Help Find Lilly Hernandez

Missing Lilly Hernandez last seen 10/30/10... if u have any info please contact the following 203-393-8186 or 203-407-9547...

‘Toni Is Gone’: Body Believed to Be That of Missing NIU Student

Courier News- As DeKalb County authorities worked to identify what they believe is the body of missing college freshman Antinette Keller, her family was together at home Sunday, trying to comfort each other and come to terms with the idea that the 18-year-old Plainfield woman is likely dead.

“Basically, Toni is gone. We don’t have her anymore,” said Keller’s cousin, Mary Tarling. “Sometimes the details don’t matter when you bring it down to that. You can’t fix that.”

A poster distribution scheduled for Sunday on the Northern Illinois University campus was cancelled, said Tarling, who had planned to attend the event.

DeKalb Police Chief Bill Feithen announced late Saturday that investigators with the DeKalb County Major Case Squad found human remains in Prairie Park, along with what appeared to be some of Keller’s personal belongings.

Keller’s family was notified Saturday that the missing person case was reclassified as a death investigation.

Police also asked everyone to think hard about Oct. 14, the day Keller was last seen. If anyone remembers any suspicious activity or suspicious people near DeKalb’s Prairie Park about noon that day, the time Keller was reportedly there, they are asked to call police.

“All we can do is hope for answers over time, which is where we hope … something will surface.” Tarling said. “Someone will say something or remember something.”

Keller was reported missing Oct. 15, one day after she told friends she was going for a walk in the forested 150-acre park.

An intense search for Keller ended Saturday with the discovery in the park.

The mood on campus was somber Sunday, as the news sank in.

“Obviously there’s a lot of sadness, especially for those who knew her,” said NIU spokesman Joe King. “There’s a lot of disappointment that this didn’t turn out better. We were all hoping for a much happier outcome. We wanted to bring her home.”

Because of the shift in the case, police and NIU officials tightened security and increased the police presence on campus.

Campus police extended the late-night ride service schedule and are offering security escorts 24 hours a day. Residence halls are only accessible to residents.

The most recent advisory posted on the university’s website includes safety tips, such as using well-lit routes, and avoiding isolated areas and solo walking trips.

King said he didn’t get the impression that students are fearful and added the safety tips were repeated simply to reinforce them in people’s minds.

“Those precautions are standard precautions we give to students, that any university would give to students,” King said. “We wanted to refresh their memory if out after dark to travel with a group, to avoid areas that are not lit. Things we always try to keep in the forefront of their minds.”

The DeKalb County Major Case Squad investigators are asking anyone with information about Keller’s case to call 815-748-8407.

Vt. Police: Body Is Missing 78-Year-Old Woman's

WATERBURY, Vt. (Oct. 5) -- The curious disappearance of a 78-year-old grandmother is now a murder mystery: A body found in the woods by two bird hunters has been identified as hers, and police Tuesday called it a homicide.

Investigators used dental records to identify the remains of Pat O'Hagan, a vibrant widow who lived alone in rural Sheffield, a town of about 700 residents in Vermont's verdant northeastern corner that has no stores or stoplights. O'Hagan, who had nine grandchildren, was reported missing Sept. 11 after not appearing for a date with a friend to go to a rug-hooking session.

Tightlipped police investigators, who have said O'Hagan was forcibly abducted, said Tuesday they know the cause of death but won't divulge it, saying they want to preserve the integrity of the investigation.

They aren't sure where O'Hagan died, said Maj. Edward Ledo, chief of the state police's criminal investigations bureau, who announced the positive identification Tuesday but wouldn't comment on the condition of the body or whether there were suspects.

"This turns the investigation into a new phase," Ledo said. "The fact that her body was found is a start, and it's a good turn."

About 250 interviews have been conducted, and they are continuing, as is analysis of crime scene evidence recovered from the wooded area in Wheelock where the body was found Sunday, about 10 miles from O'Hagan's home. Crime scene investigators were still working the scene Tuesday.

Ledo wouldn't say how long the body had been there and said police don't know whether O'Hagan died at the spot or her body was moved there.

Police have said all along there was no reason to suspect O'Hagan wandered off on her own, but they won't say what led them to conclude she'd been "forcibly removed" from her home.

Her killer or killers are on the loose, Ledo said.

"At this point in time, someone is responsible for the murder of a 78-year-old woman, and they're still at large," Ledo said. "People should take precautions, as they normally should."

