Stacy Peterson

On October 28, 2007, 23-year-old Stacy Ann Peterson disappeared from the home she shared with her husband, Drew Peterson, a 53-year-old Bolingbrook, Illinois police sergeant, and their two young children. Drew Peterson claimed Stacy had called him that evening to say she was leaving him for another man. Her family and friends immediately disputed this account, saying Stacy would never abandon her children.

Stacy's disappearance drew national attention partly because of Drew Peterson's history. His third wife, Kathleen Savio, had been found dead in a dry bathtub in 2004 in what was initially ruled an accidental drowning. After Stacy vanished, Savio's body was exhumed and her death was reclassified as a homicide. Friends and family reported that Stacy had told them Drew had killed Kathleen and she feared she was next.

The investigation into Stacy's disappearance led authorities to reopen the Kathleen Savio case. In 2009, Drew Peterson was arrested and charged with Savio's murder. In 2012, he was convicted of first-degree murder in Savio's death, largely based on hearsay testimony allowed under an Illinois statute. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison. He was later sentenced to an additional 40 years for attempting to hire a hitman to kill the prosecutor who convicted him.

Despite Drew Peterson being the prime suspect in Stacy's disappearance, he has never been formally charged in her case. Her body has never been found. Stacy's family continues to seek answers, and the case remains technically open. Drew Peterson is serving his sentences at the Menard Correctional Center in Illinois.