Transcript

Sorority sister stalked by killer before bludgeoning death

From True Crime News · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 40 min · 6,611 words · 159 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Sorority sister stalked by killer before bludgeoning death", an episode of True Crime News published December 22, 2025 (40 min, about 6,611 words). It mentions 17 people, works and ideas, including Hannah Wilson, Daniel Mesel, Drew Peterson, Bloomington, Kathleen Savio.

What this episode is about

The tragic case of Hannah Wilson, a college student murdered just days before her graduation, raises concerns about campus safety and the potential connection to another missing student's disappearance. The investigation uncovers a suspect with a violent history, prompting discussions on the implications of such crimes in college communities.

Key takeaways

  • In a college town, a party should end with laughter, not tragedy—Hannah Wilson’s fate tells a darker tale.
  • Blooms of beauty can mask the roots of danger; Hannah's story echoes the unsolved disappearances of her peers.
  • Serial killers often lurk in familiar places; could Hannah's tragic end be a clue in a chilling pattern?
  • Drew Peterson's arrogance may rival his criminal intellect; attempting murder for hire? That's criminally dumb.
  • A cab ride home shouldn't lead to a chilling disappearance; Hannah's final moments remind us of fragility in safety.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Hannah Wilson, Crime Watch Daily, Bloomington, Chris Hansen
  2. – 10:00: Bloomington, Hannah Wilson, Indiana University, Robin Wilson
  3. – 15:00: Daniel Mesel, Hannah Wilson, Bloomington, Ted Adams
  4. – 20:00: Crime Watch Daily, Drew Peterson, Daniel Mesel, Hannah Wilson
  5. – 25:00: Kathleen Savio
  6. – 30:00: Drew Peterson, Kathleen Savio, Crime Watch Daily
  7. – 35:00: Drew Peterson, Kathleen Savio, Crime Watch Daily
  8. – 40:00: Drew Peterson, Kathleen Savio, Norma Peterson

Notable quotes from "Sorority sister stalked by killer before bludgeoning death"

  • I'm Chris Hansen. Right now on Crime Watch Daily from here in New York.
    about Crime Watch Daily · at
  • You could not see the hand in front of your face. In the light of day, Bloomington looks bright and friendly, filled with studious kids. But the quaint college town has a dark secret.
    about Bloomington · at
  • Hannah Wilson was just days away from graduating from Indiana University. But after a night of partying with friends, the co-ed would be found dead. And as police would search for the killer, they.
    about Hannah Wilson · at
  • But police know me for something far more sinister. Daniel Mesel has an extensive violent criminal history, specifically against women. He actually went to prison for using a 2x4 on his grandmother and.
    about Daniel Mesel · at
  • Robin Wilson and her youngest daughter Haley sit in court every single tortuous day. Robin says it was like looking into the face of the devil. It was a feeling when you look…
    about Robin Wilson · at
  • Prosecuting attorney Ted Adams is now breaking news to Crime Watch Daily. Adam suspects Messel is also involved in one of the most famous current missing person's cases in America.
    about Lauren Spearer · at
  • Former police Sergeant Drew Peterson has been married four times. One of his wives is dead. Another is missing. And the two others consider themselves very lucky to be alive. Our Michelle Sigona.
    about Drew Peterson · at
  • The death an accident. Accidental drowning to be precise. But Kathleen's sister says she came to a very different conclusion and that it happened as soon as she heard how her sister died.
    about Kathleen Savio · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Hannah Wilson — Person · Victim / central case subject · 10 mentions · first at
    Indiana University student whose 2015 murder is the first major story; evidence from her case leads to Daniel Mesel’s arrest and prompts discussion of possible links to other missing IU students.
  • Daniel Mesel — Person · Accused/convicted perpetrator (Hannah Wilson case); alleged link to other cases · 5 mentions · first at
    Identified via the red cell phone found at the crime scene; arrested with blood/hair evidence; convicted of Hannah Wilson’s murder and discussed as a possible suspect in other Bloomington/IU cases.
  • Drew Peterson — Person · Referenced subject / central figure of second segment · 14 mentions · first at
    Former police sergeant profiled for the death of his third wife Kathleen Savio and the disappearance of his fourth wife Stacy; also discussed for an alleged/attempted hitman plot against a prosecutor.
  • Kathleen Savio — Person · Victim / key figure in Drew Peterson case · 6 mentions · first at
    Drew Peterson’s third wife; her death (initially ruled accidental drowning, later homicide after exhumation) is the basis of his murder conviction discussed in the episode.
  • Robin Wilson — Person · Interviewee / victim’s mother · 4 mentions · first at
    Mother of Hannah Wilson; provides emotional testimony and details about Hannah’s last days and the impact of the investigation and trial.
  • Ted Adams — Person · Referenced expert / prosecutor (Hannah Wilson case) · 4 mentions · first at
    Brown County prosecutor who explains the evidence, timeline, and investigative theory; also raises the possibility of Mesel’s involvement in Lauren Spierer’s disappearance.
    Prosecutor Ted Adams lays out a timeline showing how the lives of Hannah Wilson and Daniel Messel were on a collision course that terrible night. So, we believe sometime after 10:05 and before.
  • Lauren Spearer — Person · Missing person referenced as potentially connected case · 4 mentions · first at
    Indiana University student missing since 2011; her case is compared to Hannah Wilson’s and is discussed as a possible earlier victim connected to Daniel Mesel via allegations and a letter from David Hayden.
  • Chris Hansen — Person · Host / main narrator · 2 mentions · first at
    Introduces and narrates both major segments (Hannah Wilson murder; Drew Peterson case) as the on-air host of Crime Watch Daily.
    Welcome to Crime Watch Daily, everyone.
  • Norma Peterson — Person · Interviewee / family member speaking out · 2 mentions · first at
    Drew Peterson’s sister-in-law; provides firsthand perspective on Drew’s behavior and family dynamics and discusses domestic-violence documentation efforts after Stacy’s disappearance.
    Drew Peterson's own sister-in-law is breaking her silence to talk about what it was like to live under the same roof with a killer.
  • David Hayden — Person · Referenced letter-writer / alleged accomplice claimant · 1 mention · first at
    Author of letters claiming he helped Daniel Mesel move Lauren Spierer’s body; used to support the prosecutor’s theory of Mesel’s possible involvement (while noting denials and uncertainty).
    Sent Crime Watch Daily these letters 23 pages from a man named David Hayden who claims he helped Messel move Lauren Spearer's body. Adams believes Hayden and Messel did prison…
  • Jill Burman — Person · Referenced victim in related IU disappearances · 1 mention · first at
    Earlier IU disappearance (2000) used to frame a pattern of missing/attacked co-eds in Bloomington and heighten concern about serial predation.
    It was 2000 when 19-year-old freshman Jill Burman disappeared. Her skeletal remains found 3 years later. She was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. John Meyers II was convicted on a.

