Personal Injury Law

Will County Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Drew Peterson by Family of Third Wife

In Will County, Illinois, the family of Drew Peterson?s third wife is suing former Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson for wrongful death. Their civil lawsuit contends that Peterson killed Kathleen Savio.

Peterson first came under public and media scrutiny after he became a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife Stacy. While Savio?s death in 2004 was originally ruled accidental, her death is now being called a homicide. Police reopened her case after Stacy, 23, disappeared in October 2007.

Savio?s family has been waiting for a special grand jury to determine whether to indict Peterson for her death. Known as ?Kitty,? the 40-year-old woman was found dead in a dry bathtub in her home. She died about a month before she was scheduled to appear in court for the approval of the division of her assets with Peterson.

After her death, Savio?s two sons received a life insurance payment of $1 million. The former cop also received money from other insurance policies, as well as profited from the sale of their residence and a bar. Savio?s children, who are now teenagers, continue to live with Peterson and the children that he had with Stacy.

Her family?s Illinois wrongful death lawsuit claims that one of the jurors involved in the inquest was a cop who told other jurors that he knew Peterson would never hurt Savio. The complaint says that Peterson was able to enter Savio?s home after they separated by using a garage door opener and cutting out part of a wall so he could crawl through. Peterson says he did cut a hole into the wall but that it was because Kathleen had changed the locks on him. On the day that Savio was buried, the family says that Peterson retrieved personal property that had yet to be inventoried.

Drew Peterson sued: Peterson faces lawsuit over death of Kathleen Savio, Chicago Tribune, April 22, 2009

Family of Drew Peterson's late wife files lawsuit, KTTC, April 21, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Peterson case timeline, Mysuburbanlife.com, October 27, 2008

Wrongful Death, Justia

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on April 28, 2009 (boomark / email).