Body Of Illinois Cop's 3rd Wife Exhumed

Investigators Re-Examine 2004 Death; 4th Wife, Stacy Peterson, Has Been Missing For 2 Weeks

(CBS/AP)  The body of a suburban Chicago police officer's former wife was exhumed Tuesday amid an investigation into the disappearance of the officer's current wife.

A crane was used to hoist Kathleen Savio's casket from a plot at the Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery west of Chicago. Authorities were at the scene supervising, said Charles Pelkie, spokesman for the Will County prosecutor's office.

Savio, who was found dead in her bathtub in 2004, was the third wife of Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson. State's Attorney James Glasgow has said evidence suggests that someone killed Savio and tried to make it look like an accident.

An afternoon autopsy was planned, but results were not expected for days.

Investigators reopened the case into her death after Stacy Peterson, Peterson's fourth wife, disappeared last month. Authorities are hoping Savio's exhumed body can offer clues to how she died.

A coroner's jury ruled Savio's death an accident, even though there was no water in the whirlpool bathtub where the 40-year-old's body was found face-down, her hair soaked in blood from a head wound. Investigators theorized the water had drained.

According to court records, Savio had gotten an order of protection in 2002, alleging a pattern of physical abuse and threats by Peterson.

Peterson's current wife, Stacy, was last seen Oct. 28 and state Police Capt. Carl Dobrich has said her husband is "clearly" a suspect. He said the case is now a potential homicide investigation.

The family of Stacy Peterson has said she feared her husband, was making plans to divorce him and would not have willingly left her children, ages 2 and 4.

Drew Peterson has said that his wife phoned him and told him she had left him for another man. A message for Fred Morelli, an attorney representing Drew Peterson, was not immediately returned Tuesday morning.

He has been relieved of duty and placed on suspension without pay pending completion of an internal affairs investigation and hearing.

After a back hoe and two men with shovels opened the grave, Savio's casket was removed from the ground and placed in a van to take the body for a new autopsy, reports CBS station WBBM in Chicago.

The Will County state's attorney's office received permission from a judge on Friday to exhume Savio's body.

Last week, the coroner said it should have been classified undetermined.

Families of both women hope the exhumation will shed light on lingering questions.

"I think both sides are very happy," said Pamela Bosco, a spokeswoman for Stacy Peterson's family. "I think they'll provide a lot of answers again to the questions we have, and hopefully progress the case faster than it is," reported WBBM.

But a forensic pathologist told WBBM news partner the Naperville Sun that it was doubtful that anything new could be discovered from a second autopsy in the Savio case.

"Quite frankly, in terms of coming up with something different or even of a helpful nature regarding the pathologist process is extremely doubtful," said Dr. Cyril Wecht.

The autopsy of Savio, performed by a Will County corner's forensic pathologist three weeks after her death, details a 1-inch laceration to her scalp consistent with a blunt trauma, and more than 10 bruises and cuts about her body.

More than three years later, all those injuries would be unidentifiable, Wecht told WBBM.

[beckajw]

This story sounds suspicious. But I haven''t heard anything about his first two wives. I would like to know where it has been published that they are dead as well.

However, the NY cops who shot a suspect running toward them after he was told to stop are not murderers. The mother of this "innocent" told the 911 operator the man had a gun. Police arrive at a domestic violence scene where they had been informed a man had a gun, the man runs at them with something in his hand. They told him to stop, he didn''t. They were fully justified in shooting him.

[grammawhamma]

Blunt trauma and more than 10 cuts & bruises to Kathleen Savio, and her death was ruled accidental? Someone involved here should be cited for at least incompetence and possibly accessory after the fact to murder. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by sanevoice at 01:33 PM : Nov 13, 2007

Smells fishy to me too...also if she supposidly drowned in the tub and the water drained out...she would have had water in her lungs.

I didn''t see anywhere were it says this guy''s other two wives were dead...where did you get that information from crzmeat?

[Krazcarl]

Another sick cop 4 dead wiveves to be inocent would be like winning the jackpot..and yes that lady in in Az..killed herselfs wile chained to a table drunk you moroons aren''t safe you just think you are...

[Krazcarl]

aNOTHER SICK COP TELL ME HOW SAFE YOU ALL FEEL 4 DEAD WIVES

[fibonacci_]

I agree MyIDOnCBS, its almost like the argument that someone stabbed themselves in the back 40 times and died by accident.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Candide777 at 02:00 PM : Nov 13, 2007

I guess everybody should just keep quiet about a cop that possibly murdered two of his wives, and that his cop friends evidently covered it up, or that a medical examiner never brought the evidence to a prosecutor for examination? Ho Hum...I''m sorry you''re so bored.

Why don''t you go out and find some Christians to persecute today. That usually more your style.

[myidoncbs]

"A coroner''s jury ruled Savio''s death an accident, even though there was no water in the whirlpool bathtub where the 40-year-old''s body was found face-down, her hair soaked in blood from a head wound."

This is an example of how those on the other side of the "thin blue line" protect their own.

And some of you wonder why we think that cops who shoot a kid wielding a hairbrush just might be murderers!

[myomi22]

The insurance was changed into the names of the two sons
kathleen and dp had according to her sister dp had no knowledge of this at the time she made the change in the policey. That would make him very angery im sure to know she would not leave him any money.Kathleen saw what was coming and did the best to protect her boys, but know one was there to protect her. I pray this opens the eyes of our country to abuse how its over looked time and time again and lives are lost.

[myomi22]

The insurance was changed into the names of the two sons
kathleen and dp had according to her sister dp had no knowledge of this at the time she made the change in the policey. That would make him very angery im sure to know she would not leave him any money.good going kp.

[myomi22]

The insurance was changed into the names of the two sons
kathleen and dp had according to her sister dp had no knowledge of this at the time she made the change in the policey. That would make him very angery im sure to know she would not leave him any money.good going kp.

[denn034]

Not all cops are bad. Don''t let one bad apple ruin it for everyone else.

[jpjgamas]

Drew Petersen according to the Chicago papers received one million dollars from his wife''s life insurance. Wonder how much insurance his 4th wife has?

[yur2stupid]

I''''m not getting why I should be concerned about this, and why CBS considers this news.
Posted by Candide777

Because the list of things you "don''t get" is probably endless. if you don''t get why this is news, log out and go tune in Sesame Street, I''m sure it''s more on your intellect and maturity level.

[csj2561]

8151947: I am sorry your wife passed away. In this case though, they may be able to at least change the cause of death to "unknown" instead of an accident. That will be a big step in reopening the investigation into her death.

[csj2561]

candide777: Who cares if you are concerned? Watch, don''t watch. This is a very important story. It is about abuse of power, domestic abuse and most importantly, there is a wife murderer on the streets.

[agarwal1]

Watch this live on ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=YYjQp
******

[butch461-2009]

It''s nice to see just because he''s a cop he''ll get away with murder,glad the family pushed it,hope he gets life,that will be worse than a death sentence,being a cop and all.

[johnstossel]

This guy should fry!!!!

[candide777]

I see why Law Enforcement is interested.

I understand why the involved families care.

I''m not getting why I should be concerned about this, and why CBS considers this news.

Isn''t this really like blocking traffic on the freeway just so you can gawk at all the blood and gore?

But I wouldn''t accuse CBS of being above the National Enquirer or CNN.

[flakkkita]

they should really research and see if peterson got any money from life insurance or something..this often happens on homicides like these.