Companies & orgs

  • Indiana University — Company · Headquarters · 5 mentions · first at
    The university where the victims were students, central to the narrative of the crimes.
    Hannah Wilson was just days away from graduating from Indiana University. But after a night of partying with friends, the co-ed would be found dead. And as police would search for the killer, they.
  • Crime Watch Daily — Company · Broadcast · 10 mentions · first at
    The show presenting the crime stories, including the cases discussed in the podcast.

Places & events

  • Bloomington — Place · Setting · 8 mentions · first at
    Primary location where the crimes discussed in the podcast occurred, including the disappearance and murder of several college students.
  • Broward County — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Location where Hannah Wilson's body was found, significant to the crime's investigation.
    I received a call that a body had been found in Brown County on Plum Creek and I jumped in my truck immediately and drove to the scene. Brown County.
  • Kilroy — Place · Venue · 3 mentions · first at
    A sports bar mentioned in connection with the disappearances of both Lauren Spearer and Hannah Wilson.
    At around midnight, the group finally heads to Kilroy. In an eerie coincidence, it's the same sports bar Lauren Spearer visited just hours before she disappeared. But by now, Hannah's friends are worried she's had too much to drink.
  • Yogi's — Place · Venue · 1 mention · first at
    A bar where Daniel Messel was seen before the murder of Hannah Wilson.
    While Hannah is out partying with her friends, police trace Messle to Yogi's bar. A security camera captures Messle right here with a buddy waiting for a table.

Full transcript with timestamps

I'm Chris Hansen. Right now on Crime Watch Daily from here in New York. She was a beautiful college student just days from graduation.

Everybody always called it the Hannah Wilson laugh and just would do whatever they could to get her to laugh.

But after a night of partying with friends, Hannah Wilson was found dead. Our first impression, foul play. Yes. The hunt for a killer reveals a man with a troubled past.

When you look at those eyes, you are looking to the soul of pure evil. Now, could this case finally help solve the mysterious disappearance of another student?

It is my opinion that his mo would fit what happened to Lawrence. Then he's one of the most infamous convicted murderers of all time.

He's a liar. He's a psychopath. Top turned wife killer, Drew Peterson. Wife number three, murder.

She said to me, "Drew's going to kill me." Wife number four, missing. Did you believe he was responsible for Stacy's disappearance?

In a Crime Watch daily exclusive, Peterson's sister-in-law speaks to our Michelle Sigona. Her first word since he tried to hire a hitman to kill the prosecutor.

