Drew had a troubled past, including a prior firing from the police department for misconduct. He was under investigation again when Stacy disappeared and eventually retired with a pension.

Importantly, Drew’s third wife, Kathleen Savio, died in 2004 in what was initially ruled an accidental drowning. However, after Stacy’s disappearance, Savio’s death was reinvestigated, revealing it was actually a murder. Drew collected a $1 million life insurance payout after Savio’s death.

Suspicions around Drew intensified because:

* Stacy’s loved ones didn’t believe she would leave her children. Her sister said Stacy wanted a divorce and described Drew as abusive.
* A search of the Peterson home revealed missing items, including a large barrel that could hold a body. A neighbor reported seeing Drew moving a similar barrel.
* Drew’s stepbrother admitted to helping him dispose of a barrel, later believing he helped dispose of Stacy’s body.

Police initially treated Stacy’s disappearance as a missing person case, but later declared they suspected foul play. Drew became a suspect.

In May 2009, Drew was arrested and convicted of Savio’s murder in 2012, receiving a 38-year sentence. He was never charged with Stacy’s disappearance, which remains an unsolved case, though foul play is suspected. The fact that Drew’s mother also disappeared years earlier is noted, but the cases are not considered connected.