O'Hagan's five adult children, who have been fixtures at police briefings about her disappearance, were absent Tuesday when Ledo gave his briefing. Ledo read a statement on their behalf in which they called it "impossible to comprehend why someone would harm her."

"Now that Pat's been found, our family's hopeful that someone will provide information that will lead to the person or persons responsible for her murder and justice will be served," he said.

O'Hagan, who moved to Vermont 15 years ago from Chelmsford, Mass., was an active member of her town, serving as president of the Sheffield Historical Society, working a church's annual chicken dinner and volunteering at a food pantry.

She sometimes camped out alone and was an active kayaker.

The news about the discovery of her body hit Sheffield residents hard.

"We're just all very sad," said 47-year-old Greg Bryant, who worked with her at the food pantry. "There's a huge hole in the community. It's a small community, and she was a big part of it."

Sad Anniversary Approaching..

Nearly 3 years have passed since our family member - Lisa Ruttenberg Stebic - was last seen on April 30, 2007, at her home in Plainfield, Illinois.

Despite the naming of her estranged husband - Craig Stebic - as a "person of interest" in the case of her disappearance - and, the fact that the FBI & Plainfield Police Department believe she was a victim of foul play - no arrest has been made.

New Search Effort for Stacy Peterson

BOLINGBROOK, Ill.(WLS) -- Family and friends joined volunteers to kick off a new search for missing mother Stacy Peterson Friday.

They were combing parts of the southwest suburbs for the first time in several months.

Peterson's family says they have new information as to where she may be, and they want your help in finding her. A new search set off Friday as part of an ongoing effort to find the missing Bolingbrook mother of two.

Stacy Peterson's husband, Drew Peterson, is suspected in her disappearance, but he claimed she left on her own. Drew Peterson sits in a Will County jail, not because of his fourth wife's disappearance. He is awaiting trial in the 2004 murder of third wife Kathleen Savio.

Stacy Peterson disappeared in October of 2007, and her family and friends fear she is dead. Since her disappearance, there have been numerous search operations for the mother. In the days immediately after she went missing, hundreds of volunteers combed the fields and woods around Bolingbrook, as well as ponds, streams and rivers for any signs of her. All of those searches turned up nothing.

Volunteers gathered Friday morning at the Ikea store in Bolingbrook.
They have been waiting to search the wetlands because they were waiting for them to dry up.

About 30 to 40 volunteers were searching for her. They headed down the road to a federally protected field in a wet land area near several homes.

Police were not involved in the search. Several other searches have not resulted in any clues.

The family of Stacy Peterson says they had a tip about a year ago that Drew Peterson was spotted in the area shortly after Stacy's disappearance. They believe there is a good chance they will find something.

"It will be nice just to find her and bring her home. And, you know, it's just an emotional roller coaster ride that I continue to ride and will continue to ride until I bring her home," said Cassandra Cales, Stacy Peterson's sister.

"Several people have tried to contact the Illinois State Police. I feel rather they have too many leads, or something timing wise, that's not good enough. It has to be now and all the time," said Gia Hoffman, family friend.

"Obviously her body is somewhere. I'm hoping today will be the day, and her family deserves that," said Pam Smith, volunteer.

It could be a rather long search effort. The area is not very large, but the brush and the weeds are high. And in certain areas, the water is deep. Some areas may even be unsafe.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Thousands of Cold Cases

CNN Blogs- Last week, a young man hours away from starting a new job took a bike ride in Lubbock, Texas, and hasn’t been seen since.

Decades earlier, on March 15, 1967, the remains of a woman clad in a blue dress and white shoes were discovered in a field in Baltimore.

The two cases are separated by nearly 2,000 miles and more than 42 years. Yet they share a common bond: they have never been solved.

There is now another, more hopeful connection. They are just two of thousands of cold cases and now all of them can be found on a single free web site that is funded by the federal government. It is designed to help law enforcement agencies and medical examiners across the country unravel the mysteries. It also gives countless families a place to look for loved ones and a chance to find answers and peace of mind.

It is the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Known as NamUS, the site offers what may be the most comprehensive public search engine to date for this undertaking. “With advances in forensic sciences, there is always the possibility of closing an old case,” NamUS Operations Manager Billy Young told CNN. “No matter how old the records are, we have someone looking at them.”


NamUS, which was launched in 2007, was commissioned for the National Institute of Justice. It is operated by the National Forensic Science Technology Center, located in Largo, Florida.

