Lisa Stebic~37, Missing 4/30/07, Plainfield IL

[Pauli]

http://www.nbc5.com/family/13249013/...=headlineclick (http://www.nbc5.com/family/13249013/...=headlineclick)

PLAINFIELD, Ill. -- Plainfield police are searching for a 37-year-old mother of two who is missing.

Lisa Stebic, 37, walked out of her suburban home on Monday evening and hasn't been seen since.


Married for 14 years, Lisa and her husband, Craig, are now going through a divorce.
Her car remains in the garage, and her cell phone and credit cards haven't been used since Monday.

Craig Stebic said she would never just walk away from her kids.

"She's a good mom. I can't imagine her disappearing on her kids like that," he said.

A hot line has been set up for anyone with information. That number is 815-267-7217.


http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/n...ING_S1.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/n...ING_S1.article)

Woman's disappearance baffles police
Mother of two last seen leaving home on foot Monday evening

May 4, 2007
By JANET LUNDQUIST the herald news
PLAINFIELD -- Police are seeking the public's help in searching for a mother of two who seemingly vanished without a trace earlier this week.

Lisa M. Stebic, 37, of 13244 Red Star Drive was reported missing Tuesday by a neighbor, Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting said.

» Click to enlarge image

Lauren Magosey, right, and Rich Christy, both part of the Plainfield Emergency Management Agency team, search through tunnels Thursday in the area around Lisa Stebic's home.
(Terence Guider-Shaw/Staff photographer)

» Click to enlarge image

Plainfield police officers John Konopek, front, and Andy Grod, back, on Thursday search through tall grass in Plainfield for any clues in the search of Lisa Stebic.

Stebic

Missing person reports aren't uncommon, Eiting said. But most missing person cases have leads.

"This particular one, since we really have no trace of where she went ... we're asking for the help of the community," he said.

Thursday afternoon officers and Plainfield Emergency Management Agency personnel searched the park across the street from the Stebics' house because Lisa reportedly walked and jogged there.

[Pauli]

Illinois Police Search for Missing Mom; Husband Thinks Someone Picked Her Up for Exercise Class

http://www.foxnews.com/images/281007/3_61_stebic_lisa.jpg (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270106,00.html#) FOXNews.com/Courtesy of the Plainfield, Ill, Police Department

Lisa Stebic, who was last seen around 6 p.m. April 30, at her home.

PLAINFIELD, Ill. — Police in Plainfield, Ill., are investigating the disappearance of a mother who has been missing since Monday.
Authorities said that so far there are no signs of foul play.
Lisa Stebic, 37, of Plainfield — an upscale community 20 miles west of Chicago — was last seen early Monday evening.

Her husband, 41-year-old Craig Stebic, said he was working in the backyard and their young children were out when his wife disappeared, according to The Chicago Tribune.

"I can't see her leaving her kids," Craig Stebic told the Tribune. "She's a good mother. She'd do anything for her kids."
Lisa Stebic worked out at the Plainfield North High School track every night, according to the newspaper. Her husband believes someone picked her up. She took only her purse and cell phone; her cell phone and credit cards haven't been used since Monday.

"The last time Lisa was seen was around 6 p.m. Monday," Plainfield Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting told FOXNews.com on Friday. "We're still interviewing people who were friends and acquaintances."

Eiting said the children, who are 10 and 12 years old, were home when Lisa returned from work that day, but were not there when she vanished. He also said that no suspicious cars or people were seen near the Stebic home around the time of Lisa's disappearance.


"We're asking the community for their help," Eiting said.
Authorities hope that someone will see Lisa's picture and call police, said Eiting, "or if Lisa sees somebody has been looking for her, she will contact family or friends or the police department."


Investigators were aware of an Internet posting she made on April 11 looking for "female friends only" to join her in exercise, he said. She listed her "goals" as "increase cardio, tone up, simply get out more, meet new people, just have fun."

"I am a parent and would like to include my children in my health activities," she wrote in the posting, in which she said she was "looking for partners to get out and enjoy nature."

