Drew Peterson: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

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Ex-cop Drew Peterson was just found guilty of murdering third wife Kathleen Savio. Here’s what you should know.

1. Justice Was a Long Time Coming

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The jury deliberated for 14 hours at the end of a six-week trial for a crime that was committed in 2004. A crowd cheered outside the courtroom today when the long-awaited verdict finally came down, providing bittersweet satisfaction for Savio’s family. “Finally somebody heard Kathleen’s cry,” mother Marcia Savio said. “Twelve people did the right thing, oh thank God.”

2. He Will Likely Die in Prison


The 58-year-old former police officer faces a maximum sentence of 60 years. That would make him 118 years old. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

3. His Fourth Wife is Still Missing


It was the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy, in 2007 that led investigators to further probe the 2004 death of third wife Kathleen.

4. He Cheated on the Third Wife with the Fourth Wife

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Stacy was just 17 when Peterson had an affair with her in 2001. Naturally, things turned sour in Peterson’s marriage to Savio. Cops intervened in their domestic fights 18 times from 2002 to 2004, and Savio was twice arrested for alleged domestic violence. He also cheated on his second wife, Victoria, with Savio. And his first wife divorced him for cheating.

5. Kathleen Was Found in a Bathtub
Savio was found dead in a bathtub in 2004. Though the tub was clean and dry, her death was originally ruled an accident. Peterson’s defense maintained that she hit her head and drowned.

6. Rob Lowe Played Him

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Rob Lowe portrayed Peterson in Drew Peterson: Untouchable, a made-for-TV Lifetime movie.

7. He Was a Lifelong Lawman
After spending time in the Army after high school and training as a military police officer, Peterson joined the Bolingbrook (Illinois) Police Department in 1977. He remained a cop for 30 years.

8. He Was Police Officer of the Year
Peterson was Bolingbrook’s best in 1979.

9. He Was Fired in a Police Scandal
Peterson was accused in 1985 of trading drugs for information, but the charges didn’t stick and he was reinstated.

10. He Got Engaged Again!
After Stacy’s disappearance, Peterson got engaged to 23-year-old Christina Raines, who would have been his fifth wife. She eventually moved out at the insistence of her father.