I can't believe he was that dumb. Right now, Andrea is with Crime Watch Daily. Jason Matau with Crime Watch Daily. This

I'm Elizabeth. I'm here with Crime Watch. and Michelle from Crime Watch Daily. Anna Garcia from Crime Watch

is Crime Watch Daily. Stay off my property. We'll find you again. We always do.

Welcome to Crime Watch Daily, everyone. I'm Chris Hansen. First up today, how many times can tragedy hit one college campus? It's a question people at Indiana University are asking after another beautiful co-ed goes missing and is later found murdered. And could her case finally help solve another troubling mystery? She had a laugh so contagious people couldn't help but fall in love with Hannah Wilson.

Everybody always called it the Hannah Wilson laugh and just would um do whatever they could to get her to laugh.

One horrible night that laughter was silenced. A warning. The crime scene photos are disturbing and paint a terrible picture of what happened to Hannah here along this lonely country road.

The day that Hannah was killed is the day that um will be seared in my memory forever.

Hannah's beaten and bloody body found face down probably right in this area. But what Hannah did in those last few precious seconds of her life may help police catch a possible serial killer. I've often said selfishly, "Why didn't you take somebody else's daughter that night?"

When Robin Wilson sent her oldest daughter, Hannah, off to the University of Indiana in Bloomington, she was a little more nervous than the typical college parent.

It always bothered me from the very beginning how unsafe the street was that Hannah lived on. The street was so dark you could not see the hand in front of your face. In the light of day, Bloomington looks bright and friendly, filled with studious kids. But the quaint college town has a dark secret. Beautiful young co-eds keep disappearing off the streets. At least two have turned up dead. It was 2000 when 19-year-old freshman Jill Burman disappeared. Her skeletal remains found 3 years later. She was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. John Meyers II was convicted on a mountain of circumstantial evidence and sentenced to 65 years in prison. And then there's Lauren Spearer.

We just need Lauren. We need our daughter. We covered the story of the petite blue-eyed blonde who went out for a night of heavy partying with some buddies at this Bloomington hot spot, Kilroy. She was last seen alone at this intersection in the wee hours of the morning. Bloomington police have never made an arrest and Lauren is still missing.

Lauren, I love you, honey, and I I can't wait to hold you in my arms and give you a hug and a kiss.

Hannah knew all about Jill and Lauren. But the senior psychology major's biggest concern at the time was simply graduating.

For Hannah to focus on just getting good grades on her finals and not being distracted by everything else going on was was a big deal for Hannah. Just days before taking her last college exam, Hannah made a surprise visit home to check on her sick cat, Mac. It turned out to be the last time Robin would ever see her daughter.

She kissed me goodbye. She kissed Matt goodbye. And the last words I said to her was, "Just don't get in a car wreck because it was raining." And I said, "If you're late, you're late. It's nothing is ever that important. Just just stay alive." Hannah ended up acing her exam, a cause for celebration.

She earned a right to go celebrate. The celebration started at her home with some girlfriends.

At some point in the night, she had separated off from her sorority sisters to meet up with some old acquaintances that were already graduated.

Hannah meets an old boyfriend and some of his buddies at this Bloomington hotel where she continued to party. And then at around midnight, the group finally heads to Kilroy. In an eerie coincidence, it's the same sports bar Lauren Spearer visited just hours before she disappeared. But by now, Hannah's friends are worried she's had too much to drink.

They were concerned for her safety and and she was not really wanting to go home, but complied because they felt like, "You've you've had enough, so it's time to end your evening." Moments later, her friends put Hannah in a cab and pay the driver 20 bucks to take her home just six blocks away.

The taxi driver left her um at the intersection near her house and watched her walk away and she was never seen again.

One of Hannah's roommates hears the front door open at around 1:00 a.m. but never hears it close. Phone records indicate Hannah's cell phone tapped into the house's Wi-Fi a few minutes later. We know she made it inside of her house. We don't know why she got out of that house.

What happens in the next 7 and 1/2 hours remains a heartbreaking mystery that tortures her mom.

It's the little questions that I still don't have answers to that still keep me awake because we still don't know how he took her. I received a call that a body had been found in Brown County on Plum Creek and I jumped in my truck immediately and drove to the scene. Brown County prosecutor Ted Adams says an unidentified female body was found here in this grassy area about 18 mi outside of Bloomington around 8:34 in the morning.

Our first impression, foul play. Yes. Her wavy brunette hair now matted in blood. She was dead from blunt force trauma.

We never found a murder weapon. Uh we were able to draw conclusions as to what we think the murder weapon was and we believed it to be a Magite flashlight. The young woman was fully clothed but had no purse and no ID. Luckily, police find a cell phone resting perfectly between her black Converse sneakers, a possible clue as to the victim's identity. Of course, this would have been pitch dark on April 24th, 2015. Around 3:00 a.m. is when I think it happened. Uh, but in broad daylight, at her feet was a bright red cell phone.

