Will County grand jury ends with no action in Drew Peterson case
State's Attorney James Glasgow confirmed Wednesday the Will County grand jury's 18-month tenure ended Tuesday, two days earlier than anticipated, without further action. Members also heard evidence in the unrelated 2007 suspicious disappearance of Lisa Stebic, 38, of Plainfield, who grew up in Libertyville.
Though disappointed, Stacy Peterson's family remains confident in the prosecution.
"We've been assured they'll continue to do a very thorough investigation into what happened to Stacy," said Pamela Bosco, the family spokeswoman. "We understand what the prosecution is up against."
Prosecutors said both investigations still are ongoing and a regular grand jury that meets weekly still could be used to indict.
Such was the case in DuPage County, where a special grand jury met behind closed doors for three months while listening to testimony in the Feb. 25, 1983, abduction, rape and murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico in Naperville.
It was released in late August 2005 without action as authorities pursued other leads about a possible connection between their suspect and the men who discovered the little girl's body. Three months later, another DuPage County grand jury indicted convicted killer Brian Dugan for Jeanine's murder. The death penalty case is set for trial this September.
In the Kathleen Savio case, the 40-year-old Bolingbrook woman's death originally was classified as an accident but, after Stacy disappeared, authorities exhumed the third wife's body for a second autopsy. Experts later reclassified her death as a homicide.
Peterson has pleaded not guilty to Savio's murder. His lead attorney, Joel Brodsky, has argued prosecutors lack concrete evidence linking Peterson to either investigation.
Peterson remains held on a $20 million bond in the Will County jail.