In an email to CNN, Christine Vivian, the organization’s communications director, explained the genesis behind NamUS, writing it “was created to address the issue of the estimated 40,000 unidentified dead nationwide, and give families a tool to assist in finding missing adults.”

“As more cases are entered into the system, more people in every area – law enforcement, victim advocacy and the general public can become part of the conversation that will resolve cases.”

The missing persons database contains 1,996 individual files, of which more than 92 percent remain open – including the disappearance of that young man in Lubbock. His name is William Bradley Klosterman. Known as Brad, the 20-year-old hopped on his new Fuji bike around noon on August 11. He said he was going to visit a friend. He left without taking his i.d., his wallet, or cell phone.

Klosterman was last seen wearing black mesh running shorts and a black-t-shirt with the word “Southlake” on the front. He also has a small scar on the outside of his right eye and a tattoo that says “Psalm 23″ on his right arm. Authorities believe he may have been traveling to California.

It is the same theory that investigators had nearly half a century ago with the disappearance of Lyndal Ashby. On October 23, 1960, the 22-year-old Ashby vanished in Hartford, Kentucky. As with the other cases in NamUS, the file on Ashby includes police contact information.

The NamUs National Unidentified Decedent Data System lists 5,564 cases. But only 147 have been closed. The woman in the blue dress is not one of them. Her skeletal remains were found in a Baltimore field in the winter of 1967, but forensic experts believe she probably died the previous year. She was 5′3″ and between the ages of 21 and 45.

The file on the woman’s case is limited. However, there are thousands of other entries for both NamUs databases that have detailed information on condition and physical characteristics, clothing, accessories, police reports, photographs, and dental charting.

Case #5593 is a representative example. A man believed to be in his thirties was found intoxicated and unconscious on the ground in Queens, New York on May 31 of this year. He was taken to a hospital where it was determined he suffered a traumatic brain injury. He died on June 3.

The man, who had black hair and was wearing blue jeans, had several scars on his body. He was also missing part of his right second finger.

Perhaps he had children, or maybe a wife waiting for him at home. Nobody knows for sure. But there is probably someone who wants to know what happened to that man. And they are joined by many others throughout the country. With NamUS, they all have somewhere to which they can turn.

“It lets them know that someone is constantly looking for their loved ones and they are not being forgotten, Billy Young said to CNN. “It gives them hope that one day they will be able to get closure.”

Phil Spector's Ex Wife Reported Missing

VAN NUYS -- Police are searching for the ex-wife of convicted music producer Phil Spector.

Annette Merar, 65, was reported missing from her Van Nuys home Friday, according to Officer Karen Rayner of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Merar is 5 feet 2 inches and 160 pounds and is diabetic, according to family members who say the missing woman may exhibit "possible confusion."

In a 2004 message on the Fairfax High School class of 1961 Web site, Merar said she had been living in Valley Glen near Van Nuys and that she was a retired teacher with a son named Damien.

After graduating from Fairfax High, which Spector also attended, Merar went into the music business and became the front singer for "Spector's Three." She married Spector in February 1963 and he named a record company after her, Annette Records.

The marriage ended when Spector began seeing Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett, one of the Ronettes. The two were married in 1968 and divorced six years later.

Spector, 69, married Rachelle Short, 29, in September 2006, while he was under arrest for the murder of 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

Clarkson was found shot to death in his Alhambra mansion in February 2003.

His first trial ended in a hung verdict, but in April, Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in the case

Spector, known for his "Wall of Sound" technique, is currently serving a sentence of 19 years to life in prison.

Anyone with information on Merar's whereabouts was asked to call the LAPD Van Nuys station at (818) 374-9500.

4 Bodies Found in Car Pulled From Lake

COCHITI LAKE, N.M. (KRQE) - New Mexico State Police have found at least four sets of human remains inside a car that was pulled out of in Cochiti Lake.

State Police said two days ago the department got a report from the owner of a pickup truck, stating that he thought his truck went into the lake.

So officers started searching the lake on Wednesday, and that's when they found a Ford four-door sedan under the water.

They arranged to have the car removed Thursday, and in the process of pulling it out, they found human bones.

State Police Lt. Eric Garcia said he believes the car has been in the lake for "over a year, at least." He said the car has been submerged for so long that there are fishhook marks in the side of the vehicle from recreational fishers at the lake.

Police discovered through the license plate and id number that the car is linked to a missing persons case, related to a custody fight back in 2001 in Albuquerque.

That fact has Albuquerque Police on scene as well.