We believed initially it was her phone. But detectives quickly discover the cell phone is not registered to Hannah. We were fascinated and surprised and shocked at the existence of this cell phone that did not belong to the victim.

If it wasn't Hannah's, could it be the killers? I remember um one of the lead detectives called me and I mean it was shock. I I thought, well, what the heck? An hour away, Robin Wilson gets a call from the Bloomington police saying there had been an incident with Hannah.

Her friends had just reported her missing. Police tell Robin her daughter's roommate woke up to find their front door wide open. She discovers Hannah's phone and purse in her room, but Hannah's nowhere to be found.

Running through my mind, what all do I need to do if my daughter's missing? What pictures do I need to do? Where do I get posters made?

By the time Robin arrives, police are pretty sure they have found Hannah. I got to the uh state police post and then they showed me a picture and asked me if that was my daughter and I said it was and um the next words out of his mouth were we have her body. So I asked you know who did this to her? Who?

Up next. Cops close in on the killer and catch him red-handed. He dropped that bag and in that bag was those critical pieces of evidence uh which had her DNA and her blood on them. Hannah Wilson was just days away from graduating from Indiana University. But after a night of partying with friends, the co-ed would be found dead. And as police would search for the killer, they would wonder if this case was connected to another IU student went missing years before. It's the piece of police evidence that changed everything. That red phone resting between the feet of Hannah Wilson's dead body. That phone will be in my brain forever.

The police photo will not only solve the Indiana University students brutal murder, but also exposed the monster who's allegedly been hunting young, beautiful co-eds around Bloomington, Indiana.

The cell phone led to everything. It was like the first domino in a series of dominoes. Police tracked the cell phone to Daniel Mesel, a 49-year-old print shop employee. His friends have no clue. They all think Messel is a harmless trivia buff. This is video of him at a local competition.

Nearly a quarter of the world's people live under this country's rule. Fine print.

Great Britain. But police know me for something far more sinister. Daniel Mesel has an extensive violent criminal history, specifically against women. He actually went to prison for using a 2x4 on his grandmother and hitting her in the head.

When cops pull up to Messel's house, they find his gray Kia Sportage packed. And Messel is about to load one last bag. He was walking out with a clear garbage bag full of clothes. Inside that bag, blood soaked jeans, sneakers, and an Indiana University sweatshirt. The clothes are his. The blood is Hannah Wilson's. And inside his Kia Sportage, more grizzly clues leading cops straight to Hannah.

The center council, there are about 50 strands of de of Hannah Wilson's hair. Daniel Messel is arrested on the spot, then charged with first-degree murder.

Why? I was being told that my daughter was dead. He was literally not very far away from me in the same building. I'm getting processed.

Robin Wilson and her youngest daughter Haley sit in court every single tortuous day. Robin says it was like looking into the face of the devil. It was a feeling when when you look at those eyes, you were looking to the soul of pure evil and it was um it rattled me.

Prosecutor Ted Adams lays out a timeline showing how the lives of Hannah Wilson and Daniel Messel were on a collision course that terrible night. So, we believe sometime after 10:05 and before 2:58 a.m. U that these two individuals that had no known connections met. While Hannah is out partying with her friends, police trace Messle to Yogi's bar. A security camera captures Messle right here with a buddy waiting for a table.

They played trivia for 2 hours. They checked out and we think it was around 11:30 p.m. Just after midnight, Hannah and her friends end up at Kilroy Sports Bar just a few blocks down from Yogis. By now, Hannah's had a tad too much to drink, so her friends call a cab to take her home. Just down the street, another security camera captures Messel cruising up and down Bloomington's main drag in his Kia Sportage. Adams believes Messel was looking for easy prey, a young co-ed who'd had too much to drink. We had him just kind of rolling around Bloomington all that early morning.

Now, in this never-before released video right there inside the cab is Hannah Wilson. And then in a chilling split second right here, look who's following close behind. It's Daniel Messel in his Kia Sportage. Ted Adams believes he followed Hannah home. I think at some point she realized her license was missing and she walked out of her house to see if she maybe dropped it out there. It is my belief that Daniel Messel either offered to help or offered to give her a ride back to the bar and I think that's how those two individuals met.

Adam says blood evidence inside Messel's SUV tells its own chilling story about what happened next. It is my theory that he somehow knocked her out in the Key of Sportage.

