Harer: 'I Hope This Doesn't Turn Out Like Drew Peterson Case'

CREST HILL, IL — One of Samantha Harer's best friends told police last year that Harer was worried her romantic relationship with Officer Felipe "Phil" Flores would turn into a situation reminiscent of another notorious ex-Will County cop, Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson, according to reports obtained by Patch.

Crest Hill Deputy Police Chief Brad Hertzmann interviewed Samantha Harer's best friend on Valentine's Day 2019, one year and a day after the 23-year-old WESCOM emergency dispatcher died in the presence of her estranged boyfriend, Flores, who was in her Channahon apartment.

Harer and Flores started dating in May 2017. Harer's best friend told Crest Hill's deputy chief that she met Flores for the first time that August. She had known Harer since 2014. They both graduated from the University of St. Francis and were members of the Alpha Phi sorority.

Hertzmann asked Harer's close friend "if Harer shared any issues, problems or concerns with the relationship," documents show.

"Friend to friend, Harer pulled her aside and told her not to text anything about him, Flores, because he would go through her phone," Hertzmann wrote. Harer's friend said "there was more than one occasion where Harer would call her and say, 'Why aren't you texting me?' and (the friend) would say that she was. (The friend) said they finally sat down and figured out that the texts were being deleted."

Last week, Patch published an exclusive article documenting that Crest Hill Police found forensic evidence that Flores, in December 2017, had broken into Harer's Channahon apartment when she was not home to monitor her electronic communications with a member of the Plainfield Police Department. She was out socializing with the off-duty officer that particular evening.

According to Crest Hill's deputy chief, Harer's best friend said "Harer confronted Flores and he confessed that he was deleting her texts and that he didn't want (Harer's friend) to have any interaction with her. ... I asked when this occurred and (Harer's friend) said around October 2017."

On Tuesday morning, Feb. 13, 2018, Harer died of a single gunshot wound to her head. She was completely nude at the time of her death. Flores was inside her apartment in Channahon and he called 911, claiming she had locked herself in her bedroom and shot herself. When Channahon Police arrived, Flores was wearing blue jeans, white socks and a dark sweatshirt.

An Illinois State Police crime lab forensic scientist in Chicago later noted that she detected several blood stains and blood spatter on Flores' dark sweatshirt plus primer gunshot residue on his sweatshirt and his right hand. No gunshot residue was found on Harer's hands, reports show.

On Dec. 28, 2018, Channahon Police announced that no criminal charges were being filed against Flores, and that Harer's death was being classified as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Less than three months later, in March 2019, Flores abruptly resigned as a Crest Hill cop on the heels of facing termination for violating numerous department policies and procedures, documents reflect.

Crest Hill's internal affairs probe later obtained forensic evidence showing that in December 2017, while Flores and Harer were not dating, he broke into her Channahon apartment to monitor her electronic communications while she was hanging out with the off-duty community service officer for Plainfield.

During last March's internal affairs probe, Hertzmann asked Harer's best friend "if she knew anything else."

"She knew that they argued a lot ... there was one time they were both on vacation in Arizona, Harer told her she had a problem where she was super, super, scared ... Harer made it out like he, Flores, was going to, like beat her. (The friend) said Harer ended up locking herself in a bathroom."

After that incident, Harer called and explained the situation to her mother and friend, the friend told Crest Hill police.

"Harer told her in October (of 2017) that she wanted to break up with him ... She told Harer that it was not a healthy relationship at all. You shouldn't be scared to date someone," the internal affairs interview stated.

Harer's friend remembered that Harer turned toward her and remarked, "If I break up with him, I hope this doesn't turn out like the Drew Peterson case," reports state.

Upon the mention of Drew Peterson, who murdered his third wife, Kathleen Savio — and whose fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared, Crest Hill's deputy chief asked Harer's best friend for clarification.

Hertzmann wanted to make sure that Harer, three months before she met her violent death, actually brought up Drew Peterson's name during her conversation with her close friend.

The friend responded in the affirmative.

"I clarified that the statement was said face to face," Hertzmann's reports reflect.

"I asked (the friend) for further information regarding the incident in Arizona and (she) said that was pretty much it. (Harer) called her mom for help because she was looking to cancel her vacation and come home ... Harer said she was scared and (the friend) told her she needed to break up with Flores ... Harer told her she was scared to break up and (the friend) told her she needed to file a restraining order."

The friend told Crest Hill's deputy chief she even offered to let Harer stay at her place "if she didn't feel safe. Harer said she was going to talk to her apartment complex to see if she could change the lock on her door ... she didn't feel safe at home," Crest Hill reports state.

As the interview continued, Hertzmann pressed Harer's friend about domestic violence.

"Harer never told her that he, Flores, hit her," reports indicate. However, Harer's "neighbor would call because of the arguing, and Channahon (Police) would respond to it.

"I asked (her) when this was. (She) said it would be before October."

In November 2017, Harer's friend was making plans to get married and Harer was selected as one of her bridesmaids.

When Harer went with her "to pick up her wedding dress ... Harer was kind of saddish about ... the break up," reports state.

Harer's best friend also told Crest Hill's deputy chief that "Harer always stressed not to text bad things about him, Flores, and that she knew the relationship was unhealthy and she wanted to get out, she didn't know how. I asked (the friend) if she saw any signs of a battery or injury and (she) said no ... Harer never said that he, Flores, hit her," documents reflect.

Harer's Best Friend Goes To Cubs Game With Harer and Flores

Five months before Harer died, in September 2017, Harer's best friend accompanied Harer and Flores to attend a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

That day, Flores drove, the friend told Crest Hill's deputy chief. During the drive to the game, Flores admitted he had been the subject of an internal affairs investigation the previous year, in 2016, after a woman in Crest Hill filed a police report and accused him of raping her while she was asleep at her house.

No criminal charges were filed against Flores. However, he received a one-month unpaid suspension from work, and Crest Hill also restricted him from consuming any alcohol for an entire year, the internal affairs reports reflect.

On the way to Wrigley Field, "He was driving and kind of had road rage. He was not acting well ... Flores was talking about the rape allegation,which (the friend) thought was odd. (She) explained that she was only in the car for about an hour and that it was kind of weird that he would talk about that," reports reflect.

At that point, however, "She, Harer, was like madly in love."

Next, Crest Hill's deputy chief explained, "we have a code of conduct regulating on and off duty behavior. I told (Harer's friend) that police officers are held to a higher standard. I asked (her) if there was anything she thought I should know as a police chief. (She) said that Flores had such bad road rage, he was flipping off cars, he just had such, like, anger. (She) said this was the first time meeting him, Flores, (and) it was really a bad impression," documents note.

Harer's friend remembered that she texted her fiance and her mother about Flores after the Cubs game.

"She said she was texting her fiance and her mom because she was super uncomfortable," Hertzmann wrote.

Plainfield Officer Doubts Suicide

The Plainfield Community Service Officer who was socializing with Harer on Dec. 3, 2017, was interviewed by Hertzmann for his internal affairs probe on Feb. 8, 2019. The officer told Crest Hill it was his impression that Harer was "in the off-again" phase with Flores at that time.

The Plainfield officer stated that "he knew Harer very well and this has been a very delicate matter for the last 12 months. (He) said knowing her, Harer, he would be surprised if the suicide route was the actual result," Crest Hill reports reflect.

ICYMI: Samantha Harer Case Timeline 2018, 2019

ICYMI: Flores Broke Into Samantha Harer's Apartment To Snoop: IA Probe