Psychics and fraud mark Peterson case

BOLINGBROOK, Ill., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Celebrity mentalist The Amazing Kreskin reportedly offered to assist in the search for missing suburban Chicago mother Stacy Peterson.

"I'm interested in becoming involved with this case, in more ways than one," Kreskin said. "Let's hope we can make a breakthrough on this.

A spokesmen with the Illinois State Police said Kreskin's agent contacted the department but investigators declined to meet with the mentalist, the Chicago Tribune said Thursday.

Stacy Peterson has been missing since Oct. 28. Her husband, former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson, is suspected of involvement in the disappearance. The suspicion led authorities to re-open the investigation into the death of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a bathtub in 2004.

Savio's half-brother, Nicholas Harold Savio, started a memorial Web site for his sister to "collect donations on behalf of battered woman" and because it "keeps the story going."

Savio's siblings, however, expressed frustration with the Web site, which solicits donations to be sent in care of Nicholas Savio, the Joliet (Ill.) Herald-News said Thursday.

The Web site does not indicate the end use of the money, but claims the site's administrators will "let you (know) what battered women's shelter the money was sent to and also so we can thank you."