Adams believes Messel then drove Hannah, still unconscious, toward a remote cavernous area about 18 mi outside of Bloomington, but ran into an unexpected roadblock. A bridge was out. I think uh Hannah had regained consciousness and was fighting there. He pulled quickly into this lot because he had to defend himself from the onslaught of Hannah trying to escape that vehicle. There was no indication of DNA or blood spatter on the passenger side. And that's why I think he had drug her over the center council onto the ground and killed her there. And at her feet was the bright red cell phone. I would like to know um what went through his head when he realized at some point that he did not have a cell phone because at some point that has to be an oh my gosh moment and luckily that was the key to knowing who did it.

Although no murder weapon was ever found, that phone Hannah was able to strip away from Messel in her last dying moments was all the evidence a jury would need to find him guilty of first-degree murder. As Hannah's murder trial played out on the local news,

Hannah Wilson was here at this bar. Something else shocking began to happen. Young women started coming forward with allegations of stalking, assault, and rape. And they all pointed at just one man, Daniel Messel.

There was a house of female college students that were terrorized by a person they believed to be Daniel Mesel. And the latest bombshell. An Indiana University law student is now accusing Messel as the man who attempted to rape her. And now, police tell Crime Watch Daily a DNA profile recovered from the evidence in that case is consistent with the DNA profile of Messel. He's been charged with attempted rape, but has not entered a plea. Which leaves many wondering, are there more Daniel Messel victims out there? to think that a 49year-old man decides to stalk and kill somebody for the very first time. In my opinion, I feel like Hannah was probably not the first.

Prosecuting attorney Ted Adams is now breaking news to Crime Watch Daily. Adam suspects Messel is also involved in one of the most famous current missing person's cases in America. Lauren Spearer, she too disappeared from IU. His MMO would fit what happened to Lauren Spear.

Lauren Spear vanished in 2011. These haunting images show Lauren walking out of her apartment and into the dark at this intersection just blocks away from where Hannah Wilson was abducted.

Attractive young female IU students. They were both consuming alcohol that she was in and around the same I'll call it an eight block radius of where Hannah Wilson was plucked out of. Adams also sent Crime Watch Daily these letters 23 pages from a man named David Hayden who claims he helped Messel move Lauren Spearer's body. Adams believes Hayden and Messel did prison time together in the '9s. In one of the letters, Hayden writes, "Len's body was quote dressed in black stretch yoga pants, white shirt, and dark thong, no bra, and several rings on one hand."

Chillingly, the last picture of Lauren shows her wearing similar clothes. Messel denies knowing Hayden or Lauren Spear wrote a letter to a judge saying, "The people that investigated the case know I had nothing to do with it."

That was not part of the Lawrence Spear investigation. Well, I know that Daniel Mesel was a person of interest, uh, but I have no idea where that investigation stands of as of today. Daniel Messel is sentenced to 80 years behind bars. Hannah's mom, Robin, now has some peace knowing her brave young daughter put him there and truly believes Hannah lost her life fighting to save others

by putting up the fight that she did and causing his cell phone to been left at the crime scene. Um, we have a killer off the streets and may have saved many other innocent girls. Coming up, Crime Watch Daily cracks open the sensational case of ex- cop Drew Peterson. And for the first time, one of his own family members is breaking her silence.

Did you believe he was responsible for Stacy's disappearance? That's next. Former police Sergeant Drew Peterson has been married four times. One of his wives is dead. Another is missing. And the two others consider themselves very lucky to be alive. Our Michelle Sigona has the horrifying story of this cop gone bad.

One man, four wives, a suspicious death, and a disappearance. You were almost glued to the TV to see what's going to happen next. What else can happen?

The life and crimes of Drew Peterson have made international headlines. He says he believes that he helped you dispose of your wife's body. Can you at least respond to that? But now

you were able to stay anonymous and an insane situation. Exactly. Speaking publicly for the first time in this Crime Watch Daily exclusive.

I wanted the first time that I came out to be important. Drew Peterson's own sister-in-law is breaking her silence to talk about what it was like to live under the same roof with a killer.

Did you believe he was responsible for Stacy's disappearance? Before former police sergeant Drew Peterson was a household name for all the wrong reasons, Norma Peterson knew him as the sometimes over-the-top brother of her husband Paul.

He is who he is. As you learn from hanging around with Drew or spending any amount of time with him, he pretty much goes by his own rules. Always has.

Especially, it seems when it came to women. There was no amount of self-control. He just figured, okay, you know, each time he had remarried, he probably went 10 years younger, 10 years younger. He was married four times.

First, there was wife Carol. After two kids and six years of marriage, she caught Drew cheating and that was the end. Then there was Vicki. She lasted 10 years before asking for a divorce when Drew started dating this woman. Her name was Kathleen Savio. Kathleen's sister, Susan, still remembers when the two got together. She was really excited about meeting a police officer and she thought Drew was really nice looking and very very nice.

But he was also very very attached. Well, she didn't know about that he was married. She thought that he was separated or divorced. And according to Susan, Kathleen didn't find out until much later. Only after Drew made her wife number three.