Eiting told FOXNews.com that Craig Stebic voluntarily handed over the family computer to police. Authorities still have it in their possession.
"We're actively looking at all leads," Eiting said when asked if police are still searching the computer for any clues.

Craig Stebic said he filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage in January when his wife declared in October that she "didn't want to be married to me anymore," the Tribune reported. Since then, he said, they've lived separate lives in the same house and have not spoken more than five words to each other in five months.

Police were called to the Stebic house once in December during a domestic dispute, according to the Tribune.

Eiting told the paper that it was a "nonviolent domestic trouble call, so it was a verbal altercation between Lisa and her husband. No arrests, no battery."

Eiting confirmed to FOXNews.com that the Stebics were going through a divorce and said Craig Stebic was fully cooperating with the investigation.

In 1995, Craig Stebic was charged with two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon after police stopped his vehicle about 1,000 feet south of two Lincolnshire schools at 9 in the morning, according to the Tribune.

Police found a 10-gauge double-barrel shotgun, a .44 magnum semi-automatic pistol, a Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle and an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle in his Toyota pickup.

He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a weapon, operating an unsafe motor vehicle and driving while his license was revoked, according to the Tribune.
FOXNews.com's Liza Porteus contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270106,00.html

[Pauli]

Search For Missing Woman Expands To New Web Site

Plainfield Mother Last Seen Monday Evening

by Mike Puccinelli


PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ― The family of a woman missing for four days is turning to the Internet for help. Lisa Stebic disappeared Monday and a new Web site is set up now to get the word out about her disappearance.

As CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports, Lisa Stebic's loved ones held a news conference Friday afternoon to try and publicize the Web site, www.FindLisaStebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com/), which they have created in the hopes that it will lead to her safe return.

The 37-year-old mother of two from Plainfield was last seen Monday night.

"She left about 6:15 to go workout. Somebody picked her up. I was working out in the backyard," said her estranged husband Craig Stebic.

There has been no trace of her since then, despite the fact that more than 20 people spent five hours Thursday searching a three square mile area of the Plainfield subdivision where the family lives.

Friday at the police station where Stebic's picture is on the door, investigators conducted interviews with people who know her.

"So far there are no positive leads at this point," said Deputy Chief Mark Eiting.

Police say no foul play is suspected.

Lisa Stebic's family says they were talking Friday because Lisa's sisters are just too distraught.

"The family is in anguish. This is not like Lisa. She would never leave her children," said her cousin Melanie Greenburg.

Still, in the hopes that Lisa is out there and able to watch the coverage of her disappearance, Mark Greenberg had this message for his missing cousin: "You are enormously loved. You're missed. Your family is broken hearted. Just please come home."

http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/Lisa.Stebic.missing.2.336805.html

[Pauli]

Search continues for Lisa Stebic

MISSING WOMAN'S FAMILY HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE; INFORMATION REMAINS LIMITED


May 5, 2007
By Brian Stanley Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- Mark Greenberg looked around the missing woman's neighborhood Friday afternoon.
"It's strange how everything is so normal," the Naperville man said.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO05_MISSING_P1_scn_feed_20070504_22_28_45_67-114-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/371863,JO05_MISSING_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Mark Greenberg and his wife, Melanie, hold a press conference Friday afternoon in Plainfield outside the home of Mark's cousin Lisa Stebic, who was reported missing earlier this week in Plainfield.
(MICHAEL R. SCHMIDT/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)


http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO05_MISSING_P2_scn_feed_20070504_22_28_41_63-114-65.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/371859,JO05_MISSING_P2.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Stebic



As if to underscore his point, a man crossed the yard behind him and stuck a flier for a lawn care company in the front door of 13244 Red Star Drive, the last place Lisa Stebic was reportedly seen Monday.

Greenberg and his wife, Melanie, met with the media to speak for the family and announce a Web site created to find her.

"The family is in anguish," said Stebic's cousin Mark Greenberg. "We're very concerned. This isn't like Lisa. She would never leave her children."

