The many wives of Drew Peterson

While the focus of the upcoming Drew Peterson trial is rightfully on Kathleen Savio, Drew Peterson has had three other wives that will likely play a part in some way in his upcoming court date. Stacy Peterson, his fourth wife, who is currently missing created suspicions about Savio’s death and is the reason for the exhumation and now trial. Carol Brown and Victoria Connolly, his first two wives will likely play a part as much as they can speak to his personality and behaviour as it pertains to the prosecution’s case.

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Carol Brown (1st)

Drew Peterson and Carol Brown were married for 6 years from 1974 to 1980. They originally met as teenagers in high school in Villa Park, Illinois. They dated and went to Peterson’s senior prom together. The marriage ended after she found out about his cheating on her.

Victoria Connolly (2nd)

Two years after his divorce in 1982 Peterson married Victoria Connolly. Most notably about their relationship, and likely to make its way into court, is an alleged history of abuse to both Connolly and her daughter who was 8 at the time they moved in with Peterson. The marriage lasted less than 10 years. Once Peterson started dating Kathleen Savio Connolly filed for divorce, it was finalized in 1992.

Savio was found in an empty bathtub - originall ruled an accidental drowning.

Kathleen Savio (3rd)

Less than 6 months after his divorce from Victoria Connolly, Drew Peterson married 28 year old Kathleen Savio. The married lasted just over 10 years and much like Connolly, there was alleged claims of abuse. There were 18 domestic disturbance calls to the Peterson house between 2002 and 2004.

In the middle of a bitter divorce and Savio winning in terms of splitting property,  Savio’s body was found in an empty bathtub in early 2004. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

But after Stacy Peterson disappeared suspicions began to grow around Drew Peterson and Savio’s body was exhumed. A new forensic examination and autopsy was done on her body at the request of her relatives came to a new conclusion that she died of drowning during a struggle. A homicide staged to look like an accident. On February 21st, 2008 Savio’s death was officially ruled a homicide.

It is for Savio’s death that Peterson will be facing a trial in July.

Stacy Peterson's disappearance led to the re-investigation into Savio's death.

Stacy Peterson (4th)

Stacy Ann Cales married Drew Peterson in October of 2003, she was just 19 years old and 30 years his junior. They started having sex when she was just 17, sometimes sneaking into the basement of his home while his wife and children were asleep upstairs. In fact Stacy gave birth to their first child while he was still married to Savio.

Stacy Peterson was officially reported missing in October of 2007 by her sister. Drew Peterson claimed that Stacy had called him to say she was leaving him for another man and that she left her car at the Bolingbrook International Airport.

Shortly after her disappearance Peterson announced he was retiring from the police force, allowing him to collect a full pension – as he was only a suspect at the time, he was eligible, had he been charged with a crime he would not have been.

Raines' claims that the engagement to Peterson was a publicity stunt

Christina Raines (almost his 5th)

Just one year after Stacy Peterson’s disappearance, in December 2008 Drew Peterson announced he was engaged to 23-year-old Christina Raines.  Less than two months later in January, 2009, Raines had left Peterson after her father insisted she move out as Peterson was controlling and of course, he feared that what happened to Stacy Peterson might happen to her as well.

But then in February 2009 Raines and Peterson appeared together on the Today Show where she explained that she had moved back in with Peterson and that they hope to get married as soon as possible. Raines also explained that her father nor any of her friends would support the marriage.

Later it came out that the engagement was never “real” and that is was part of a publicity stunt to keep Peterson’s name in the news.