"The state police advised they found a vehicle of our probable offender. That's what we're doing here. See if we can close out that case with this investigation," Albuquerque Police Officer Nadine Hamby said.

State Police obtained a search warrant and are currently in the process of examining the car. The Office of the Medical is on scene, according to Garcia.

As for the truck that officers were originally looking for, it was never found.

State Police said they are treating the area on the lake as a crime scene, and that it could take days before they can positively identify the bodies.

Husband Charged With Murder 14 Years After Wife Disappears

GREELEY, Colo. -- A man who was the last person to see his wife when she disappeared in October 1995 was arrested Thursday on charges of first-degree murder.

John Sandoval, 44, was arrested in his Las Vegas home on a warrant out of Weld County. He and his wife used to live in Greeley.

Kristina Sandoval met with John Sandoval on Oct. 19, 1995. She had filed for divorce 17 days before and told her family she was scared about seeing her estranged husband, Greeley police said. However, he had not yet returned the divorce papers and had promised to pay her the money he owed for taxes, her family said.

As a precaution, Kristina, who went by the name of "Tina," arranged to call her sister after her morning meeting with Sandoval, her family said.

She never made the call and has not been seen or heard from since that day.

She was 23. The state of Colorado issued a death certificate for her on Feb. 12, 2002.

The Greeley Police Department and two dogged detectives have continued investigating this case since 1995, and an arrest warrant was presented to the district attorney’s office earlier this month. On June 10 the warrant was signed by a Weld County District Court Judge and sealed until Sandoval's arrest.

The two officers who originally responded to investigate the case when Kristina disappeared were with Las Vegas officers when they arrested Sandoval around 9 a.m. Thursday. Sgt. Keith Olson and Lt. Brad Goldschmidt have been on this case since 1995, Greeley police said.

Sandoval is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada without bond and is waiting extradition to Weld County. Court dates will be set in this case following Sandoval’s return to Weld County.

Tina met Sandoval at AIMS Community College where she earned an associates degree in nursing. They married in December 1991. In August 1995, Tina left her husband and sought a divorce. She learned he was a convicted felon on parole from California and had stalked women and burglarized their apartments.

Hours after Tina disappeared, Olson, who was familiar with Sandoval's criminal history, started investigating and questioning witnesses. Goldschmidt staked out Sandoval's house with another detective.

Sandoval returned by dawn the next morning and immediately went to shower, according to the police report. One of the officers looked into Sandoval's car and saw a shovel still wet with mud and a white 5-gallon bucket with a white plastic bag, according to the arrest affidavit.

The officers then spotted Sandoval scrambling out of the bedroom window. Sandoval ran around the house and directly toward another Greeley officer, who ordered him to the ground. Even though it was 20 degrees outside, Sandoval was barefoot, police said. He also had fresh scratches on his chest, shoulder and neck, consistent with wounds inflicted from fingernails, according to the arrest affidavit.

Sandoval was arrested on Oct. 20, 1995, on an outstanding warrant for criminal trespass unrelated to Tina's disappearance. While in custody, Sandoval continued to clean his fingernails and bite his nails, according to the arrest affidavit. Even when restrained, he maneuvered his chair and continuously bit and inspected his fingernails refusing to let officers collect the fingernail scrapings, police said.

Sandoval was convicted on the criminal trespassing charge and served four years in Buena Vista and Cañon City. He was paroled in 2000.

Sandoval's neighbor reported hearing a gunshot on the morning that Tina disappeared. Inside Sandoval's car, officers found a 9 mm semiautomatic Taurus handgun loaded with five bullets next to the front seat. Officers also found a red flashlight fashioned into a necklace so it could be worn around the neck and a 1/4-inch thick nylon rope about 4 feet long, with it end tied up like a lasso or noose, according to police.

In Sandoval's home, police found two rifles, including an SKS 7.62 mm assault rifle and numerous rounds of ammunition. His clothes and boots left in the bathroom were muddy and dirty.

Tina's credit cards were found in the shower Sandoval used before he ran and on top of the dresser in the bedroom, according to the affidavit.

Police said despite strong circumstantial evidence, no charges were ever filed because Tina's body was never found. It's not clear what has changed.

Tina was working as a nurse at Northern Colorado Medical Center.

FBI: Michigan Man NOT the Boy Gone Since '55

(CNN) -- DNA test results reveal that a Michigan man is not a Long Island, New York, boy who went missing 54 years ago, according to the FBI.