Mark and Melanie held a picture of Lisa as they spoke across the street from the house.

Stebic, 37, was reported missing by a neighbor to Plainfield police on Tuesday. Stebic's husband, Craig, said he last saw his wife around 6 p.m. Monday when she left the house on foot with her purse and cell phone. The couple, married 14 years with a 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, is divorcing.

Melanie Greenberg brought www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) online Thursday night.

Craig Stebic did not attend Friday's announcement. Melanie Greenberg said her husband spoke with Stebic earlier that day.
"He said he wouldn't be able to be here. He's supportive of the Web site and very concerned about what happened," she said.
The Greenbergs said they'd prefer not to address rumors about the Stebics' upcoming divorce.

"We don't want to speculate. Our principal goal is to find out what happened to Lisa," Mark Greenberg said.

Mark and Melanie Greenberg said they had last seen her at a family gathering in December and they were not aware of any depression or medical issues with her.

After the Greenbergs spoke with the media, Craig Stebic's father answered the door at 13244 Red Star Drive. He said he was watching one of his grandchildren but had no new information.

Greenberg said he was speaking for the family because her parents and sisters were too distraught by her disappearance.

Greenberg also had a message for his cousin.
"You are enormously loved and missed. The family is broken-hearted. Please come home," he said.

In addition to the Web site, the family is asking for volunteers to distribute fliers with information to meet at noon Sunday at Walker's Grove Elementary School, 24810 W. 135th St.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/371847,4_1_JO05_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Plainfield police: No leads on Lisa Stebic




May 7, 2007


PLAINFIELD -- Family members passed out fliers Sunday as Lisa Stebic remained missing.
Plainfield Police Sgt. Troy Kivisto said there were no new developments in the case.
Stebic, 37, 5 feet 2 inches, 125 pounds, was reported missing Tuesday. She was last seen at her Plainfield home Monday afternoon.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO07_COPS_P1_scn_feed_20070506_22_28_47_461-110-165.imageContent (javascript:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/373858,JO07_COPS_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Leonetta Rizzi (center) of Genoa, a family friend of missing Plainfield mom Lisa Stebic, assigns areas for volunteers, some of whom wear T-shirts with Lisa'a photo, to search and distribute fliers. Family, friends, hundreds of volunteers and the Plainfield Police Department gathered at Walker's Grove Elementary School in Plainfield on Sunday afternnoon, a staging point for a support project in the search for Lisa Stebic.
robyn sheldon/special to the herald news


Anyone with information is asked to call Plainfield police at (815) 267-7217.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/373816,4_1_JO07_COPS_S1.article

[Pauli]

Family of missing woman offering $20,000 reward


Search continues for Plainfield woman

By Hosea Sanders

May 8, 2007 - Lisa Stebic has been missing for more than a week, and her family is getting desperate. They've been putting out fliers, combing the area, pleading for help, but so far, there's still no sign of the 37-year-old mother of two.

Tuesday, her sisters announced a $20,000-reward for information reacted to word that her crumbing marriage may have been far worse than they imagined.


"We had exceptionally positive conversations. Lisa was getting her life together. She was moving on through this divorce," said Debbie Ruttenberg, the missing woman's sister.

Lisa Stebic's sisters tried to hold back the tears as they talked about emerging reports that her sister may have been in fear before she disappeared. Published reports say the Plainfield mother sought help from agency that helps battered women.

On April 30, Stebic was reported missing by her husband Craig. They were in the midst of a divorce, and now he has refused to take a polygraph test sought by police investigators.

"We would encourage Craig to cooperate fully with the police, and if they have any further questions, we hope he would change his mind and give them any information they need to bring Lisa home safe to us, " said Melanie Greenberg, Stebic's cousin.

While being careful not to point fingers, Lisa's family members say they are surprised that her husband is not talking anymore, since he had pledged to cooperate fully with the police.

"We hope if there is something else that he knows, that he would provide that information," said Mark Greenberg, Stebic's cousin.