She had two beautiful children, boys. She loved him with all her heart. Those were her boys.

But by most accounts, her relationship with Drew deteriorated fast. Well, I would see black and blue marks on her, and I asked her what happened, and she say that she just bruises real easy. She bumped into something.

Then after 11 years of matrimony, Kathleen caught Drew in a very familiar position.

Someone said that everyone knew that he was dating Stacy. As in Stacy, soon to be Peterson, wife number four.

When Stacy first met Drew, what did you think? I didn't like him cuz she was 16 years old and you know, she'd always get phone calls when we were together. And when she turned 17, poof, I meet Drew. She had an apartment. It was fully furnished. And here's this cocky old guy.

Drew's sister-in-law says her husband wasn't too thrilled either. What did Paul say?

He was like, "I have daughters this age. How how can you do this?" But he was going to pretty much do what he wanted to do anyway. It was a beautiful 17-year-old girl, you know? How am I supposed to say no? When Kathleen found out, she hired a divorce attorney, then sent Drew to live with Stacy.

He had literally bought a house right around the corner so that he could be in the same neighborhood as his kids.

However, the details of the divorce settlement with Kathleen had still yet to be finalized.

She was set to receive some money from Drew. Yes. Half of his pension um I believe custody to children and uh half of the house. Basically, it would it would ruin him.

Instead, a different kind of ruin. Two weeks before Kathleen Andrew's settlement was to be finalized, neighbors found her dead in an empty bathtub. A 1-in gash on the back of her head.

The day Kathy died, Drew called Paul and said what? He had said that they had found Kathy dead at her home. They're kind of looking at me sideways, so if they say anything to you.

A corner's jury of six would soon rule the death an accident. Accidental drowning to be precise. But Kathleen's sister says she came to a very different conclusion and that it happened as soon as she heard how her sister died.

I immediately said, "Did Drew kill her?" The Friday before she passed away, I called her and she said to me, "I'm not going to make it." She said, "Drew's going to kill me and it's going to be an accident and no one's going to find out about it."

And when they came back and ruled her death accidental, my family and I, we we our jaws dropped. We just couldn't accept that.

But there was little they could do. Drew had reportedly been questioned around the time of the death, but had an alibi. He was with Stacy. Drew's sister-in-law had little insight about that period.

We weren't really speaking to Drew at the time. Really? You were? No, we had had um a falling out.

But with his third wife buried and behind him, Drew was free to make Stacy 30 years his junior wife number four. Soon after marrying Stacy, the couple had two children, Drew's fifth and sixth, if you're keeping track.

Stacy was the reason that we all reconciled. It was her that brought us all back together because she insisted that her children were going to know all of their aunts and uncles.

She even took care of the two children Drew had with Kathleen, who moved in with them after her death.

That's the kind of person she was. But somewhere between the beginning and four years later, things changed in a big way. That morning started like any other.

My husband had gotten up to watch the news as he normally does. It was 5:30, 6:00 in the morning and he woke me up to tell me that Stacy was on the news.

State police say they're searching specific areas for the wife of a Bowling Brook police sergeant.

Drew Peterson's wife, number four, was missing. The first thing that came to my mind was he did it. He did it.

Coming up, when one wife goes missing, another returns. You can bury evidence, but it will come back to get you.

And I'm going to come camp myself in front of your house and see if you like it.

It just became such a media frenzy because the story kept getting stranger and stranger. Drew Peterson's fourth wife is missing and detectives have questions about the death of Peterson's third wife. The big one, how did she drown in an empty bathtub? Our Michelle Sagona is back now with a Crime Watch Daily exclusive. when she first went missing and you don't know what happened and you're thinking the worst and you think she's cold out there or she's lonely out there and you think, God, is there anything else I could have done?

But according to Drew, there was nothing anyone could have done. After four years of marriage and two kids, he says Stacy went missing by choice.

Just kept saying Stacy ran off. She took the car and she took money. She took the bikinis. And

she took the bikinis. Yeah. She, you know, she she left me. And what did you tell him?

She wouldn't leave the kids. However, there was evidence to suggest Stacy had been trying to get away from Drew anyway.

She said she was going to leave. She was filing for divorce that Monday. So that Monday after Stacy went missing, she was going down to file the paperwork

that week. Yeah. Do you think Drew knew Stacy was going to file for divorce? Yes. She told him.

Apparently in the four short years they'd been married, things had quickly fallen apart. A fall brought on, Cassandra says, by Drew's insane jealousy.

Like her going to the grocery store, he'd check the receipt and see what time she checked out at. And if she wasn't home in that 15 minutes or whatever, he's accusing her of cheating.

Stacy reached out to local pastor Neil Shury for counseling. And he says there was one session he'll never forget. It was the last time he ever saw her.

