Has Stacy Peterson's Body Been Found

The families of two missing Will County women might have to wait up to two weeks to learn the identity of the human remains discovered Wednesday in the Des Plaines River.

DNA testing is being done on the partial skeletal remains, which consisted of a rib cage, spinal column, and partial left and right femur bones, according to Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil, who said results likely won't be known for two weeks. But sources close to the investigation said the results could be returned as early as next week.

A preliminary autopsy performed Thursday could not determine whether the body was that of a man or woman, its race, or identity. The remains included shreds of jeans containing a small amount of money, and the person had been dead for several months or more. The coroner's office said it was unclear how the body parts were severed.


Stacy Peterson vanished from her Bolingbrook home in October 2007, and Lisa Stebic disappeared from her Plainfield home in April 2007. Both lived not far from where the remains were found.

"We know the identity is not going to be known until they do DNA testing," said Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Stebic's family. "We're cautiously hopeful that it might be Lisa. If it's not Lisa, our second wish is that it would be Stacy Peterson so that at least one of our families could get closure."

On Thursday, Illinois State Police continued searching for further evidence in the area where the body was found, along the river near Channahon just west of Interstate Highway 55.

Chad Pregracke, the founder of Living Lands & Waters in East Moline, a non-profit group that cleans up waterways in nine states, found the remains. Pregracke, 34, was alone on a 30-foot flat-bottom work boat Wednesday shortly before 2:30 p.m., pulling garbage out of the river when he came across the bones.

"When I saw it, I stood there for about 10 minutes, just thinking, 'Man, is that what I think it is?' " he said. "I wasn't super-freaked out, but I didn't want to call if it was nothing."

After determining the remains were human, Pregracke called state police. At the request of police, Pregracke declined to describe the scene or the body.

Peterson's husband, Drew Peterson, is a suspect in her disappearance. The former Bolingbrook police sergeant is in jail on murder charges for the 2004 death of previous wife Kathleen Savio. Plainfield police have named Craig Stebic, a "person of interest" in his wife's case. Both men deny any wrongdoing.

Pam Bosco, a spokeswoman for Stacy Peterson's family, said her relatives will wait for DNA results.

"We've been down this road before," Bosco said. "Regrettably, it could be any woman at this point, and that's something I think we should all pay attention to."

I wonder if Drew Peterson's attitude will change if it is Stacy's body. He will probably come up with some idiotic excuse.

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