Dad Afraid Daughter Will be Drew's Next Wife

Drew Peterson, under a cloud of suspicion since his 23-year-old fourth wife vanished more than a year ago, has popped the question to another young woman -- drawing anguished pleas from a Chicago father convinced his daughter is the one.

"That ain't going to happen," Ernie Raines said. "I'm doing everything I can to try to get her away from him. . . . I'd like to say to him: Stay away from my daughter, take his ring back and look for his wife before he's out trying to get another young girl."

Peterson's lawyer confirmed the 54-year-old former Bolingbrook police sergeant is engaged to be married. Peterson refused to say who accepted his proposal, but denied that it's Raines' daughter Christina, 24.

Christina Raines, a waitress, also denied that she's the one, saying she's friends with Peterson but never dated him or got a marriage proposal.

But a police source said she is the bride-to-be, and her father insists, "It's her."

Ernie Raines said his daughter is trying to avoid the publicity that has followed Peterson since his wife, Stacy, disappeared in October 2007. Peterson has been named as a suspect in her "potential homicide" and is being investigated in the 2004 homicide of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Ernie Raines said his daughter told him about Peterson's proposal when he spotted a ring on her finger Friday.

"I said, 'You need to take that back. If you don't want to, I will,' " said Ernie Raines, 53. "I said, why would you want to marry someone like that anyway? He's my age for Christ's sake."

Christina Raines said her dad's got it wrong -- it was just a friendship ring from someone else. She said she doesn't know who Peterson plans to marry.

Joel Brodsky, Peterson's defense attorney, said, without naming names, "Yeah, he proposed and she accepted. I guess he's got to get divorced."

On Wednesday morning, a sleepy Peterson seemed irked that news of his engagement had leaked. "I can't believe this is happening," he said. "How the f - - - did this get out?"

Peterson said several female friends called him Wednesday to complain they were being questioned by news reporters.

"I've got calls from three or four women saying the media is bothering them," Peterson said. "They're bothering everybody I've known since third grade."

He said he wants to keep details of his new love under wraps.

"Last time I had a relationship, you guys screwed it all up," he said, referring to tanning salon worker Kim Matuska, 22. "The police had her, the grand jury had her. I'm not putting her through all that."

Peterson said he does not believe his marital status should prevent him from becoming engaged. "I was married to Kathleen when I was engaged to Stacy," he said.

Ernie Raines said he and his daughter met Peterson at a Bolingbrook laundromat years ago, and that she has been friendly with him for months. Peterson has brought her roses, taken her to "Blue Man Group," promised to buy her a car and even autographed a book for him, Ernie Raines said.

Concerned about Peterson -- "I don't want a third one to come up missing" -- Ernie Raines said he drove to Peterson's house last month to "let him know that I'm here, that I'm around, that I know where he lives."

He said Peterson asked him, "Did you get my book?"

"We talked, I said, 'You know me, I'd kill for my kids, you know that,' " Ernie Raines said. "He told me: 'I will never do nothing to hurt your daughter, that's why I didn't put her name out.' "

Ernie Raines thinks his daughter sees security with Peterson. "He's got a house. He's got money."

But, as a father, he sees troubles.

"I said, if you don't answer your [cell] phone, don't worry about it," Raines said. "I'll drive my Cadillac right through his house."

The front book flap, left, and a front page of the book "Drew Peterson Exposed," which Drew Peterson autographed for Chicago resident Ernie Raines. The book was signed for Raines before he found out that Drew was claiming to be engaged to his 23-year-old daughter.
----How's THAT for irony?