John Robert Barnes, of Kalkaska, Michigan, approached police in New York twice in March claiming to be Steven Damman, a toddler who vanished while on a shopping trip with his mother in 1955.

Barnes tracked down Pamela Damman Horne, Steven's sister, and the two had private tests performed that showed a "probability" they were siblings, according to Nassau County, New York, detective Lt. Kevin Smith.

But samples from Barnes and Horne analyzed by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, determined that they do not share the same mother, the FBI in Detroit said Thursday.

Sandra Berchtold, spokeswoman for the FBI Detroit bureau, said the FBI follows strict testing protocols and used mitochondrial DNA to determine Barnes and Horne were not linked to the same mother.

Video: Haylee Donathan's Uncle Says Escape of Sex Offender Began as Trick

Examiner- Cyle Watson, the uncle of missing 3-year-old Haylee Donathan, was arrested Thursday for helping convicted sex offender, Robbi Potter escape from a halfway house.

Also arrested in connection with the escape was Haylee’s father, James Donathan and his girlfriend, Nicole Kirkpatrick.

Potter is a convicted sex offender who is believed to be with Haylee and her mother Candace Watson.

Cyle Watson, 21, said he and Potter met at Belmont Correctional Institution, while Potter was serving three years for two counts of sexual battery on two children, ages 7 and 9.

Watson was sentenced to three years in prison for the rape of a 12-year-old girl he claimed consented to the act and lied about her age. He also received five years probation for attempted rape.

On Feb. 28, Watson was released from prison to the Volunteers of America halfway house.

He told Mark Caudill of the Telegraph-Forum, “I was out a month, and I was at a strip club.” He saw Potter at the halfway house and said Potter owed him money. “I don’t even like the guy,” Watson said.

He claims he was trying to get Potting in trouble by telling him he had arranged a ride for him at the North Main Street BP station. Watson denies helping Potter escape.

The day after Potter left the facility, Watson said he talked to Haylee’s father, who said Potter came to see him and thought Watson had sent him over. Donathan’s apartment building is located next to the halfway house.

Donathan called Haylee’s mother to give Potter a ride.
(See the interview of Cyle Watson)

CRAWFORD COUNTY (WTOL) - A nationwide search is underway for little Haylee Donathan.

The 4-year-old girl was last seen more than a week ago in Crestline, and investigators say she may be in danger.

They believe she's with her mother and Robbi Potter. Potter spent 3 years in prison for sexually assaulting two children.

One of the victims' mothers has a warning for Haylee's mom.

"I would tell her to get away. Run, as fast as you can. I mean, even if she doesn't do it for herself, she's gotta do it for her child," the mother said.

Haylee's father, his girlfriend and the girl's uncle are charged with helping Potter escape.

Investigators were checking possible leads near Phoenix, Ariz., after receiving tips that Haylee may be there. The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is handling the search.

"I'm a father myself and I can just imagine the fear in this girl, so we're not going to stop, we're going to keep going until we get her back safely," said Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Drew Deserto.

Deserto said they are willing to speak with Potter and Haylee's mother to arrange a 'safe surrender.'

Talks are underway to get the case featured on America's Most Wanted.

Judge Puts Leash on Media Hound Drew Peterson in Wife's Murder Case

Fox News - A judge on Wednesday prohibited murder suspect Drew Peterson, a notorious media hound, from contacting anyone except people on a court-approved list of family, friends and attorneys -- jailhouse restrictions in response to Peterson's recent phone call to a Chicago talk radio show.

Will County Judge Stephen White ordered Peterson's lawyers to give him the phone numbers of family, friends and attorneys who Peterson calls. If Peterson wants to call someone who is not on the list, he must notify the jail and get the judge's approval.

The judge issued specific guidelines to Peterson's attorneys on pre-trial publicity and media interviews, asking that the lawyers inform the judge of any pre-arranged media interviews and supply him with copies of any press releases sent out on the case.

"I Fear the Worst, That My Daughter Is Gone"

NEW YORK (CNN) -- After arguing with her husband, Liza Murphy walked out of their home in Emerson, New Jersey, leaving behind her purse, her cigarettes, her cell phone and her three children, her husband told police. There has been no sign of her since August 19, 2007.

Murphy's friends and family reported her missing the next day.

"In my heart, I fear the worst, that my daughter is gone," said her mother, Sophia Stellatos.

Police searched extensively for Murphy, especially around a reservoir not far from her home, but they found nothing. Cadaver dogs caught her scent near the George Washington Bridge, but the trail went cold, police told the family.

