Peterson's arrest opens floodgates of reaction
Illinois State Police on Thursday called the Savio family to say they planned to arrest former Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson on charges that he had killed his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
A little more than an hour after news of the arrest burst into media reports, Savio's brother, Henry, said his family was "ecstatic," and many of the people associated with the years-long case also expressed pleasure with the news.
"We didn't really know too much what was going on. We wanted it to go this way and it did," Henry Savio, 50, said when reached by phone.
"It's been hard on my family, hard on my kids, my daughter has nightmares, I've had nightmares about this guy," Henry Savio said. "It's a miracle. We feel like opening up champagne right now. But we know it's a long road ahead, but at least we're one step ahead right now."
Henry said his sister was on his mind Thursday.
"I think my sister is smiling and saying good, it's about time. It's about time. I feel sorry for her kids, my nephews. They're always in our hearts," he said.
Kathleen Savio, 40, was discovered by neighbors on March 1, 2004, in her Bolingbrook home in an empty bathtub with a 1-inch gash on the back of her scalp. Her death was initially ruled an accident, but authorities reopened Savio's case after Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, disappeared in October 2007.
Stacy's family today also said they had been notified by Illinois State Police about the arrest.
"We were very excited," Peterson family spokeswoman Pamela Bosco said, though she added that initially they didn't know whether it was for the death of Savio or the disappearance of Stacy Peterson. Later, she learned it was related to Savio's death.
"We're still very much in support of the Savio family because we've always said that Stacy and Kathleen had one thing in common, and that's Drew Peterson," Bosco said. "We're very hopeful that someday he'll be (arrested) in Stacy's disappearance because we've always believed he had something to do with it."
"It feels good that he's finally been charged," said Stacy Peterson's sister, Cassandra Cales. "It was a very long and thorough investigation."
Cales is asking anyone who might know anything about her sister's case to step forward.
Asked if she thought this would help Stacy's case, she said "possibly."
Cales said she was notified ahead of time of the arrest, and police also called her and said he was in custody.
"It was just like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Cales said.
The attorney for Savio's family, Martin Glink, said the family was pleased authorities were able to put together a case.
"We feel validated. I spoke with Sue Doman and she was very relieved that at long last her sister will get some measure of justice," Glink said. The family has filed a civil case against Peterson.
"The family has waited five years for this moment. They feel grateful at all the efforts of the investigators and state police and state's attorneys involved," Glink said.
"I was so surprised," said Doman, Kathleen Savio's sister. "I had no idea (about the arrest). It's a bittersweet moment. I wouldn't call it a victory, just another step.'
"Now I'm concerned for my nephews," she said. "They've been through so much. And for Stacy's family. Hopefully this will bring us closer to finding her."
Doman said not a day passes that she doesn't think of her sister. In fact when she got news of Peterson's arrest, her first thought was to call "Kitty."
"I still can't believe she's gone," Doman said. "Whenever something would happen, she's the first person I'd call. I loved her so much. I miss her."
Kathleen Savio's neice, Melissa Doman, said she has always suspected Peterson was connected to her aunt's death.
"I felt he had the most to gain from her death," she said from the porch of her mother's Romeoville home this evening.
"Just being around him for years, something wasn't right. Drew getting arrested doesn't end our wrongful death suit," she added.
She said she was disappointed that it took this long for Peterson to be arrested.
"I'm frustrated with the fact that it took five years, and for his fourth wife to go missing. ... My aunt's death was ruled accidental. My mom spent years calling (officials and newspapers) for help. Nothing happened until five years later," Melissa Doman said.
She said her mother, Anna Doman, is "happy about the arrest, but she's tired. We've got a lot going on. It's very tiring."
News of Peterson's arrest sent dozens of people into the cul-de-sac near his home tonight on Pheasant Chase Circle in Bolingbrook.
Neighbors hugged and yelled "I'm glad they got him" to passersby.
Yellow police tape was blocking the entrance to the Peterson home while onlookers gawked and smiled and news helicopters whirled overhead.
Bystanders said Peterson had been home with his children most of the day, apparently working on household chores.
They said he left his home in a vehicle around 5:30 p.m., tailed by several Illinois State Police cars. Peterson was pulled over and arrested a block from his home.
His arrest was a bittersweet moment for longtime friends and supporters of Stacy Peterson, many of whom have yet to give up hope that she might be found.
"It's great we're seeing some justice here, but it doesn't end the search," said Janet Alexander of New Lenox, who wore a yellow T-shirt with Stacy's photo under the word "missing."
"Stacy deserves a proper goodbye," Alexander said.
For some friends and supporters of Stacy, the momentum building over the last several weeks seem to lead directly to his arrest Thursday.
"With the grand jury coming to an end, we could sense something was about to happen," said Roy Taylor, a friend of Stacy Peterson. "We're elated. We've been living with this for 18 months. If he gets life in prison for one murder, we'd be OK with that. As long as he's behind bars, that's OK with us."
Look at the Video at Stacy family's reaction
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