West Suburban Bureau

Craig Stebic Won't Let Police Talk To Kids

Court TV Anchor Says Foul Play Was Likely In Lisa Stebic's Disappearance

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PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS/Naperville Sun) ― Investigators in Plainfield say Craig Stebic will not let them talk to his children about their mother's disappearance, and that he is no longer speaking to authorities himself.

His estranged wife, Lisa Stebic, has not been seen since April 30. Craig Stebic is no longer talking to police on the advice of his attorney.

He has also refused to allow police to question 12-year-old Lexi and 10-year-old Zach since investigators initially interviewed them just after their mom was reported missing May 1.

Deputy Chief Mark Eiting said Craig, as the children's legal guardian, can prohibit police from interviewing them.
"He has the right as the parent to not let us talk to the children," Eiting said.

But the Plainfield police do feel that the kids could be instrumental in the search for Lisa.

"I feel confident that the 10- and 12-year-old children want us to find the whereabouts of their mom," Plainfield Police Commander Mike Altenhoff told CBS 2.

Aside from visiting Lisa's two sisters two weekends ago, the children have remained home with their father when they are not at school.

Lexi attends Heritage Grove Middle School, and Zach goes to Walker's Grove Elementary School.

Family members have sheltered them from media attention, with Craig monitoring their television viewing.
A neighbor, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Lisa, says she occasionally has witnessed Craig or the children leaving and entering their home. As the "hot topic" in the neighborhood, the Stebic family is frequently the focus of conversations, she said.

The neighbor said she and many of her neighbors are concerned about Lexi and Zach continuing to live with Craig.
"I'm really scared for those children and that's really what everyone says, too," she said. "Who knows if he's going to snap with those children in the house."

Lisa Stebic disappeared the same day she petitioned for Craig to be evicted from the home. Craig said Lisa left for the gym and never came back.

On Wednesday night, CNN's Larry King interviewed Lisa Stebic's cousins – Mark and Melanie Greenberg, Craig Stebic's father, Joe, and court TV anchor Lisa Bloom.

While Bloom emphasized that Craig Stebic has not been called a suspect or person of interest in his wife's disappearance, she said women in abusive relationships are often in danger when it comes time to part ways, and she also said the circumstances of the case did suggest foul play.

"She had been exercising a lot, she lost about 40 pounds in the months since her disappearance, she got a tattoo of a butterfly on her back, symbolizing rebirth, and according to all her friends, she was looking forward to this divorce," Bloom said. "She was starting a new life and she was optimistic. So it's very odd, and it certainly does sound like foul play, that she would simply disappear and never be heard from again."

Joe Stebic told King his son has done nothing wrong. Lisa's cousins hope the national exposure from the show will help them find her.

Craig Stebic Has Faced Past Weapons Charges
Craig Stebic told reporters this week that his love of hunting was the reason police found blood on a tarp in the back of his truck. He said he was not surprised blood was found in his vehicle since he often uses it to transport animals.

An unnamed police source told The Naperville Sun blood was found on a tarp in the back of his truck that matched Lisa's. The discovery led to a search of the Stebic home late May 14.

Twelve years ago, he received six weapons-related charges as he was returning from one such trip.

Lincolnshire police stopped his truck Jan. 3, 1995, after they noticed his windshield was shattered.

Police found four weapons in the back of his truck, including two assault rifles. The weapons included a Chinese-made AK-47 semiautomatic assault rifle, a Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle, a Universal 10-gauge double-barrel shotgun, and a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum semiautomatic handgun.

Craig was charged with two felonies and six misdemeanors. The most serious charge was a felony offense of possessing firearms within 1,000 feet of a school.

Stebic told police he had just returned from hunting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Police said Stebic was cooperative.

Friends also say Craig has a large collection of guns. When police searched the Stebics' home last week, they were acting on information that Craig had two .50-caliber weapons in his possession, according to the police source.

(CBS 2, the Naperville Sun and the Aurora Beacon-News are news partners covering stories in the western suburbs of Chicago.)