Ex-pal pleads guilty after Peterson fight
September 10, 2008
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1155562,JO10_PETERSON_WEB.articleBy JOE HOSEY
jhosey@scn1.comBOLINGBROOK -- A push in the back got Len Wawczak a slap on the wrist.
Wawczak, who has said he and his wife, Paula Stark, wore a wire for police for months in hopes of nailing Drew Peterson for a pair of murders, pleaded guilty to battering Peterson in a strip mall parking lot in July. Wawczak had already admitted he confronted Peterson and pushed him in the back.
Wawczak says Peterson was shooting dirty looks at his 20-year-old son, Len Jr., prompting him to go after his former friend.
In exchange for his plea, Wawczak was hit with a $250 fine and six months court supervision, leaving him wishing he had done more to Peterson.
"If I'd known that's all it was going to be, I would have popped (him)," Wawczak said, who accused Peterson of being a murderer.
State police have named Peterson a suspect in the October disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. They have classified the case a "potential homicide" investigation.
State police also are investigating the March 2004 apparent bathtub drowning of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio. At the time of her death, state police found nothing suspicious about the drowning, which was ruled an
accident. After Stacy's disappearance, Savio's death was determined to be a homicide.
"I call him Houdini Peterson," Wawczak said, "because he makes (expletive) disappear."
At the time of his arrest, Wawczak said he expected Peterson to be charged with murder before his own court appearance for the battery charge. He said Wednesday that was a "bad calculation," but was still convinced Peterson
would be locked up.
"I have 100 percent faith in (State¹s Attorney) James Glasgow's office that they're going to arrest him," Wawczak said. "An arrest is imminent on Drew Peterson."
Wawczak in court
Wawczak wore a T-shirt emblazoned with Stacy's image to his court appearance.
"I wore it for two reasons," he said. "No. 1, because Stacy's still missing. And No. 2, I was hoping he'd be here and I could disgrace him in his own backyard."
Peterson was not present. He said Wednesday that he was unimpressed with the sentence imposed on Wawczak and mocked his attacker"s attire.
"He's become one of the cult," said Peterson, referring to the large group of Stacy's friends and family who have banded together to keep her disappearance in the public eye.
Wawczak's faith in Glasgow notwithstanding, he said he has plans for Peterson if action is not taken by the time he was off court supervision.
"If he's still around in six months," Wawczak said, "I'm going to (expletive) throw him around again like a rag doll."
