Wire-wearing Peterson friend posed as 'Ashley'

Right: Peterson "I turn heads"

July 24, 2008
Herald-News staff report

Len Wawczak did more than just talk with his former friend Drew Peterson using a wire. He also pretended to be a woman during online chats with Peterson, CBS2 Chicago is reporting.

When Wawczak wasn’t wearing a wire to tape Peterson for the police, he was often on his computer setting a different kind of trap. It involved lust and a made-up woman named Ashley.

Peterson was boasting last winter and spring about having a secret admirer named “Ashley.” In late January, Peterson said he had been talking to the mysterious “Ashley,” who was described as 20 years old. At the time, “Ashley” was reluctant to go public with her reasons for reaching out to Peterson.


Wawczak has revealed to CBS2 Chicago that he was the real Ashley.


“He became real fond of Ashley, and Ashley would be me,” he told CBS2 reporter Mike Puccinelli. “I am the real Ashley. I’m the one who did the blog. I’m the one who romanced Drew. I’m the one that typed to him in that pink font, and I’m the one that said that he said he wanted to take a bite out of my cute little a**. It was me.”


Wawczak says as “Ashley,” he and Peterson had an online relationship for more than two months.


“I started talking to him in March,” Wawczak said. “I don’t know, according to Drew, in his own words, he fell in love with me within the first day.”


When Peterson went on CNN’s “Larry King Live” in April, Wawczak says he told Ashley he would show his love for her on the air.


“He said every time he pulled on his ear, that meant he loved me,” Wawczak said. “He tugged on his ear three different instances.”


Wawczak said Peterson cried crocodile tears on “Larry King.”


“Drew was trying to make it seem like poor little Lacy is without her mom and everything, and he tried to choke up some tears, and at the same time he was pulling on his ear,” Wawczak said. “It was all just staged, is what I’m saying.”


During the interview with CBS2, Wawczak logged on as the real Ashley and printed out instant messages he says were exchanged between Peterson and “Ashley.”


Peterson: “Get my message?”


Ashley: “Um no... what message?


Peterson: “My Larry King message.”


Ashley: “You made me smile so big.”

Peterson: “That was my intention.”

Then Ashley seeks to clarify: “We’re talking about you pulling on your earlobe to say you love me correct?”


Peterson: “Yep.”


Wawczak says he and his wife decided to cooperate with police because they became suspicious of their former friend about two weeks after Stacy disappeared. He said going undercover was difficult, and at times, he and his wife would leave the Peterson home only to find the car covered in spit.


Wawczak had maintained a blog titled “Justice Soon for Kathleen and Stacy,” which exposed screen shots of several instant message conversations, and in the most recent entry, said he was “Ashley.” He signed the post, “ “Happy Birthday Joel - Love Ashley/Lenny - Hugs & Kisses :-),” referring to Peterson’s attorney, Joel Brodsky.


Peterson’s attorney says his client did correspond with “Ashley.” He says some of what is on the blog is true, but a lot more is fabricated.