Deepening the mystery, her husband, Joe Murphy, tried to take his own life a few days after his wife disappeared by walking into oncoming traffic and throwing himself in front of a fire truck, police say.

He was hospitalized and recovered from his injuries, but police say he hired a lawyer and is no longer cooperating with investigators.

His lawyer said Murphy, an Irish immigrant, has nothing to hide from the authorities. He said his client has no criminal record and no history of violence. Attorney Joseph Rem added that there was no physical violence in the marriage.

According to her family, Liza Murphy, 42, was not the type of person to take off on her own without letting her family know.

"She would never leave her three children behind voluntarily," her mother insisted.

"What doesn't make sense is Liza leaving her house without her purse, cell phone, wallet, keys or cigarettes," she added. "She was a heavy smoker, and if she took off after a fight for a walk to cool off, she definitely wouldn't leave without her cigarettes!"

Liza Murphy and her husband were having marital problems, her family said. Stellatos described Joe Murphy as possessive of his wife, never allowing her to go out with her friends. She said he was even jealous if she spent time with her parents.

Rem pointed out that his client has not been named as a suspect or a person of interest in the case. He said police have not asked to speak to his client recently.

Liza Murphy's children are 15, 13 and 10 years old now. Joe Murphy has full custody of them, and the Stellatoses have not seen their grandchildren since shortly before their daughter disappeared.

Murphy and her children had spent the week before her disappearance visiting with her parents, who live about 125 miles away. They returned the Friday before Murphy's disappearance.

Police say both the Murphy home and their vehicles have been processed for forensics, but they found no evidence of foul play or struggle.

Liza Murphy had been suffering from depression and was on medication for fibromyalgia, a painful condition that affects the muscles and soft tissues. Police say she may have been accosted after she left home, still stewing over the argument.

The police seek the public's help in this case. Anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of Liza Murphy or the arrest of the person responsible for her disappearance is asked to call the Emerson Police Department's tip line at 201-262-2800.

Drew Peterson Judge Replaced For A Second Time

For the second time, the judge in the Drew Peterson murder case has been replaced.

Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney on Monday assigned the case to Circuit Judge Stephen White. The move was in response to the defense's motion for a judge other than Carla Alessio Policandriotes. Kinney said he found that the defense's motion "does appear to meet the criteria."

Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, didn't specify why he wanted a different judge. Earlier, State's Atty. James Glasgow, who is prosecuting the case, said in court he didn't oppose the motion, saying it is "a statutory right."

Policandriotes handled a small part of the 2002 divorce case between Peterson and Kathleen Savio, signing an early order setting child support and awarding Savio temporary custody of their children.

Peterson is alleged to have killed Savio in 2004 after they had divorced but before financial and other matters had been settled.

Peterson has pleaded not guilty.

Remains Found Near Homes of Missing Women

(CNN) -- An autopsy was being conducted Thursday on remains found on the bank of a river less than 30 miles from the homes of two missing Illinois women.

The "partial skeletal remains" were found on the south bank of the Des Plaines River near Channahon, Illinois, said a recording on the Will County, Illinois, coroner's media line. They were found by a marine cleanup crew, the recording said. Authorities have not said whether the remains were thought to be those of a male or female.

Illinois State Police were on the scene Thursday conducting additional searches, spokesman Sgt. Tom Burek said.

Channahon is 20 miles from Bolingbrook, Illinois, where Stacy Peterson lived with her husband, former police officer Drew Peterson.
Watch police uncover skeletal remains »

Stacy Peterson disappeared in October 2007. Her husband has been named a suspect in her disappearance, but he has maintained his innocence, saying she left him for another man.

Stacy Peterson, 23 when she was last seen, was Drew Peterson's fourth wife. This month, Drew Peterson, 55, was indicted on murder charges in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, while the two were in the midst of a nasty divorce. He has pleaded not guilty.

Savio's death was originally deemed an accident, but authorities took a second look at the case after Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

Channahon is also 15 miles from Plainfield, Illinois, where Lisa Stebic was last seen in April 2007.

On the day she went missing, she petitioned a court to have her husband, Craig, evicted from their Plainfield home. Craig Stebic told police he was working in the backyard when his 37-year-old wife left home about 6 p.m., taking her cell phone and purse.

Authorities have said they believe that Lisa Stebic was the victim of foul play and have named Craig Stebic a suspect.

