Sad milestone in Peterson disappearance

BOLINGBROOK -- In the first days after his wife was reported missing, Drew Peterson would only open his front door an inch or so when reporters came calling. A few days before the six-month mark of her disappearance, Peterson was set to appear on a national television news program.

It was but the latest of Peterson's television turns. The retired police sergeant has become a veteran of the small screen, having gone on the "Today" show, Greta Van Susteren's program, "Dateline" and "Larry King Live." And all because the state police suspect him of possibly killing one of his four wives and because the public has questioned his potential involvement in the death of another.

The fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, was last seen six months ago today, when she was 23 years old. The third wife, 40-year-old Kathleen Savio, was found drowned in a dry bathtub more than three and a half years before that.

A state police investigation of Savio's death in 2004 turned up no indication of foul play. The state police now are getting another crack at it, since Savio's body was exhumed for further postmortem testing in the wake of Stacy's disappearance. At the conclusion of those tests, a forensic pathologist contradicted the state police by concluding Savio was the victim of a homicide.

The fourth anniversary of Savio's death passed last month with little fanfare. Still, her relatives say they have kept in touch with the family of Stacy Peterson, even though daily obligations have made that difficult.

"We still do talk," said Savio's niece, Melissa Doman. "Yes, we're still in contact. (But) life's busy for everybody."

Savio's sister, Anna Marie Doman, and father, Martin Savio, recently ousted the executor of the dead woman's estate, Peterson's uncle James Carroll. Martin Savio and Anna Marie Doman replaced Carroll. Anna Marie Doman has said they took this course to pursue a wrongful death action against Peterson.

Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, has said Doman and her father cannot do this, that a wrongful death suit would have to be brought by the court-appointed guardian of Peterson and Savio's two sons, Thomas and Kristopher.

Besides dismissing the prospect of a wrongful death lawsuit, Brodsky, who started representing Peterson in December, also was dismissive of the six-month anniversary of Stacy's disappearance.

"Really?" he said. "It's been that long?"

Brodsky has plunged into the media whirlwind surrounding his client and has made numerous television appearances of his own. He said the exposure has not helped business much but did result in numerous death threats that have tapered off as of late.

"I get a lot of support from fellow attorneys and lawyers," Brodsky said. "They know what my job is, particularly the criminal defense guys."

But it is not all understanding and esprit de corps among his colleagues for Brodsky.

"There's been a few disturbing incidents from female prosecutors, which I just find unprofessional," he said. "It's just their whole attitude."

Peterson also seems to have been disturbed at times, particularly by the actions of his next-door neighbor -- and close friend of Stacy -- Sharon Bychowski.

Bychowski has been the driving force in keeping Stacy's case in the public eye. And she has riled her friend's husband by papering the windows of her home with Stacy Peterson missing person fliers and posting a large sign in her front yard.

Shortly before the six-month anniversary of Stacy's disappearance, the sign has turned into a shrine, with flowers, torches, a balloon and other mementos being left on Bychowski's lawn -- and in plain view of Peterson's home.

"The flowers say it all in my yard!" Bychowski said. "We love her and know that she stands for so many wonderful things."

Bychowski also held on to her belief that the police were making progress in their investigation of Stacy's, as they have termed it, "potential homicide."

"Absolutely. We know that the case is moving forward and with all the speed necessary, and that were also know that there will be an arrest," Bychowski said.

Brodsky was not as convinced, not even with a special grand jury meeting weekly since November and scheduled through July, and possibly the coming November.

"It's also the Lisa Stebic grand jury, and Lisa Stebic has been going a lot longer than Stebic," Brodsky said of the case of the missing Plainfield mother who disappeared a year ago this coming Wednesday.

"They'll just keep going until the case goes cold," Brodsky said. "And it will eventually, and that's that."