Dec 17, 2008 6:21 pm US/Central
Drew Peterson Is Engaged To Be Married... Again
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Drew Peterson leaves his Bolingbrook home to turn himself in on an unrelated gun charge. Peterson is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy.
CBS
It's been more than a year since Stacy Peterson disappeared, and while she hasn't been found, it seems her husband, Drew Peterson, has found love again. CBS 2's Mai Martinez spoke with him on the phone.
The brief conversation Wednesday afternoon lasted only six minutes, but Peterson wasn't saying much about his new fiancée. He says that's because he is concerned for her safety.
He's afraid people will try to find her and perhaps harass her. Peterson said that while he's capable of dealing with that kind of negative attention, he doesn't want her to be subjected to it.
CBS 2 has learned the woman is 23-years-old, and if she marries Peterson, she will be his fifth wife.
Peterson's publicist Glenn Selig says the 54-year-old proposed within the last week after dating the woman for about four months.
Engagement announcements normally solicit congratulations and well wishes, but when the groom-to-be is Drew Peterson, and the bride-to-be is an unnamed 23-year-old woman, the reaction seems much different.
Bruce Robbins from Oak Park, Illinois wants to know, "What, what is she thinking?"
"Are you kidding me? Oh she better do her homework," said Michelle Thomas.
Like many, Thomas was shocked by the news of Peterson's latest engagement, which comes a little more than a year after his fourth wife Stacy Peterson disappeared.
Selig said that Peterson made this decision because he wants to be happy and is trying to move forward with his life.
Peterson is considered a person of interest in the case and a cloud of suspicion still hangs over him concerning the death of his third wife Kathleen Savio, which was ruled a homicide.
"I would rather for him to clear his name than to actually pursue another woman," Thomas said.
One legal challenge Peterson faces in his pursuit of his latest bride-to-be is the fact that he is still married to Stacy.
Attorney James Quigley says it's a legal obstacle Peterson can likely overcome by simply filing for a "fault based" divorce.
"There's really nothing that prevents him from moving forward," Quigley said.
As for Peterson's engagement to one woman while still married to another, Quigley says no laws are broken there either.
"There's nothing stops one from doing that because an engagement doesn't create any legal right," Quigley said.
Some people think that could open the door for a slew of other future Mrs. Drew Petersons.
"Cause there's always someone out there looking for that Drew Peterson, I guess," Chantal Blackmore said.
The author who broke the news of Peterson's engagement told CBS 2 Peterson plans to file for divorce next week.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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