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Reports: Peterson moved big container on day wife vanished
By Don Babwin
Associated Press
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BOLINGBROOK, Ill. -- A stepbrother of former police officer Drew Peterson reportedly helped him move a large, heavy container out of his suburban home the day his wife vanished, an allegation that sparked a furious denial from Peterson’s attorney.

The two removed a plastic container from an upstairs bedroom and put it in the family’s sport-utility vehicle, the Chicago Tribune, The (Joliet) Herald News and WFLD-TV reported, citing anonymous sources close to the investigation into Stacy Peterson’s disappearance a month ago.

The stepbrother, Thomas Morphey, later became distraught after learning Stacy Peterson was missing and tried to kill himself, the newspapers reported.

Authorities say Drew Peterson is a suspect in his wife’s disappearance and have called her case a possible homicide. Authorities also are re-examining the 2004 death of Drew Peterson’s third wife, Kathleen Savio. Authorities have said her death may have been a homicide staged to look like an accidental bathtub drowning.

Drew Peterson, 53, has denied any wrongdoing and said he believes his 23-year-old wife left him for another man and is alive.

A spokesman for Will County prosecutors declined comment on the reports and Illinois State Police did not return messages.

Drew Peterson’s attorney, Joel Brodsky, denied anyone helped Peterson move any container from the home and claimed the stepbrother has a history of mental problems.

“I don’t know what world Thomas Morphey is living in, our world, his world or if he’s veering back and forth between the real world and whatever fantasy world he’s living in,” Brodsky told the AP.

Steve Carcerano, a friend of Drew Peterson’s, said Peterson told him he had called Morphey to confront him.

“He called him and said ‘why are you saying this stuff?”‘ Carcerano told the AP.

There was no answer when a reporter knocked on the door of Morphey’s Bolingbrook home Wednesday morning. Later, a woman who pulled her car into the garage talked briefly to reporters in the driveway. She refused to give her name but when asked about Morphey, said “he’s in treatment” before declining further comment.

Drew Peterson called in to take a day off from the Bolingbrook Police Department -- from which he has since resigned -- on Oct. 28, the day Stacy Peterson last was seen by her relatives. He had been scheduled to work at 5 p.m. that day, but called in saying Stacy was missing and he had to watch the kids, police said.

According to the Tribune, Drew Peterson picked up his stepbrother at about 7 p.m. that evening and took him to a coffee shop. Peterson reportedly told the man he had to go somewhere and left him with a cell phone, instructing him not to answer it.

The phone did ring while Peterson was gone, the Tribune reported. The caller ID said, “Stacy.”

Peterson came back to the coffee shop and drove Morphey to Peterson’s home. Peterson reportedly asked the man to help him move something from the house. After moving the plastic container to the SUV, the two left and Peterson dropped the man off at his own home, according to the Tribune.

Sharon Bychowski, Peterson’s next-door neighbor, said she baby-sat Drew Peterson’s children three days later, on the morning of Oct. 31, for 90 minutes. She said Peterson told her he had to visit a relative in the hospital who had tried to commit suicide.

When Peterson returned to pick up his children, she asked how the relative was doing. “He said, ‘Lost his job, lost his family,”‘ Bychowski told the AP.

Police Lt. Ken Teppel said Bolingbrook Fire Department logs show a report of a drug overdose involving sleeping pills for Morphey on Oct. 29 around 11 p.m. He was stabilized and taken to a hospital. The logs indicate Morphey never talked to a police officer, and the Tribune reported that it was a friend of Morphey’s who contacted police.

A volunteer who has helped look for Stacy Peterson said searchers were told by police to watch for a large blue plastic barrel.

“They actually even gave me a picture of what we might be looking for,” Tim Miller, founder and director of Texas EquuSearch. “It was certainly large enough to put her body in, she only weighed about a hundred pounds.”

Melissa Doman, a niece of Kathleen Savio, told the AP she has met Morphey. Doman said the man worked for Drew Peterson and Kathleen Savio, managing a bar they once owned.

“As far as hospitalizations or suicide attempts, I’ve never heard of it,” Doman said.

Pamela Bosco, a close friend of Stacy Peterson’s family acting as their spokeswoman, said Wednesday evening she learned of Morphey’s story through media reports.

But she said it corresponds with the timeline of when Stacy’s family last had contact with her and their fears about her fate.

Bosco also said Illinois State Police long ago told family members that searchers were instructed to look for a round blue container.

“We believe in the end we will find her, one way or the other,” Bosco said.

Associated Press writers Carla K. Johnson in Chicago and Karen Hawkins in Bolingbrook contributed to this report.

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Reader comments on this story - 11 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

I think he is wrote on Nov 29, 2007 1:31 PM:

" As guilty as Scott Peterson "

To Mr. Brodsky wrote on Nov 29, 2007 1:31 PM:

" I would be mentally distrubed too if I had found out that I had just helped a killer cover up a murder "

What if wrote on Nov 29, 2007 10:43 AM:

" Her mother was taken against her will? Domestic violence runs in families - perhaps that had something to do with her disappearance "

Rose-colored Glasses wrote on Nov 28, 2007 9:39 PM:

" Oh, but he can't be guilty of any wrongdoing. After all, he's a police officer. Aren't they all above reproach? "

let's hope! wrote on Nov 28, 2007 7:29 PM:

" the container is empty when found. "

This is not... wrote on Nov 28, 2007 7:09 PM:

" looking good for Peterson. The story is going in a lot of different directions, and they are all damning, unless there is much more information the media has not yet been made privy to. I, too, wish she would be found alive, but it doesn't look good. I feel badly for her children and family. "

Mr. Brodsky~~ wrote on Nov 28, 2007 2:59 PM:

" If you were making comments concerning my mental health and you didn't have any evidence to back it up I would see you in court for defamation and slander!! Why would you make such allegations about someone in the name of a client that I shall call guilty then!! If you can make these allegations against one man then we can make them against your client!! You should be ashamed of yourself, you do make a perfect fit for Drew. You say their was no such barrel, so are you calling the neighbors and others liars? Not everyone lies, only the accused will lie to save his own hide, not caring one tiny little hair about the deceased. You told your client to shut up, well in my opinion you should shut up too. "

lulz wrote on Nov 28, 2007 2:54 PM:

" The story is going too many directions at this point. While it's not looking very good for Drew Peterson in my opinion, time will hopefully tell. "

Praying for return wrote on Nov 28, 2007 2:48 PM:

" Funny how they always have the name Peterson! Why did she marry such an older man- did he pray on younger women? "

what is wrote on Nov 28, 2007 9:50 AM:

" your point? just because her mother did it doesn't mean she did! and if he knew that he knew it would make his story more believable... if he did kill her... "

But didn`t wrote on Nov 28, 2007 8:51 AM:

" her mother do the same thing when she was a kid...just took off and disappeared????!!!! "
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