The Chilling Thing Drew Peterson Told His Second Wife

Convicted murderer and former police officer Drew Peterson was sentenced to 38 years in prison back in 2012 in connection to the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. His fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, went missing in 2007, and Drew was also convicted of plotting to kill one of the prosecuting attorneys from the Savio case. 

As Drew's legal case proceeded, his first two wives shared insight into their former marriages to him. Carol Brown was married to Drew from 1974 to 1980, and they had two sons together, per In Touch Weekly. After Stacy's disappearance, Brown told "Good Morning America," "It's heartbreaking to think about the children," referring to the four children he had with Savio and Stacy. She also said that "never in a million years" could she have anticipated this sort of situation involving Drew developing. Drew and his first wife split after she learned he was having an affair.

A couple of years after splitting from Brown, Drew married Vicki Connolly. They had no children, but the Chicago Tribune detailed that they raised together the children they each had from prior marriages. They ran a bar together and were married for nearly 10 years. Connolly admitted it was a rocky union at times, telling the Tribune, "We had such a great life and he blew it. It wasn't good enough for him." She added, "He had four great wives who did everything for him. And it was never enough for Drew Peterson."

Vicki Connolly said that Drew Peterson hit her and verbally threatened her, per the Chicago Tribune. And during a pretrial hearing for Peterson, Connolly said, "He told me he would kill me and make it look like an accident," detailed ABC 7. Connolly said that she never knew when the alleged domestic violence was going to happen. "It was mind games; it was head games," she told the Tribune.

Police were called to their house several times, but Connolly never filed reports. She said Peterson repeatedly cheated during the marriage, including having an affair with his eventual third wife, Kathleen Savio.

NBC News noted that Connolly testified that Peterson pulled a gun on her multiple times. One time, he held it to her head and threatened to kill her before then killing himself. Peterson exhibited problematic behavior after the divorce, too. Connolly said he offered to put new locks in at her home and soon after, she discovered him standing over her as she slept. "He didn't say anything. We did not exchange words at all. Drew turned and left," she said of that chilling encounter. She also testified about another time Peterson "put me up against the wall in the garage and grabbed me by the throat," per ABC 7. Connolly escaped serious injury from her ex-husband, but his third wife wasn't as fortunate.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.