Grand jury hears Stacy's father testify

Drew Peterson and his father-in-law were good friends at one time. They since have had somewhat of a falling out.

"We actually got along pretty well," Anthony Cales said of the man police believe had a hand in his daughter Stacy's possible demise.

"We were like, pretty good friends," said Cales, who testified Thursday to a grand jury reviewing Stacy's Oct. 28 disappearance.

Cales says he has not spoken to Peterson since his daughter vanished. Peterson claims they talked a few times, and that they may someday rekindle their friendship.

"If Stacy comes back, we'll still be friends," he said. "And then everybody will be mad at her."

In an attempt to hasten this, Peterson has put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to her safe return. And the investment is already paying off in numerous tips, he said, including one that she was spotted at a Sandals resort in Jamaica.

"She's not in the bushes and weeds, like Sharon and Roy said," Peterson insisted, referring to his next-door neighbor, Sharon Bychowski, and son, Roy Taylor, who have spearheaded the volunteer search effort for Stacy.

Peterson's neighbor, James Mitchem Jr., and his son, Kevin, also testified Thursday.

Mitchem, the principal of Bolingbrook High School, declined to discuss his appearance before the grand jury. Cales was more talkative, and questioned why prosecutors called him.

"I think they just have a standard line of questioning for everybody," he said. These questions included: "What's Stacy like?" and "How well I knew Drew" and "Did Stacy ever leave or go anywhere without the kids?" and finally "Did I know about any marital problems or impending divorce, which I didn't," Cales said.

"I really don't know anything, you know?" he said.

Cales had been planning to move out to the West Coast but Stacy vanished days before his scheduled departure. He chose to remain in the area and now struggles with coming to grips with what may have happened to his daughter.

"It's hard," said Cales. "Some days are better than others."

Cales said he took exception to Peterson putting up a reward for Stacy's safe return, calling it "bogus," and said he does not appreciate his son-in-law's occasional TV appearances over the past six months.

"I see him on TV," Cales said. "It just burns me up, some of the things he does and says."