She at first just to told me more things about her her life and her marriage, how how hard it was, the jealousy, and and then she looked at me and I just had this sense that she was about to say something profound. And I said, "Whatever you want to tell me, you're free to do it." And she she sort of stared at me and she said, "He did it." I said, "He did what?" And she said, "Drew killed Kathleen Savio. Drew killed his third wife."

What did you say to her at that point? I believe one of the first things I said to her was, "What do you want me to do with this information?" And she said, "I don't want you to do anything. I just want you to know."

A few weeks later, she was gone. But in her absence, new questions came rushing in. A time WGN News reporter Lordis Dewarte remembers well. It just became such a media frenzy because the story kept getting stranger and stranger. You were almost glued to the TV to see what's going to happen next. Do you think Drew fed into the media attention?

To me, it looks pretty obvious that he wasn't shy of it. I'm going to come camp myself in front of your house and see if you like it. Larry King Live, the Today's Show. Drew was everywhere, even participating in a radio promotion called When a Date with Drew Peterson. But all that attention may have backfired.

And then Mark Ferman was in town, I believe, and kind of investigating some of this. And I think that started all the attention going, "Hey, so he's got a fourth wife who's missing and a third wife who's gone. So maybe we should take a a deeper look into this.

Six feet deeper to be exact. In the last half hour, crews removed the coffin holding the remains of Drew Peterson's third wife.

At one point um the family was able to work with um a a private doctor and they were able to exume her body and that's when they found so much more uh to this story. I remember seeing the casket being lifted out of her grave and I just thought, you can bury evidence, but it will come back to get you.

The day that Kathleen was exumed, we were asked to go to the coroner's office. Once there, they were met by renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Boden, famous for testifying in a number of high-profile murder trials, including OJ Simpson and Phil Spectre. and uh he said Kathleen was murdered.

According to Dr. Bodm, a number of deep bruises indicated an extreme struggle in the hours before Kathleen's death. Drew retired from the force not long after that. But far from laying low, he continued his bizarre on camera behavior.

What's going on today? What's going on today? Yes. We went to McDonald's. They had happy meals and McRib sandwiches. How's that?

But Drew's sister-in-law tells Crime Watch Daily that behind closed doors, the family had an agreement not to say anything.

We moved probably moved into Drew's place about the second week in November. And I think it was an understanding that we had that there's four children running around. You really don't want to have those kinds of discussions when you know one of the kids might be walking in.

Outside, the questions were getting louder. And then a few months after Kathleen's death was changed from accident to homicide, the former police sergeant was pulled over while driving and placed under arrest. At trial, a number of people testified, including Pastor Shy, who said what Stacy had told him about Kathleen. That along with evidence investigators said proved Kathleen was killed and her crime scene stage. It was enough for the prosecution to rest its case.

When you see him in the courtroom, does he acknowledge you? He gives me dirty looks. Yeah. And I just smile at him.

The jury deliberates and when the verdict comes back, it's a shocker. At least for Drew, guilty of murder. Here he is in court responding to the ruling.

I DID NOT KILL. TO WHICH Kathleen's sister says, "Yes, you did." When they said guilty, it was it was just so emotional. And my sister and I hugged and we said, "We did it. We did it. We finally did it. We got him."

Drew Peterson is given 38 years behind bars for the murder of Kathleen Savio. But where one family has answers, another has none.

Stacy is still missing. We still don't know anything else about her whereabouts. Um, and it's been nine years.

As for Drew, for once, he's not saying a word, but this man is. You don't think he killed Kathleen?

Absolutely not. Up next, we're going to win this case. We're going to get him out of jail.

Drew Peterson gets a new lawyer, but then if Glasgow is dead by Christmas, when will that put you out? He tries to arrange a hit on prosecutor James Glasgow from behind bars.

Now, what about the most recent case involving Mr. Glasco? Well, after years of wondering what really happened to Kathleen Savio, her family finally has answers. But Drew Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, is still missing. A question mark left hanging. During that time, did you believe he was responsible for Stacy's disappearance?

Oh, how do [sighs] I I have to be so mindful of the fact that her children could be watching this. I believe it will eventually come out.

Drew still contends she ran off with someone else, abandoning him and their kids.

Talk to me about that. It's hard cuz I know she didn't leave. She didn't run off. I knew right away that Drew killed her. It's just a matter of where he put her.

Just speculation for now, but in the days after Stacy's disappearance, it almost seemed like suspicions confirmed.

Robin's startling new revelations about this mysterious container. Reportedly, Drew's stepbrother helped him move some sort of large container out of Drew's bedroom.

Relative of you saying you helped carry a rectangular container out of your home on October 28th? I have no idea what anybody's talking about like that.

