Stacy Peterson Case Unsolved 10 Years Later: Ferak Column

It was Oct. 28, 2008, the year after Stacy Peterson, Drew Peterson's fourth wife, vanished without a trace. The retired sergeant from the Bolingbrook Police Department sat down for an interview in New York with TODAY'S Matt Lauer. Drew Peterson told TODAY'S audience that Stacy Peterson ran off with another guy. "I still believe that, yes," Peterson told TODAY. "I have nothing to believe otherwise." Then he issued a challenge to his missing wife: "Show yourself. Put an end to this nightmare," Peterson declared on the television camera.

Today marks 10 years since Oct. 28, 2007, the day when Stacy Peterson went missing. She was never seen or heard from again. Even Drew Peterson's own family believes the retired Bolingbrook cop probably killed Stacy Peterson and hid her body.

Just last month, the Illinois Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, upheld Drew Peterson's murder conviction in the mysterious death of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio. On Sept. 21, Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow quickly convened a press conference across from the Will County Courthouse. The ruling basically assures that killer Drew Peterson will not set foot outside a prison facility for the rest of his life.

"This has been a no-holds barred 10 years," Glasgow told Joliet Patch and other reporters assembled last month. "And I can't find another case where an elected state's attorney prosecuted a case against a former law enforcement officer with 30 years experience having killed his wife and he turns around and tries to kill the prosecutor. I challenge anybody here to go and find a case with those facts. There isn't one.

"When people tell me I can't do something that's when I go into over-gear, into overdrive ... This is a case, you, as a lawyer, you look for challenges, well, this is the biggest challenge that I've ever faced and I've had a lot of setbacks where I just couldn't believe that the appellate court or the supreme court ruled a certain way. This wipes all of those memories away and I can peacefully conclude my career. I'd be glad to take questions."

That morning, Glasgow took a couple of questions about Stacy Peterson. Glasgow maintained that investigators are actively pursuing different strategies and methods in hopes of bringing justice to Stacy and her supporters. "I'm not going to say we are there, but we've got something we are pursuing that is not a waste of time, so I'm anxious to see us wrap it up as quickly as possible," Glasgow told ABC Chicago this past week.

Will Glasgow be filing murder charges against Drew Peterson anytime soon in regards to his still missing fourth wife? It's probably unlikely.

Glasgow, as State's Attorney, has been reluctant to move forward with murder charges in high-profile Will County murder cases where the victim's body was never found. The Lisa Stebic case out of Plainfield is a prime example.

In September 2012, shortly after convicting Drew Peterson of Kathleen Savio's murder, Glasgow issued a statement declaring "I realize there are other cases that cry out for justice," Glasgow wrote. "We have not forgotten — not for one moment — about Lisa Stebic or the victims of the Lane Bryant shootings. We will continue to work tirelessly with our local police to bring justice and closure in these important investigations as well."

So, using history as our benchmark, the odds remain slim that Drew Peterson will be held accountable for Stacy Peterson's death. Is she buried around Bolingbrook or perhaps closer to Shorewood where investigators at the Illinois State Police have looked in recent years? Or, was Stacy Peterson disposed of somewhere else?

Only one person who is living, Drew Peterson, likely knows the answer and he isn't revealing. On this day that we remember Stacy Peterson, also remember that today is a day that Drew Peterson is probably gloating in his prison cell. Sure, he realizes Glasgow sent him to prison for Savio's murder and he got convicted for a murder-for-hire plot that unraveled. But Drew Peterson also knows that, for 10 years as of today, he has outsmarted Illinois law enforcement, Glasgow, and the rest of the Will County State's Attorney Office staff who want to bring justice to Stacy Peterson and her family.

On this somber day commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Stacy Peterson's disappearance, we can't lose sight of the fact that Drew Peterson, a convicted murderer, continues to live on, likely knowing that he got away with Stacy Peterson's murder.

Below, we assembled 10 different news media reports surrounding the Stacy Peterson case over the past decade. Several were produced by Patch, others include Drew Peterson's interview with TODAY as well as important stories in the Chicago Tribune and from Chicago's television stations.

1. ABC News, November 2007

Missing Mom's Early Romance Hid Dark Future Ahead

Summary: When Stacy finally did introduce her new boyfriend to her family and circle of friends, Cassandra Cales said, she was 17 and Peterson was 47 or 48. "I said, 'I don't mind just as long as you're happy,'" Cales told ABC News. "Age doesn't matter as long as you're in love and happy with that person."

2. TODAY show, Matt Lauer, October 2008

Drew Peterson To Missing Wife Stacy: 'Show Yourself'

Summary: According to transcripts of a polygraph examination, Drew Peterson was deceptive when he said Stacy Peterson called to tell him she was leaving him; when he said he did not know where she was; and when he said he had seen her the night before she vanished.

3. Patch: October 2011

Stacy Peterson Vanished 4 Years Ago - Police Probe Still 'Very Active'

Summary: Illinois State Police Capt. Carl Dobrich declared that the missing mother was the victim of a "potential homicide" and that Drew Peterson was the sole suspect in a massive criminal investigation. But four years later, Stacy remains missing and Drew Peterson, though jailed on charges he murdered his previous wife, Kathleen Savio, faces no charges in connection with harming Stacy.

Summary: Family and friends of Kathleen Savio broke down in tears after Drew Peterson's guilty verdict was read. Pam Bosco, the foster mother of Stacy's sister, called on Glasgow to charge Peterson with killing Stacy. "This man has to pay for Stacy," Bosco said. "There's no reason this man can't be taken back into this courtroom and go through this hell again. Stacy's case is right around the corner. I believe that. I always believed that he would pay the price for killing two beautiful women."

5. Patch: November 2012

Hammel Woods Search for Stacy Peterson, Day 4

6. Chicago Tribune: October 2014

Stacy Peterson's Search Still Continues Search

Summary: Cassandra Cales searched for clues at a Will County Forest Preserve near Bolingbrook, seven years to the day that her sister Stacy Peterson disappeared.

7. CBS Chicago: October 2015

Stacy Peterson's Sister Not Giving Up After 8 Years

Summary: Stacy Peterson's sister Cassandra Cales said she still suspected Drew Peterson buried Stacy Peterson somewhere near the home the two shared in Bolingbrook. “I wish he’d give it up already, you know? To give me and my family closure. We’re not really ever going to have closure, but it gives her the proper burial, and then we can have a proper funeral, or service, or something, and then kind of try and put it behind us."

8. Patch: May 2016

'Beast' Testifies: Drew Peterson Talked About How He Killed Stacy Peterson

Summary: Vicious gang member Antonio "Beast"' Smith testified during Drew Peterson's murder-for-hire trial last year that "He admitted to me that he killed Stacy Peterson."

9. Patch: February 2017

Drew Peterson's Son: He Probably Killed Stacy, Kathleen Savio

Summary: Stephen Peterson was reluctant to say his father is guilty, but told the Chicago Tribune, "Over time, you hear enough (from police). They can't all be full of s--- ... I'm sure he did it."

10. Fox News: September 2017

'Drew Peterson, An American Mystery' Gives Family Hope

Summary: Stacy Peterson's aunt Candace Aikin told Fox News that she hopes someone will come forward after Investigation Discovery aired a two-part special over Labor Day Weekend. “I hope that the viewers will understand who Stacy was, how much we love her and celebrate her life and the time we had with her, we cherish those moments,” a tearful Candace told Fox News.

File images via Patch archives