Savios Suing D-Pete for Wrongful Death

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Apr 21, 2009 6:20PM

While they seem no closer than before to getting criminal charges brought against Drew Peterson, the family of Drew's deceased murdered third wife, Kathleen Savio, are planning to bring a wrongful death suit against Peterson. According to NBC 5:

The 15-page lawsuit, to be filed in Will County Circuit Court, carefully lays out a case the family says shows that Peterson was responsible for the death of his third wife.

The suit claims:

• that during the couple's "contentious divorce" in 2002, "there were a number of confrontations" that resulted in police reports that detailed Peterson's physical assaults and threats of physical violence,
• that upon finalization of the divorce, Peterson gained entry to the home of which Savio had become the sole owner by using a garage door opener and, on one occasion, by cutting through a wall and crawling through it,
• that Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, met with a pastor and said that she had "personal, detailed knowledge" that Peterson had killed Savio.

Savio's 2004 death was originally ruled accidental but the body was exhumed and an autopsy in November 2007 led to the ruling that Savio's death was homicide by drowning.