Stacy Peterson "Bring Her Home"

Get out your vomit buckets! The story's headline on August 16th, from part 2 in the Chicago Sun-Times series in bold black ink reads " Drew Peterson-Not easy Being A National Pastime."
According to Wikidepia "a national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. "

The killing of ones' own wife, girlfriend or significant other, also known as intimate partner homicide, has in fact become a carefully strategized "national game" among those who deliberately take their wives and girlfriends out of their lives. So, what Peterson is really saying, with a bull horn behind iron bars, in his carefully crafted blood soaked hand, "ladies and gentlemen, this is just a game." If we look at those who murder their intimate partners, each one of the offenders lost the game when charged and convicted of the crime. But, Peterson is betting otherwise, as evidence since day one going back to March 1, 2004, when Kathleen was murdered.

Even behind bars, with his game face on, Peterson is betting the prosecutors in Will County, Illinois, do not have enough for a conviction. Sadly, he just be might right.

The Chicago Sun-Times has provided a playing field, or a national stadium, for, in my expert opinion, a "skilled mommy murderer".

In a stadium all games begin with the crowd standing, singing the national Anthem. Peterson's song is, "I killed my third wife isn't that nice, watch as I get away with it twice." In Peterson's case no one heard anyone singing during the world series playoff's in 2004 because deals were made behind closed doors as to who would win the championship, when the then prosecutor, Tomczak, forfeited the game, ignoring facts and pleas's for assistance from Kathlen Savio by handing Peterson his victory with bases loaded. The final game victory pitch, a walk ending the national series, with a 1 to nothing score. Peterson 1 the state of Illinois 0.

In October of 2007, Peterson enters the stadium once again, "ha, he says, been there done this before, easy hit for another home run." With a frenzy, the national media camps outside the home of Stacy Peterson, reporting blow by blow game plays and appearances, including Peterson's own words, joking and laughing in classic killer, abuser style. Watching him often reminded me of my own father, who laughed almost idential in pitch and tone as Peterson, as they believed being in law enforcement meant you were smarter than everyone else.

I wonder how the Chicago Sun-Times and it's editors feel about being played? Because, in fact, they have been. They should now understand how easy it is for victims of violence to be under the spell of a manipulative abuser. This time the paper has gone too far, enabling Peterson to continue to present and defend himself while his victims,the mother(s) of his children, have been silenced. Never once have they done an in depth investigation and reported on the cases of Kathleen Savio or Stacy Peterson. It is a fact that none of us, with the expection of the surving family members, ever remember the names of any of the victims from high profile cases like Ted Bundy, Richard Speck, Christopher Vaughn or John Wayne Gacey.

There was a time when reporters looked and weighed all sides to a case before printing a story. I recall over the years being upset with the media when they would agree to print something about a victim of violence and then say something to me like, "we are also going to interview the abuser or the killer for the story." If they could not interview the abuser they would seek out a quote from a neighbor, friend or co-worker. It was always the same song, "he was such a good dad" or, "he was always the go to guy in the neighborhood" and I think to myself, after reading it, aren't they all? I guess the best example, from personal experience, is trying to enlist the assistance of others for help while my mother was still alive, she had no place to go. When I discovered her body, at her own crime scene, I was placed in a position, defending my mother to my father's fellow officer's when they said point blank, "She drove him to it." Those words would be the fuel that would ignite and flame a 20- plus year fire for intimate partner homicide.

The only front page story the Chicago Sun-Times and every other television and print media should be reporting and writing on is the unsolved murders of these two women. Give these cases as much ink as Peterson and just maybe, you say to their families and others of violent crimes, that intimate violence behind closed doors in the home is a serious criminal matter.

To the editors and reporters of the Chicago Sun-Times, you have your facts turned inside out like a stained pair of boxer shorts. Stacy Peterson did not simply vanish. She was removed from her home, in my opinion, taken out of the game called life. A common theme among criminal offenders. Stacy Peterson is missing and yet you print his words as though they are important, leaving others to believe that Stacy Peterson's life is similar to a foul ball in a game, it simply does not count. Two days in a row you have slapped justice in the face for these 2 women. The only headline you should write, going forward, is "BRING HER HOME." You still have an opportunity to investigate, even though you are in the 8th inning of this world series game, and properly report on Stacy Peterson until she is found and given a proper resting place by friends and family.

To keep up on the happenings in this case go to the http://www.petersonstory.wordpress.com/ and http://www.websleuths.com/

"If you are outraged by the Chicago Sun Time and their disregard for the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson by making headlines of Drew Peterson's jailhouse letters, do your part and let them know by calling, emailing or faxing. Nothing will change unless action is taken. The columnist, Micheal Sneed and her editor, should know that by making decisions based on headlines and readership instead of integrity and ethics is one of the reasons the public fuels people like Drew Peterson."

Fax number to the Chicago Sun Times is 312-321-3084

Michael Sneeds direct email address is : msneed@suntimes.com

Andrew Hermann, Managing Editor 312-321-3000

Zach Finken, News Editor 312-321-3000

Part 5 : The Series Continue's on the Times Up Blog, Wednesday, August 25, 2010