Move Could Signal Stacy Peterson Investigation Is Nearing An End

[Photo from Chicago Tribune: Thomas Morphey (left), Drew Peterson's stepbrother, and Lenny Wawczak, an ex-acquaintance of Peterson's]

Tribune staff report --->I yanked this from prairiechicken blog though!
May 15, 2009
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Three potentially key witnesses in the cases against Drew Peterson appeared Thursday before the same special grand jury that returned a murder indictment last week against the former Bolingbrook police sergeant in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
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The grand jury is still investigating the disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy. Thomas Morphey, Lenny Wawczak and Paula Stark all entered the Will County Court Annex Building, where the grand jury has been meeting for 18 months. They declined to comment.
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But their appearance could signal the end of the investigation into Stacy's disappearance. They were expected to be the last witnesses called to testify, sources said. The grand jury's term expires May 21. If the jury does not return an indictment, State's Atty. James Glasgow could continue the investigation with another panel.
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Morphey, Peterson's stepbrother, has alleged he helped Peterson move Stacy's body in a blue container from their Bolingbrook home Oct. 28, 2007, the day she disappeared. He described the container as heavy and warm to the touch.
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Wawczak and Stark, former acquaintances of Peterson's, have claimed they secretly recorded Peterson last year for the state police.
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Peterson's neighbor and friend Steve Carcerano also appeared before the grand jury. He was one of the neighbors who discovered Savio's body and has defended Peterson. It is at least the second time he has been called to testify.

Kathleen Will Receive Her Justice- Then Stacy!

Ex-Officer Peterson Charged With Killing Wife
Straight from CNN:

Drew Peterson, the former police sergeant who authorities call the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, has been indicted on murder charges related to his third wife, Kathleen Savio, the Illinois state attorney's office said.

Illinois State Police said Peterson was taken into custody about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after a traffic stop near his home.

Police had staked out his home all day, said police Capt. Carl Dobrich, but waited for Peterson to leave to arrest him out of concern for his three children, who were inside the house.

Peterson, through his attorney, denied any wrongdoing in either case.

Wills County State's Attorney James Glasgow said he believes the case is strong and said Peterson is being held on $20 million bond.

"This is an extremely grave and serious matter and it is reflected in the bond," Glasgow said.

Peterson's attorney Joel Brodsky told CNN's Larry King he believed the bond was excessive and would seek a more "reasonable" bond, noting it was the most expensive bond he'd seen in 10 years.

Charles B. Pelkie, spokesman for the state's attorney in Will County, Illinois, said a grand jury indicted Peterson in the murder of Savio, whose death had been ruled an accidental drowning.

Brodsky said in a written statement that prosecutors won't be able to prove their case because "he didn't do it."

"There is no evidence that links Drew Peterson to the death of Kathleen Savio or anyone else for that matter," Brodsky said. "Drew did not harm Kathleen; he has said so from Day One. We're obviously disappointed a grand jury indicted him. But an indictment does not mean guilt."

Pelkie said the grand jury continues to meet and is studying the possibility of charges in Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

After Stacy Peterson went missing in October 2007, media frenzy and police scrutiny on Peterson revealed Savio had died mysteriously a few years earlier during a nasty divorce.

Savio died just before the division of the marital assets was finalized, making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary.

Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home. At the time, the death was ruled an accidental drowning. But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play.

The investigation into Stacy Peterson's disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio's death. Authorities exhumed Savio's body, further tests were conducted, and her death has now been ruled a "homicide staged to look like an accident."
Brodsky told King he believes the case has always been about circumstantial evidence and that he will bring a pathologist to trial who will say Savio died from an accidental drowning.

"I think the jury's going to see that, in fact, this always has been an accidental death and still is an accidental death," Brodsky told King.

Kathleen Savio's brother, Nick, told CNN affiliate WLS-TV he received a call from his sister saying Peterson had been arrested.

"The state police had been telling us the day was coming," he told WLS-TV. "We kept hearing it for about eight months. I'm almost in tears here. It's been so hard for our family."

"Hopefully, we'll get the justice we've always been waiting for."

Martin Glink, attorney for the Savio family, said they were hopeful the grand jury felt there was enough evidence to charge Peterson.

"We're very happy that the wheels of justice have continued to move and they are pointing in his direction," Glink told WLS-TV.

The news was also bittersweet for Stacy Peterson's family, who continue to wait for news about her disappearance.

"We have anticipated this coming. We have dreamed about it. We have been patient over it," Pam Bosco, spokesperson for Stacy Peterson's family told WLS-TV. "Now that it's here, it's almost a little bit calm. We're waiting for the storm to calm now. The calm before the storm."

