected decorated police officer, Drew Peterson took down some of Chicago's toughest drug dealers during the 80s and 90s. He could keep bad guys off the streets, but he couldn't keep his wives. Married four times, Peterson was unfaithful, controlling, and abusive. He was an arrogant asshole who really played the nice guy part. After two failed marriages, he married Kathleen Savio in 1992. Things turned sour soon after and Kathleen filed for divorce in 2003. The next year, Kathleen's body was found in a dry bathtub. Her body had scrapes and bruises and an unexplained gash on her scalp. Her death was ruled an accident. Drew was considered a suspect but those involved in the investigation knew Drew personally and all evidence that point to foul play was non existent. At age 49, he married 19 year old Stacy Ann Cales. The had two children together and she even adopted Savio's children. In 2007, after not showing up to help her sister, Stacy was reported missing. Drew was in the media quite frequently after this. He taunted reporters and camera crews outside his house. Finally in 2009, he was arrested and charged with Savio's murder after the case was reopened. Questions started to rise about Stacy as well. According to Drew, she ran away with another man. But according to Drew's stepbrother and some neighbors, Drew and his stepbrother loaded Drew's SUV with a blue, 55 gallon barrel in the middle of the night. Stacy Ann Peterson has never been found. He was convicted of Kathleen Savio's murder in 2012 and was sentenced to 38 years in prison. In 2015, Peterson asked another prisoner, who later turned out to be an informant, to kill the prosecuting attorney in his ex wife's murder case. Peterson was charged with soliciting murder for hire and was sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison.