By Erika Slife and Matthew Walberg Tribune reporters
1:43 PM CST, January 24, 2008
1:43 PM CST, January 24, 2008
Drew Peterson's former friend, Ric Mims, appeared again before a special grand jury Thursday, this time to testify about how he and Peterson used to follow Peterson's third wife around before their divorce was settled.After spending about 45 minutes in the Will County grand jury room, Mims told reporters that he was asked mostly about Kathleen Savio, Peterson's ex-wife who was found dead in a dry bathtub in 2004.
Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, 24, has been missing since Oct. 28. Police have named Peterson, 53, a suspect in the case, which has been labeled a "potential homicide." The investigation has led authorities to re-examine Savio's death, which originally was ruled accidental. Peterson has denied involvement in either case.
"Today we talked about mostly some stuff that went on with the Savio case, some surveillance things I did with Drew on her," Mims said, shivering outside the Joliet building. "We followed her a few times. He'd have me watch her a few times at work while he did whatever it is he needed to do."I was helping him. I thought he was going through a divorce. . .and just needed somebody to help him."
He said that he and Peterson, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, would communicate by two-way radios, and that Peterson suspected Savio was having an affair. The surveillance took place in late 2003 or early 2004, Mims said, which would have been after Peterson was already married to Stacy but before his divorce settlement with Savio was finalized.
When asked if he felt bad about his participation, Mims said his biggest regret was the day he met Peterson."
I was not participating in [any] harassment. I never participate in any harassment," Mims said. "At the time, I was just helping a friend. . .with this, what I thought was going through a divorce. I thought he was just trying to find dirt on her for a divorce. I regret the day I met Drew Peterson now, to tell you the truth."
Stacy Peterson's sister, Cassandra Cales, and their friend Bruce Zidarich also appeared before the grand jury Thursday. They wore Find Stacy Peterson T-shirts and buttons, and left after about three hours in the grand jury room."
It went well. They just asked how Stacy was. She was a good person," Cales said, as the pair looked for their car in the parking garage. She said it was the first time she had appeared before the grand jury. She declined to share details about what she was asked."
They're just working the investigation. I trust the police, and I'm not going to say anything that would hurt the case," she said. "We went over a lot of stuff."
Zidarich, who was the last person known to talk to Stacy besides Drew Peterson, or perhaps her children, said he was quizzed about that last phone call. Stacy was supposed to go help him paint the interior of a house that day. "
She said she had been laying in bed for a couple of hours. I told her about the painting at the house. She said it was going to be a long day," Zidarich said, adding that she told him she was in bed because she was depressed.
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