Years later, the search continues for missing mom, Stacy Peterson, but still no sign

On Tuesday, authorities searched the I&M Canal near Lockport for Stacy Peterson, according to her sister, but found nothing.

I&M Canal (South of Lockport)(Dan Brownlee/CC BY 3.0/Wikimedia Commons)

Stacy Peterson, a Chicago-area mom of two, has been missing for 14 years. Illinois State Police searched the I&M Canal near Lockport with the FBI on Tuesday but turned up empty-handed.

Stacy Peterson's sister, Cassandra Cales, told reporters she had urged the police to search the area in May. She had found evidence of remains in the canal when she conducted a sonar search of the area with a private company.

Five months later, police and the FBI finally searched the canal. "Because of me pressing buttons, they come out five months later and don’t recover anything," said Cales at a press conference.

According to NBC Chicago, though authorities confirmed they were investigating the area, they did not specify what they were looking for. According to NBC, their sources said the search was brought on by a tip from Stacy Peterson's family. But the search ended on Tuesday with no results, and thno plans to continue.

Cales told Fox 32 Chicago, "I am beyond frustrated. It's definitely somebody. I can't say it's my sister. But why take so long to go and retrieve something?"

Stacy Peterson went missing in 2007. Her husband, former Bolingbrook police officer, Drew Peterson, has not been charged with the disappearance of his fourth wife. However, he is serving a 38-year sentence for the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

In addition to that sentence, he's got a 40-year conviction for plotting to murder Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow for prosecuting him.

Savio's death in 2004 was originally ruled an accident. But Glasgow reopened the case after Stacy Peterson disappeared.

Stacy Peterson was 23 years old at the time of her disappearance, and 19 years old when she married then 49-year-old Drew Peterson. Her disappearance captured the attention of the media, but answers have never been found.

Cales believes that Drew Peterson killed her sister and disposed of the body in the I&M Canal. She told reporters she is not done searching for her sister. "I will be back. Just because they say it's good, it's not good enough for me. If you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself. They had their chance."

Drew Peterson will be eligible for parole in 2081.

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