Jury convicts Drew Peterson of 3rd wife’s death

September 6, 2012 - 10:00 pm | Category: National

Former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson may be best known because his young wife mysteriously disappeared in 2007. Today  he was convicted of murder, but not for the death of Stacy Peterson, who is still missing, but for the killing of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

The crowd in and outside the courtroom cheered as the verdict was read. After being found guilty of first-degree murder, Peterson will face a maximum prison term of 60-years behind bars when he’s sentenced on November 26th, since Illinois doesn’t have a death penalty.

Peterson was convicted largely on hearsay of the drowning death of the 40-year-old Savio. Her death was initially believed to be an accident, but after 23-year-old Stacy Peterson disappeared, Savio’s body was exhumed, examined again and her death was ruled a homicide.