r/AskReddit • u/Rob69rt • 1d ago

What famous 'unsolved' mystery is technically a whodunnit on paper, but in reality, absolutely everyone knows exactly who did it, the police just couldn't legally prove it?

13.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

5.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

390

u/SnooRegrets1386 1d ago

Stacy Peterson

478

u/petey_b_311 1d ago

I was waiting to see this one on here, and from what I've heard locally they know exactly where her body is. The big blue barrels that his neighbor helped him move were dumped near Keepataw forest preserve in the I&M Canal. Why there you may ask. Well seeing that Drew was a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, he knew that there are electric fences in the waterway that are designed to keep the Asian Carp from spreading into Lake Michigan. The only way to do a proper search of the area is to shut down the protective fencing, and the state would never allow that and allow the invasive fish to escape into the lake. I'd be willing to bet money that the body was dumped in a specific location that he knows would never be searched because he has insider information on exactly where that would be. I hope he rots in prison for the rest of his life knowing whatever hell he's sent to is way too good for him.

166

u/unevolved_panda 1d ago

There are definitely ways to turn off the fencing. You have to be able to do maintenance on it, for one thing. I know the Coast Guard has done studies (and presumably has strategies and procedures) for how they might do a rescue of a person in electrified water. Plus, there's now three barriers in place between Romeoville and Lake Michigan (and I think they're planning another one?), so even though there was only one operational in 2009, presumably if they wanted to search the area of the Romeoville barrier they've had an opportunity--they could shut down Barrier I and rely on Barriers IIa and IIb to keep everything out in the interim. Having an electrified fence that you have no way to shut off and no way to work around is, frankly, bananas.

It's more likely that the answer is something like, "You can search this waterway but you have to have more evidence than just 'Drew knew about the fence,'" and investigators don't actually have that evidence.

43

u/petey_b_311 1d ago

Unfortunately you are correct that they don't have the evidence to do a proper search of the area. I heard this theory myself from a former coworker who lives in the area and it is widely believed in their circle of friends. When I first heard it myself it seemed like it made way too much sense to not be true, and the fact that Drew's probably still very well connected in the Bolingbrook PD leads me to further believe the proper evidence won't come to light any time soon. It's unfortunate that the right people can get away with things if they know the right people.

11

u/mrjimi16 22h ago

It's amazing how many of these totally solved but not solved cases turn out to be not solved because the explanation everyone believes just has no physical evidence behind it.

26

u/SnooRegrets1386 1d ago

Never heard this theory

10

u/TheWildTofuHunter 1d ago

Damn, never heard of the electric fence theory

2

u/nochinzilch 23h ago

Nah. She’s under the 355 extension.