NARRATOR: Drew Peterson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago,
where he seemed to enjoy the All-American life.
An athlete in high school, he joined the Army
after graduation and married the girl
he took to the senior prom.
By the time he was 25, he was a father of two young sons
and Police Officer of the Year in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
STEPHEN PETERSON: Before my father
was Drew Peterson, the national headline, he was my father.
He was a good guy.
He was great to us.
He took care of his kids.
He was a funny guy.
He taught me a lot.
He was always there for us.
NARRATOR: But behind the happy facade,
Drew was a serial womanizer.
He repeatedly left one wife for a younger model,
a pattern that led him to murder his third wife,
Kathleen, and-- many believe--
his fourth wife, Stacy.
STEPHEN PETERSON: Yeah, he was my hero for a long time.
He's still my dad.
I still love him.
But basically everything you knew-- we were wrong.
After seven, eight years--
this is the first time I'm coming out and saying
anything because now I have to reinvent
myself at 36 years old.
I'm not Drew Peterson's son.
I'm Steve.
NARRATOR: Stephen was born in 1979,
the same year Drew was named Officer of the Year
in the Bolingbrook PD.
That can't be your dad.
Yes, that's when he was an undercover narcotics agent.
What do you know about his job?
I know he had to have a second life.
And the joke he'd always say is, we'd
have to lie to our fake girlfriends
to go home to our wives, because they were so deep into it.
Do you think he was good at his job?
Yes, to do your job well and be good at it,
you have to be able to lie to people.
You know, he was so good at lying
that he was able to convince them that he
wasn't a police officer.
But he does seem like a great dad.
I mean, in every picture, he's holding a child.
He just seemed like a very hands-on dad.
STEPHEN PETERSON: He was.
He wanted nothing but the best for us.
NARRATOR: In 2007, Drew Peterson was
arrested for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.
In the years since Drew's arrest,
his four children from his last two wives
have been raised by his son from his first marriage, Stephen.
My whole goal in this whole thing
was to make sure that they become successful adults,
and emotionally, their needs are met.
And I've taken on all of that.
NARRATOR: Any attempts by the family
to move on from Drew's crimes were torn apart
by his recent actions in 2015.
The former policeman attempted to avenge his conviction
from behind bars.
Drew is conspiring to have the prosecutor
who convicted him murdered.
Another inmate in the prison where Drew is doing his time
wore a wire.
CELLMATE: [laughs]
NARRATOR: Having already received a 38-year sentence
for Kathleen's murder, Drew was sentenced
an additional 40 years for his attempt to kill the prosecutor.
STEPHEN PETERSON: Now, this newest
thing with him trying to hire a hitman, it's a huge letdown.
It absolutely just casts a shadow over us.
NARRATOR: Now Stephen is meeting with the sister of his father's
third wife, Kathleen.
Last time I seen Sue in person was at Kathy's funeral.
I don't know how she's feeling towards me
or what she has to say.
I know this is a big day, and I appreciate your willingness
to come and meet with Stephen.
I'm sure you're coming with an open heart.
[somber music]
I'm so scared.
I don't know what to say, but I have to try this.
Go ahead.
Have a seat.
[somber music]
Sue, hi.
Hi.
This is a unique situation because it was your stepmom
and it was your sister.
I imagine that these two families--
the Petersons and Savios--
that there's never been a coming together and condolences.
I love my sister with all my heart,
and I pray every day her kids will remember her.
[inhales]
I-- [cries]
I hate your father.
I'm sorry.
I mean, I was so scared of you coming here.
I didn't know what to expect or if you were going to attack me.
You got that perspective of Drew.
I understand I sound like him, and I have his laugh.
And at the right angle, I even look like him a little bit,
but that's not me.
Do you talk to your father?
[somber music]
I do talk to him on occasion.
I want to tell you to tell him something for me.
I want to hurt him.
Say what want about my dad.
I understand how you feel about my dad.
I do.
I understand that, and that's OK.
Do you believe that Steve helped
in the murder of your sister?
Maybe.
I'd say, maybe, yeah-- maybe.
[tense music]
STEPHEN PETERSON: Absolutely not.
I mean, I've really never heard that anybody thought
I was part of the Kathleen.
NARRATOR: So this is a shock to you--
This is. This is a real shock to me--
NARRATOR: --that she would believe that you're a suspect.
Right.
That's another one of the reasons I wanted to be here--
was that--
Did he ever tell you he did it?
Never, never once.
We were told it was an accident, and we just accepted that.
And originally, it was ruled that as well.
STEPHEN PETERSON: Yes, right.
Honestly never gave it a second thought,
that it was anything but that.
Your first thought is, no way.
My dad wouldn't do that.
No way.
And then over time, OK, now Stacy's not coming back.
And I finally came to the realization-- well,
maybe he did have something to do with this.
So you're still seeking closure
and answers from your dad, too.
I would love some kind of closure
for myself, for the kids.
But it won't come from him.
We know that.
But it's like I can't get to Drew, so I have to get to you.
Steve, why don't you describe to Sue what
your dad's actions have done to you--
the pain that it's caused you?
STEPHEN PETERSON: It affects everything.
I mean, I've lost my house, my family.
You know, it's been-- it's been hell on us,
for different reasons.
But basically, the actions of one
have completely torn apart our family.
I mean, our family's definitely not the same.
I didn't know that. I'm sorry.
Yeah, it's--
I mean, it's been hell.
In the simplest terms, it's been hell.
But again, every day I wake up, and I want to make
sure I do right for the kids.
Just like I did Kathy's boys and got them off to adulthood--
I want to do it with the next ones.
I'm tired of talking about Drew.
Maybe one day I will forgive him, but I doubt it.
There's too much hatred for him.
You know, I've talked with the kids.
We decided, this is not going to define us.
You know?
I hope you feel the same way, eventually,
that this shouldn't define you and where you're going.
Thank you.
STEPHEN PETERSON: You know?
Something you said earlier is that he sounds like Drew
and that you want to hate Steve.
What do you feel about him after talking with him?
I'm so impressed.
I really do honor you for taking care of those kids.
And I hope that you would accept my friendship
and let me have the time with the kids, if I can.
Of course.
Steve, having met Sue, what are you going
to leave this meeting with?
Just a general understanding of where she's coming from.
So I'm taking away, at least, the feeling
that I get from you-- that maybe you realize I'm not my father.
I hated you for a long time because of your father.
And I see you as a different person,
and I'm so glad that I got to meet you.
And it's like a--
big fresh air.
I'm so happy.
I hope Kathleen's story can help other people
with domestic violence and know the signs, the red flags.
I will keep in contact with you.
Thank you. I'm so proud of you.
Thank you.
Going into this meeting, I didn't
know if she was going to come out and be full of hatred.
Hearing her talk about her pain and what she's gone through
and the depression and-- you know,
it's the same thing-- the same things I went through.
[hopeful music]