Drew Peterson: The Tribune Files

by Chicago Tribune (Compilation)

A collection of Chicago Tribune articles detailing the case and trial of the infamous police officer convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio.In 2004, Kathleen Savio, the third wife of Bolingbrook, Illinois, police officer Drew Peterson, was discovered dead in a bathtub from an apparent drowning. Her death was deemed accidental—at first. In 2007, following the disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy, officials reopened the Savio case with Drew as the primary suspect.Drew The Tribune Files is a true-crime ebook comprising actual Chicago Tribune articles. By compiling years of original reporting in chronological order, this book preserves the shock of each sordid twist in real time as the story grew from a local curiosity into a national phenomenon (complete with a made-for-TV Lifetime movie starring Rob Lowe).This book captures every detail of the murders and the surrounding media circus, from Peterson’s bizarre reality TV stint as a celebrity criminal, to the chilling courtroom testimony of Peterson’s brother as he unwittingly assisted with the disposal of a human body. Special attention is paid to the trial itself, which broke legal ground when hearsay testimony from Peterson’s fourth wife, recorded before her disappearance, was allowed as evidence. The Chicago Tribune’s award-winning staff possesses the unique perspective of having covered this case from beginning to end, and the most fascinating pieces have finally been curated into a single collection of the gruesome facts.

Genres: True Crime

387 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 2014

About the author

The Chicago Tribune is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (the slogan from which its integrated WGN radio and television received their call letters), it remains the most-read daily newspaper in the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. In 2022, it had the seventh-highest circulation of any newspaper in the United States.
In the 1850s, under Joseph Medill, the Chicago Tribune became closely associated with the Illinois politician Abraham Lincoln, and the Republican Party's progressive wing. In the 20th century, under Medill's grandson Robert R. McCormick, its reputation was that of a crusading newspaper with an outlook that promoted American conservatism and opposed the New Deal. Its reporting and commentary reached markets outside Chicago through family and corporate relationships at the New York Daily News and the Washington Times-Herald. In the 1960s, its corporate parent owner, Tribune Company, sought to expand its market. In 2008, for the first time in its over-a-century-and-a-half history, its editorial page endorsed a Democrat, Barack Obama, a U.S. Senator from Illinois, for U.S. president.
Originally published solely as a broadsheet, the Tribune announced on January 13, 2009, that it would continue publishing as a broadsheet for home delivery, but would publish in tabloid format for newsstand, news box, and commuter station sales. The change, however, proved unpopular with readers; in August 2011, the Tribune discontinued the tabloid edition, returning to its established broadsheet format through all distribution channels.
The Tribune was owned by parent company Tribune Publishing. In May 2021, Tribune Publishing was acquired by Alden Global Capital, which operates its media properties through Digital First Media.

Reviews

[Murrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressed with the reporting format, as this event unfolds. It seems happily objective since the trial itself is rampant with bias and media hype by all of the characters involved, including the legal ones at the top. It left me with great confusion about the word "justice". Throughout all the fussing and fuming, the celebrity aspect that every single one of the "players" in the tale sought to achieve, pointed out the fact that they all forgot about the woman who was, apparently, murdered. Her pain and that of her children were set aside as trivial. There were jokes in the courtroom, mostly by the clownish judge. The lawyers on either side seemed intent upon both fame and infamy as one of their ploys.The whole circus made a mockery of what the courts want us to respect. Constantly, during the reading which was well done by the Tribune, I yearned to plow on to the end of the trial, not to speak of remembering the beginning. I was left hoping that one day the missing woman they all avoided, would be found dead or alive. What happens to ordinary citizens tainted by a need for attention went beyond reason. It's a cumbersome read and one that makes the playing of the experts of The Law, apparently more important than any sort of justice to be found in those sorts of courts. The jury toying by all wearing costume gear, was sickening. Well done reporting though.

[Sydney Fulbright · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s ok

It was good. I did get frustrated with the information being repeated again and again. I recommend especially if you didn’t follow the original story. Thorough.

[Sandy James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to follow the case through the news stories. Good read.

[Tammie Vernon · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was slow. I had a hard time keeping on task reading

[Michelle Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I followed this story for a while, so of course, seeing it come up on my BookBub deals I wanted to dive right in. When it said "The Tribune Files", I thought it was going to be more of a deep dive into the evidence, but it was really just all the articles the Tribune had ever published on the case, which made it a really quick read, and a good refresher on the entire story.

The short version - Drew Peterson was a Seargent in the Bolingbrook Police Department, first came up in headlines when his 4th wife went missing (she was never found). Circumstances around her disappearance were murky, but they opened the door to him being convicted of the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

[Jacque' Spellman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is what it is

The book is primarily excerpts from the newpaper. There's quite a bit of repetition. Worth the buck I paid for it. There are books out there on Drew Peterson that are better.

[Keith Jahnke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but I felt that the author repeated too many
facts of the case over and over