Drew Peterson hit with Savio wrongful death lawsuit

April 21, 2009

Well, the first move has been made in cornering Drew Peterson. The family of Kathleen Savio, Peterson’s murdered 3rd wife, has filed a wrongful death suit today. And the lawyer is none of than John Q Kelly, who successfully sued OJ Simpson for the Ron Goldman family.

As is, Peterson is the only suspect in Savio’s murder. His behavior was so bizarre it’s clear he got away with it because he’s a cop. He was so worried he waited for a locksmith to open the doors and then sent the neighbor in to check out the house. That sound like a policeman concerned about the mother of his children and soon to be ex-wife?

He was the Watch Commander at the time and he’s going to let civilians go in a house without checking it out himself to make sure no one is in there? He was either a coward or he knew there was no threat inside.And how could it have been ruled an accidental drowning when there was fresh trauma to the back of her head, the bathtub was dry and the police had been called out to their house 18 times (2002-04) for domestic complaints?

Only after his 4th wife, Stacy Peterson “disappeared” did they take a second look at Savio’s death and ruled it a homicide. What her family had been saying all along. A Will County grand jury has been looking into Savio’s murder and Stacy’s “disappearance” for over a year and still have not handed down an indictment. And that’s why Kelly is forcing the issue. He had originally planned on waiting until after a criminal indictment, because despite it all, Peterson has still not been charged with anything.

From Chicago’s Breaking News, ERIKA SLIFE

JOHN Q KELLY: It was time to put a little pressure on Peterson and the state’s attorney’s office. This could be the only game in town. Either they don’t indict him, or they indict him and he’s acquitted of a homicide. I think they’re still working on the criminal case and, frankly, I hope our case is the lesser of Mr. Peterson’s worries in the near future.

Some of the allegations put forth in the 18-page complaint. Again, per SLIFE. [Emphasis added]

• Peterson killed his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a month before their divorce was expected to be finalized.

• After Peterson and Savio had separated, Peterson gained entry to the house that Savio had taken sole possession of by using a garage door opener and, on one occasion, by cutting out a portion of wall that he crawled through.

• The initial coroner’s jury into Savio’s death heard testimony from a state trooper that never saw Savio’s body, did not attend the autopsy and never interviewed Drew Peterson.

• One of the jurors in the inquest was a police officer from another agency that knew Peterson and, during deliberations, assured other jurors that he personally knew Peterson and that he knew Peterson would never harm his ex-wife.

• On the day of Savio’s funeral, rather than attend a reception for family and friends, Peterson pulled a truck into the driveway of Savio’s home and removed personal property that had not yet been inventoried.

• The suit also claims that Stacy Peterson, on August 31, 2007, met with a pastor and said she had personal, detailed knowledge that Peterson killed Savio, and she knew about it since the night Savio died.

• Less than eight weeks after meeting with the pastor, while contemplating whether to go to authorities and to file for divorce from Peterson, Stacy disappeared.

• The suit recalls an interview the pastor had on December 2007 with Mark Fuhrman for Fox News in which the pastor said that on the night of Savio’s death, Stacy woke up and found Drew gone. In the morning, she saw Drew standing in front of the washing machine, dressed all in black, and holding a bag. Drew then removed his clothes and put them in the washer, along with the contents of the bag, which contained women’s clothing, the lawsuit states.

• Drew then told Stacy that he hit Savio in the back of the head, making her death look like an accident, the suit states.

There are some disturbing things there I wasn’t aware of. Keep in mind the cause of death was accidental drowning and remained so until Savio’s body was exhumed — after Stacy disappeared on October 28, 2007. And yet, Stacy told her pastor that Savio died from a head injury. And most frightening, Stacy admitted knowing since the night of the murder (March 1, 2004) and still provided his alibi and went on to have 2 children with him. Over three years pass until she tells her pastor on August 31, 2007.

What kind of hold did he have over her? What was he threatening her with? Her children?

And what is he doing to his present fiance to keep her quiet?

PETERSON’s response to NBC 5?

It’s just a bunch of lawyers wanting publicity.

Peterson on the Today Show (11-14-07) describing the discovery of Kathleen Savio’s body.

cloudwriter

Drew Peterson’s response to wrongful death lawsuit