Bosco said while she had not heard about any charges relating to Stacy Peterson's death, she was hopeful those charges would follow.

"We always said from the very beginning that Kathleen and Stacy had one thing in common -- and that was Drew Peterson," she said. "So, hopefully, we'll have news soon about Stacy, too."

Ernie Raines is also relieved about the arrest. His daughter, Christina Raines, is dating Peterson and was living with him before his arrest. Ernie Raines told CNN's Anderson Cooper he was with his daughter and Peterson as recently as last week, when they talked about going to Las Vegas, Nevada, and getting married.

Thursday night he spoke with his daughter after the arrest.

"My daughter was terrified, very emotional, upset," Ernie Raines said. "And I tried to tell her from the beginning that this was going to happen, be prepared."

Ernie Raines said more than anything, when he heard about the arrest, he was relieved.

"I'm glad justice finally came -- before he hurt my daughter," he said.

Police put Peterson's three minor children in the custody of the state's children and family service department. His adult son was contacted, at Peterson's request, to take them, according to Capt. Dobrich.

Dobrich said Peterson cooperated with police during his arrest.

Watch police arrest Peterson »

Watch family members react to the arrest »

Vehicle of Professor Suspected In Georgia Killings Found

(CNN) -- Investigators have found the vehicle of a University of Georgia professor wanted in the killing of three people.

Police found George Zinkhan's vehicle early Friday in northwestern Clarke County, home to the University of Georgia, the university said in a statement.

Authorities have been looking for a 2005 red Jeep Liberty that Zinkhan was driving when he was last seen six days ago after a shooting left three people dead, including his wife. Last Saturday's shootings happened at a community theater group's reunion in Athens, Georgia, just off campus.

The university fired Zinkhan from his job as a marketing professor the day after the shootings.

Zinkhan had purchased a plane ticket to the Netherlands for travel on Saturday, said Gregory Jones, special agent in charge of the FBI's Atlanta, Georgia, office, this week. Authorities have said Zinkhan owns a home in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Police Capt. Clarence Holeman identified the dead as Marie Bruce, 47, Zinkhan's wife and an Athens attorney; Tom Tanner, 40; and Ben Teague, 63.

Holeman said it appeared that Zinkhan "and his wife were having problems."

Police said Zinkhan has relatives in Texas as well as in the Netherlands.

University Police Chief Jimmy Williams said Monday that authorities do not believe Zinkhan remains on campus or in Athens. However, he said, security has been beefed up on campus, including officers on foot patrols carrying semiautomatic weapons.

The victims were all associated with the Town and Gown Players, a theater group that was holding a reunion picnic at the time of the shootings.

"The three people we lost were a part of the rich 50-year history of this theater and, more than that, were vital members of the Town and Gown family," the organization said on its Web site.

The site described Bruce as "the binding force that held the Town and Gown community together."

"Having worked with Town and Gown for over 20 years, at one time or another she served in every capacity at the theater, artistically and administratively, from leading lady to president of the board to chief cook and bottle washer."

Police said Zinkhan arrived while the Town and Gown event was under way. According to Holeman of the Athens police, Zinkhan got into "a disagreement" with his wife. He left the scene -- police believe he went to his car, where the couple's children apparently were waiting -- and returned with two handguns.

The shootings "only took a few minutes," Holeman said. Police found eight shell casings, he said.

After the shootings, Zinkhan left the scene with his children -- ages 8 and 10 -- still in the vehicle, police said. He drove to a neighbor's house in nearby Bogart, Georgia, where he lived, and left the children there.

The neighbor, Bob Covington, said that Zinkhan arrived at his home shortly after noon Saturday with the two children.

"He rang the doorbell -- asked me if I could keep his kids for about an hour," Covington said. "I said sure, and he said there'd been some type of emergency, and he took off."

An hour or so later, Covington said, police arrived and took the children.

Search for Missing Gilbert Bouchard

Bouchard's family and friends organized a search for at 1 pm Sunday.

The meeting location is the main doors (south-east) of the Butterdome (Universiade Pavilion), 87 ave & 114 street in Edmonton at the University of Alberta.

Click here for information (Facebook) regarding the search and click here to read description of Bouchard's disappearance.

We all are hoping and praying for his safe return. Thank-you for helping and spreading the word. Charlie@crimeSearchersOnline.com

If you have any information, please call the Police at 780-423-4567 or Gilbert's sister Rachelle: 495-4890 or 761-4156.