Meanwhile, Stebic's sisters are begging for the public's help in finding the young mother. They say her children, ages 10 and 12, are now completely distraught.

"Of course the family does not rush to think the worst. But, it's hard to be optimistic after a week with no news. We're hoping someone will come forward with information for the Plainfield Police," said Melanie Greenberg. .

The missing woman's husband, Craig Stebic, made no comment Tuesday.

Lisa's family says anyone with information should contact the Plainfield Police Department or the Web site they've set up: www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com/). So far, the Web site has had 15, 000 hits, but no luck with finding the missing woman. That's why, the family is offering a $20,000-reward now.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5283782

[Pauli]

'She feared her husband'

Missing woman in midst of divorce; husband is not a suspect - at this time



May 8, 2007
By Paige Winfield Staff Writer
A darker picture emerged Monday in the case of a missing Plainfield woman in the midst of a divorce.

Several friends of Lisa Stebic say she was frightened by her husband, Craig, and was attending counseling at the Guardian Angel Home of Joliet - an agency that provides services to battered women.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA08_MISSING_P4_scn_feed_20070507_22_29_07_697-108-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/374991,NA08_MISSING_P4.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Suzanna Ibarra made 65 buttons featuring a photo of Lisa Stebic that volunteers distributed around the community.


http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA08_MISSING_P2_scn_feed_20070507_22_28_57_689-108-162.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/374983,NA08_MISSING_P2.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))A volunteer holds a flier with a picture of Lisa Stebic, the Plainfield woman missing since April 30.
(Robyn Sheldon / Special to The Sun)

"I don't know how many times I heard her say she feared her husband," said Amer Zegar, who, along with his wife, hosted Lisa and her two children at his home several times since January.

Craig Stebic says the last time he saw his wife was around 6 p.m. April 30 when she left the house with her purse and cell phone. It was not unusual for Lisa to spend her evenings working out at Plainfield North High School.

After she didn't return that night, a neighbor reported her missing the next morning.

Lisa worked at Lincoln Elementary School in Plainfield. Craig Stebic works as a mechanic. He has not been to work since Lisa was reported missing.

"I don't know where or what or who she's with - I don't know what to think," Craig Stebic said.

Lisa, 37, was in the thick of a troubled relationship with Craig Stebic, who had filed for divorce in January. Friends say she would sleep on the living room sofa, where she kept a purse with her personal belongings constantly by her side.

She found ways to leave the house whenever her husband was home, and on four occasions took her 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter on visits to the Zegars' home.

There, Lisa met a 45-year-old friend of the Zegars, with whom she went on a few dates while still living with Craig Stebic, Zegar said.

Zegar and others who know Lisa say she was suffering verbal abuse from her husband, but would never have willingly left her home and her children for a long period of time.

"She didn't want to leave her house and her kids," Zegar said.
Lisa has not used her cell phone and credit cards since she disappeared, Plainfield Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting said.

Police have no reason to suspect foul play so far, Eiting said. He said that along with investigating Craig Stebic's computer records and speaking with friends and associates, police have interviewed him several times and found him to be cooperative.

When asked if he was a suspect or person of interest in the investigation, Eiting said no - not at this point.
"(Craig Stebic) does have a criminal history, but nothing we think is connected to this," he said.

That history includes two felony counts and four misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a weapon in 1995, according to published reports. Police found a 10-gauge double-barrel shotgun, a .44 magnum semi-automatic pistol, a Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle and an AK-47 semiautomatic assault rifle in his 1998 Toyota pickup.

Eiting said they found weapons in Craig Stebic's house, but have no reason to believe they were fired recently. He said police have not given him a polygraph test, but did not rule out the possibility.

Police were called to the house once in 2006 for nonviolent verbal fighting. Craig Stebic says he called police after his wife showed up intoxicated after being out all night.

But one of Lisa's friends, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled Lisa saying her husband locked her out of the house.

"Both the chief and deputy chief are being very tight-lipped with us and we don't know much of anything," said Melanie Greenberg of Naperville, who is married to Lisa's cousin, Mark. "It's very frustrating."

Greenberg brought www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) online Thursday night. The Web site had received nearly 15,000 hits as of late Monday evening. Greenberg said she has been contacted through the site by people from coast to coast, as well as India and Brazil.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/374981,6_1_NA08_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

THE SEARCH FOR STEBIC

POLICE SAY MISSING PLAINFIELD WOMAN'S HUSBAND IS COOPERATING IN ...


May 9, 2007
By Janet Lundquist Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- Craig Stebic, whose wife Lisa Stebic has made national headlines since she was reported missing May 1, said he is doing everything he can to cooperate with police investigating her disappearance.

No one has seen Lisa, described as 5-foot-2 and 125 pounds, since she left her house with her purse and cell phone about 6 p.m. April 30.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/jo09_missing_p2.jpg_20070508_23_21_14_449-113-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/376915,JO15_STEBIC_P2.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Police this morning said investigators took the vehicles of Lisa Stebic (left) and her husband, Craig (right), along with some items from their Plainfield home. Police say Lisa's disappearance may not have been voluntary.

Her car is still at home. There has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since April 30. Police said Tuesday there is still no sign of foul play, no suspects in her disappearance and no leads on her whereabouts.

The couple are divorcing and have rarely spoken in the last six months, Stebic said. Lisa often went out at night but always returned by 10 or 11 p.m.

Television news vans were parked along the street Tuesday afternoon outside Stebic's home on Red Star Drive.

Inside, Craig Stebic, a pipefitter who has not been to work since his wife's disappearance, had a pile of media business cards lined up on his desk, along with a missing person flier with Lisa's picture on it. He didn't answer knocks on the door or telephone calls.

Stebic contradicted recent reports that he refused to cooperate with police. He said he was prepared to take a polygraph test Tuesday morning but that his attorney, who has been serving as his divorce attorney, advised him not to take it.

"I wanted to," he said. "It's not that I don't want to take one. He's telling me not to take one."

Stebic said he continues to cooperate with the investigation, letting officers into his house, answering questions and handing over the family computer to police.

Police Chief Don Bennett confirmed investigators asked Stebic to take the polygraph test and that he declined, but said Stebic has been working with police.

Stebic disagreed with reports that his wife was afraid of him, that he was verbally abusive, and that she had received counseling at a shelter for battered women.

"Why would she still be living here?" he said. "If she was so afraid, why would she leave her kids here?"

His children, ages 10 and 12, keep him going, he said.

"The school has been outstanding," he said, adding that the kids have talked to social workers at school almost daily. "Their friends have been outstanding."

Craig Stebic filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences, according to court records. Lisa and Craig both sought joint custody of their children with Lisa Stebic as the residential custodial parent; child support; and division of their marital property.
Lisa Stebic was seeking alimony, but Craig Stebic said each person did not need support, according to court records.

Police met with members of the FBI and Office of the Will County State's Attorney on Tuesday to review the information investigators have complied so far, Bennett said.

"The meeting was informational," he said. "We're just trying to cross our T's and dot our I's."

Stebic's family Tuesday announced a $20,000 reward in the case.
"We're just hoping that we'll bring more tips in to the police, that something will break with this, that someone will have seen something," said Melanie Greenberg, who is married to Lisa's cousin.
Vigil planned

Stebic's co-workers in the food service program at Lincoln Elementary School said it has been hard to answer the questions from kids who are used to seeing her at lunch every day.

Lisa is very easy-going and positive, said Ruby Zegar, Betty Stubner and Linda Trepto, and say her disappearance has created a huge void.
The women have planned a public vigil for Lisa at 6:30 p.m. tonight in a gazebo near her house, at Red Star and Blakely drives.

Stebic, who has missed one day of work in four years to attend a field trip with her daughter, reported for work at 9 a.m. each day.

On April 30, Stebic was happy -- her normal mood at work, they said. When she still was not at work by 9:07 a.m. May 1, her co-workers said they knew something was wrong.