Warm to the touch? No. He says he believes that he helped you dispose of your wife's body. Can you at least respond to that?

No, not at all. No response. Talk to my lawyer. We tracked that stepbrother down so I could talk to him myself. And though he wasn't willing to go on camera at this time, his relative did have this to say about Drew.

I don't think he'll ever give the information. You don't think he will? So far, that's proven to be true. Drew was questioned. His house was searched, but still no sign of Stacy. And he maintains his innocence. And not just when it comes to Stacy.

We're going to win this case. We're going to get him out of jail on the murder.

Drew Peterson's latest attorney, Steve Greenberg, is in the process of appealing Drew's conviction for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen.

I firmly believe he did not commit that crime. You don't think he killed Kathleen? Absolutely not.

Would you say it's a coincidence that Drew's fourth wife goes missing and his third wife is found dead? Then how do you explain that?

I don't need to explain that. And frankly, I was hired to work on Kathleen's case. I have never looked at Stacy's case.

But those also weren't the only two issues at play. What about the most recent case involving Mr. Glasow?

Well, I was asking about Will County State's Attorney James Glasow. often seen in front of the cameras as the stern counterbalance to Drew's antics. And not too long ago, Drew was caught on tape saying this about the man from behind bars.

Right. But the thing is, it still never let me alone. If I get out, I agree with Stacy.

And that's not all the recording caught. If Glasco is dead by Christmas, when will that put you out? Turns out Drew was trying to hire a hitman to take out the prosecutor, but there was a little problem in his gobetween. That inmate was wearing a wire and was able to turn this information over to authorities.

Before you give the green light on your uncle, talk to me. We're going to talk tomorrow.

That one took me by surprise. Why? I can't believe he was that dumb to do something like that in jail where they he knows that conversations are being recorded all the time. Why would you do something like that?

Intelligence not withstanding. Drew is convicted and is given an additional 40 years behind bars.

And your family feels safer now or Yes, absolutely. defendant having the audacity uh to try to have me killed for doing my job is just a moral outrage. A psychopath. That's what we're dealing with.

Coming up, this is the first time that I'm speaking out on this subject. The woman Drew Peterson couldn't silence. His own sister-in-law is on a mission to stop domestic violence in its tracks. Drew Peterson now spends his days behind bars after being convicted of murdering his third wife. His fourth wife is still missing. But in the wake of Stacy Peterson's disappearance, her sister-in-law, Norma Peterson, is the champion of a new program created to help empower victims of domestic violence.

This is the first time that I'm speaking out on this subject. My name is Norma Peterson and I am the sister-in-law of missing Stacy Peterson.

It's called an evidentary abuse affidavit, a file victims can create online at document the abuse.com that serves as sort of a dropbox for all of their evidence of abuse. Also, what it does is it in some ways gives the victim a sense of, okay, if anything happens to me, hopefully the person that perpetrated this will be held accountable.

I've used it quite a number of times right here in this community and actually around the nation um who have been abuse victims and uh not one person that we've done the evidentiary affidavit of abuse with has disappeared. I think that's powerful hope for victims. No one can say for sure if it would have helped Kathleen Savio, but her sister does feel it may have helped bring Drew to justice sooner.

What do you miss the most about your sister? Her smile, her laughter, her hugs. I miss everything about her. I just want her back.

As for Drew's fourth wife, we hope someday to bring her home. And from the women still in Drew's life, a few parting words.

Give it up. Game over. There are four children who are going through just such an emotional time and that they have to look out and see all this. They didn't ask for any of this. You're going to have to answer to God one day. Karma's a [ __ ]

Andrew Peterson has a new legal fight on his hands from behind bars. He's petitioned the police pension board to reinstate his $79,000 per year payout. His attorney says the money is being used by Peterson's oldest son to raise his family. That same son recently lost his job as a police officer after investigators say he didn't disclose that his father had given him cash and guns to hide after Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Sorority sister stalked by killer before bludgeoning death"?

Chris Hansen (Host), Robin Wilson (Guest), Ted Adams (Guest), Michelle Sigona (Guest), Drew Peterson (Guest), Norma Peterson (Guest).

What is "Sorority sister stalked by killer before bludgeoning death" about?

The tragic case of Hannah Wilson, a college student murdered just days before her graduation, raises concerns about campus safety and the potential connection to another missing student's disappearance. The investigation uncovers a suspect with a violent history, prompting discussions on the implications of such crimes in college communities.

What is mentioned in this True Crime News episode?

17 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Hannah Wilson, Daniel Mesel, Drew Peterson, Bloomington, Kathleen Savio, Indiana University. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Sorority sister stalked by killer before bludgeoning death"?

The episode runs 40 min; the transcript is about 6,611 words in 159 timestamped sections.

More from True Crime News

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.