The Drew Peterson timeline….so far

Drew Peterson is accused of killing his third wife Kathleen Savio.

All indications are that in 2012 there will be the Drew Peterson murder trial. If and when the trial begins, it will likely get a lot of attention, maybe not Casey Anthony trial level of media saturation but if the viewership of the Lifetime Network movie is any indication, there will be a lot of interest in the trial and in Drew Peterson himself.

So time for a quick refresher course in the Drew Peterson saga up until now. A great intro for people not familiar with the case and a good refresher for those who can’t wait to see what happens next.

We’ll skip his sordid marital history up until 1992 when he was already married and divorced w

1974 – Drew Peterson marries highschool girlfriend Carol Hamilton.

1980 – Peterson and Carol Hamilton divorce.

1982 – 28 year old Drew Peterson marries 23 year old Victoria Rutkiewicz.

1992 – Victoria learns of Drew’s extramarital affairs and divorces him – one of the women he is having an affair with is 28 year old Kathleen Savio. They marry later the same year.

Kathleen Savio was Drew Peterson's third wife.

2001 – Drew Peterson, now 47 years old, starts dating 17 year old Stacy Cales – he is still married to Kathleen Savio.

2002 – Police are called 10 times to respond to service calls involving Peterson and Savio. In the middle of a messy divorce, Kathleen Savio sends a letter to the Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Faragle expressing fears that Peterson may kill her.

2003 – The summer of 2003, Stacy gives birth to her first child – Anthony. Drew and Stacy marry in October 2003, just days after his divorce with Savio is finalized.

March 1, 2004 – After being with Stacy and his children for a few days, Drew returns to drop off the children at Kathleen Savio’s home. After there is no answer for a prolonged time, and with the help of neighbours they gain entry into the house. Kathleen Savio’s body is found in a empty bathtub.

Mid-March 2004 – Drew Peterson produces a will that was signed by both him and Savio leaving the entirety of their marital assets to the other person. The vailidity is questioned after Savio’s lawyer said she had no will.

March 20, 2004 – Will County coroner’s office states that Savio’s death was the result of accidental drowning. No charges are filed.

January 2005 – Drew and Stacy have their second child. Lacy.

October 2007 – Stacy tells her husband that she wants a divorce. She also begins telling family members that she fears for her life.

October 28, 2007 – Stacy Peterson disappears. In the morning of the 28th, Stacy is not home when he wakes up. After being at home with the children all day – he receives a call at 9pm that evening claiming that she has left him for another man. Stacy’s sister calls that evening and Drew explains that she took clothes and her passport and left. He had to drive her car home from the airport.

Stacy Peterson went missing in October 2007.

October 29, 2007 – At 1am Stacy’s sister files a missing person report with the Bolingbrook police department. Several hours later she files another missing persons report with the Illinois State police.

October 30, 2007 – Drew visits his brother in the hospital after a suicide attempt. His brother later confessed to a friend that he may have helped dispose of Stacy’s body when he helped Drew move a large container from bedroom to his SUV.

November 1, 2007 – Police execute a search warrant on the Peterson home.

November 9th, 2007 – State police name Drew Peterson a suspect in his wife Stacy’s disappearance. A Judge orders the exhumation of Kathleen Savio’s body and the police suspend Peterson without pay from the police force.

November 12th, 2007 – Drew Peterson formally resigns from the police force.

November 13th, 2007 – Kathleen Savio’s body is exhumed.

November 16th, 2007 – Medical examiner declares after the autopsy on Kathleen Savio that he believes that her death was a homicide.

February 2008 – an independent pathologist, also doing an autopsy on Savio’s exhumed body also determines the manner of death was homicide.

April 30, 2008 – More than 6 months after her diappearance, Drew Peterson offers a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the safe return of his wife Stacy.

May 21, 2008 – Drew Peterson is arrested for posession of an illegal firearm.

May 2009 – Drew Peterson arrested after being indicted on first degree murder charges in the death of Kathleen Savio.

June 14, 2010 – Drew Peterson murder trial to start but Judge delays the trial start date.

January 2012 – The Lifetime Network airs “Drew Peterson: Untouchable” – it received the highest ever ratings for the network. 5.8 million people tune in for the movie.

May 4th, 2012 – Judge Edward Burmila is assigned to the Drew Peterson murder trial – trial is expected in the summer of 2012.