CHICAGO (WBBM/AP)  -- Former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson has started a website, asking for donations to help in his legal defense.

But, last night, the site www.defenddrew.com was taken down because it was generating too much traffic.

This morning, the site was working, or not, depending on your luck. Sometimes, a page reading "This Domain (defenddrew.com) Has Been Disabled" displayed. At other times, the site is accessible.



Peterson tells Newsradio 780 he's - quote - "just trying to get some help from the American people," by starting the Web site.

WBBM's Steve Miller reports.

Drew Peterson tells Newsradio 780 - quote - "I've worked as many as six jobs at one time, and for the future of my family - and this has the potential of taking all that away and put me in debt the rest of my life and leave my family with nothing."

Peterson's lawyer Joel Brodsky says Peterson is not asking the public to pay his entire legal bill.

Stacy Peterson's family tells the AP  any donated money should first be used for a private investigator to find the woman.

"However, we have hundreds of officers, investigators, probably most or a big part of the state's attorney's office from Will County looking into this case.  And all we have is Drew on the other side.  A retired cop living on a pension, with a house and a couple of cars."

Brodsky says donations to www.defenddrew.com would go to legal fees and to hiring a private investigator.

The Web site says, "Remaining funds are to be held in a trust for the children and administered outside Drew's control."