Peterson Case Among Reasons Republicans Want a Medical Examiner
Herald-News Reporting
JOLIET-- Republican members of the Will County Board want death investigations handled by a medical examiner instead of a coroner.
And they want this issue as a referendum on the November ballot.
The group discussed the possibility during a public caucus. "It's not a political issue, and it's not about any particular individual," said Wayne McMillan, R-Bolingbrook.
Longtime Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil, a Democrat, is running for re-election in November against Republican Chuck Lyons, a former deputy coroner.
O'Neil talked briefly about the issue.
"Because of the change in Illinois law in January 2007 -- which I was a lead advocate for -- all state coroners now function in a way similar to a medical examiner's office," O'Neil said. "Due to this critical law change, the independent pathologist and coroner now have input in the process to determine the manner of death."
Cook County is the only one in Illinois with a medical examiner, said County Board Chairman Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort. But there are some advantages to that system, others noted.
Medical examiners are physicians. And they can sign a death certificate immediately, often a boon for families who need that document, said Jim Blackburn, R-Joliet. Under the coroner's system, there must be an inquest before the certificate can be released, he said.
A medical examiner might be better equipped to handle complicated death investigations, Moustis said.
In the past decade, Will County has had several unusual murders, including the still unsolved 2004 death of Riley Fox, a 3-year-old from Wilmington, and the Christopher Vaughn case. The Oswego resident was charged last year with killing his wife, Kimberly, 34; their children Abigayle, 12; Cassandra, 11; and Blake, 8.
But one particular case was mentioned several times during the caucus: the death of Kathleen Savio.
Savio, 40, was the third wife of now-retired Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson. On March 1, 2004, she was found dead in a bathtub at her Bolingbrook home. At her inquest, a coroner's jury ruled it an accident.
But when Drew Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, 23, disappeared in late October, things changed. Authorities decided to take another look at the Savio case.
Savio's body was exhumed late last year and a new autopsy was performed. Now experts have said that she was killed.
"(Some people) believe if the coroner's office hadn't made errors, the fourth wife wouldn't be missing today," said Cory Singer, R-Frankfort.
After the meeting, Moustis said the possibility of a referendum probably would be discussed sometime soon at one of the county board's executive committee meetings.
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