Zegar said she and Lisa had plans to go out for Stebic's birthday, May 19. They also had made plans for the summer.

"She had so much to live for. She loved her life," Stubner said.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/376748,4_1_JO09_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Transcript from Nancy Grace Show on Fox
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../09/ng.01.html (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../09/ng.01.html)


Transcript from segment tonight:
Very quickly, we are going to Chicago. A young mom disappears. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Plainfield`s first missing persons case in more than a decade. The state police and FBI are assisting in the search. Right now there`s little to go on. Her car was left at home, and Stebic`s estranged husband, who still lived with her, told police that Lisa allegedly left around 6:00 Monday night to go to the high school fitness center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was Monday. She left home here, supposedly to go work out. And as far as I know, somebody picked her up, and, come Tuesday morning to go to work, she wasn`t here. And none of her friends have seen her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Joining us tonight in the mystery surrounding the missing mom, Michele Fiore with WBBM News Radio 780. What happened?

MICHELE FIORE, REPORTER, WBBM: Well, the latest information I have for you, Nancy, is that I did speak to Plainfield police this afternoon, and they tell me that tips are now coming into their department. And that is significant, because over the weekend, when I first met with the deputy police chief, he told me they had nothing at that point. They were desperate for leads. And now they`re finally coming into the station. He says any lead, even saying one that may seem insignificant to people, can be just the tip that they`re looking for, and that can help bring Lisa Stebic home to her family.

GRACE: Jean, what were the circumstances of her disappearance?

JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV: Well, it was April 30th was the last time that she was seen. And she works at a school cafeteria, so she reported for work that day. They saw her. Her husband is the last one that says he saw her late in the afternoon on April 30th.

He said that she normally would leave in the evening to go do exercise. She`d come back 10:30 or 11:00. She was never seen again. Her children, though, her two children have the same story that the father has, that the last time that they saw their mother was late that afternoon.

GRACE: So to you, Michele Fiore, with 780 WBBM News Radio, both children who were allegedly out buying some candy, the father says he was working in the yard when she went jogging, or to work out, they back up the dad`s claim he saw her at 6:00 p.m.?

FIORE: We have not spoken with the children at this point.

GRACE: I`m sorry, I couldn`t hear you. Repeat?

FIORE: We have not spoken with the children at this point.

GRACE: What can you tell me about the husband refusing a polygraph, Michele Fiore?

FIORE: You know what? Craig Stebic declined to take a polygraph test that was offered to him by the Plainfield Police Department. It was on the advice of his attorney, who is also his divorce attorney in the proceedings that he filed against Lisa Stebic this past January. Police tell us that, besides Craig, other family members and acquaintances of Lisa have also been offered a polygraph test. They would not tell me exactly how many have taken it or if any have taken it at this point.

GRACE: And very quickly, Jean Casarez, is there a reward?

CASAREZ: There is. Her family and friends, $20,000. I think the unusual thing about this case, Nancy, her cell phone, her credit cards, they haven`t been used since that April 30th date.

[Pauli]

Husband files for custody of couple's kids

May 10, 2007
By JANET LUNDQUIST Staff Writer
JOLIET -- Fearing his estranged and missing wife may intend to return, swoop up their children and disappear again, Craig Stebic on Wednesday filed an emergency motion for temporary custody of his two kids.

"We don't know what's going on," said Dion Davi, Stebic's attorney, speaking to Will County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Polito.

"We don't know if Lisa has performed a disappearing act and is planning to come back and take the children," Davi said. "The kids potentially are in danger of being taken away from their father."
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...GIL_S2.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...GIL_S2.article)

[Pauli]

Friends: Missing Woman's Marriage Was Troubled

One Friend Says Lisa Stebic's Husband Threatened Her Several Times

CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman and the Naperville Sun's Page Winfield and Kate Houlihan contributed to this report.

PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ― Friends and neighbors are painting a troubled picture of the broken marriage of Lisa Stebic, who has been missing from her Plainfield home for nine days now.

As CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, friends of Lisa Stebic say her husband threatened her.

Craig Stebic took their two children to a candlelight vigil for their missing mother on Wednesday night.

Lisa Stebic has been missing for nine days, and she left her car behind in the garage with no trace of cell phone or credit card activity since, police said.

She has not been located despite a $20,000 reward, national interest in her case and more than 34,000 hits on the website findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com/).

Lisa Stebic's cousin said they are trying to keep hope alive as he spoke with CBS 2 about Craig Stebic.

"I think the commitment is there, from what I've seen of Craig – and I spent a good amount of time with him today – he's very troubled by this. He's very broken up," said Mark Greenberg.

But several friends who spoke to CBS 2 news partner the Naperville Sun painted a picture of an extremely troubled marriage.

They say Lisa told them Craig threatened on several occasions that he would kill her and nobody would find her.

"I've heard her say, 'If anything ever happened to me, look towards Craig,'" said Amer Zegar, who, along with his wife, hosted Lisa and her two children at his home several times since January. "I don't want to blame someone who's innocent. (But) we're scared, we really are."

Family members have said the allegations surprised them and that Craig would never hurt his wife.

But Zegar said that, during her visits, Lisa spoke of receiving verbal abuse from her husband and expressed fear of him and his threats.

"(Craig) always said, 'You'll never get nothing, you'll disappear,'" he said.
Zegar and his wife, who declined to be named, said Lisa had been receiving counseling from the Guardian Angel Home in Joliet - a nonprofit organization that provides services for victims of domestic violence and rape.

While not confirming that Lisa is a client of the home, Chief Executive Officer Shelia Schmitz said the organization has been cooperating with the Plainfield Police in their investigation.

"I know her family has come here, and police have come here," Schmitz said.

Craig disagreed with reports that his wife was afraid of him and that she had received counseling at the shelter, speaking Tuesday with the Naperville Sun's partner the Joliet Herald News.

"Why would she still be living here?" he said. "If she was so afraid, why would she leave her kids here?"

Serious Conflicts In Marriage
The couple's 14-year marriage was coming to a rocky end after Craig filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences. Craig's father, Joe Stebic, who lives in Highland Park, said their strained relationship was obvious during his Christmas visit with Craig, Lisa and their two children: Lexi, 12, and Zac, 10.

"Lisa wouldn't even talk," Joe said. "She'd just come in, look at me and walk away. I thought there was something going on there."

At least by the middle of last year, the couple was experiencing serious conflicts. Friends say Lisa would sleep on the living room sofa, where she kept a purse with her personal belongings constantly by her side.

But Joe puts no fault on his son, whom he describes as "very sociable."

"He's just a happy guy; he gets along with everyone," he said. "That's all there is to it."

He thinks Craig's denials of verbally abusing and threatening Lisa are true.

"Of course, I believe him; he's my son. Wouldn't you believe your own son?" Joe said.

Loyal Father
The weekend before Lisa disappeared, Joe spent three days with Craig and the children at a cabin he has long rented, six miles away from the small town of Alpha, Mich. They laid tile and installed a new bathroom toilet in the Upper Peninsula home, and returned Sunday afternoon.

In Iron County Michigan, Craig's cousin confirmed that sheriff's department investigators on Friday searched the cabin. Plainfield police said they didn't find anything.

An avid hunter in his spare time, Craig is employed as a pipe fitter for Dial Corporation in Montgomery. He grew up in Highland Park, attended Lake County College and then spent a year at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, Ohio.

Family First
He and other relatives say there's no way the loyal father could ever bring harm to his wife.
Michelle Stebic, married to Curt Stebic, Craig's first cousin, lives in Crystal Falls, Mich. - only miles away from Joe's cabin. While Lisa and Craig might not have been "lovey dovey," she said the couple seemed to be doing OK.

"I don't see any of the Stebics as being violent," she said. "They all yell, they get loud, and they let you know what they think, but that's it."

The last time Michelle saw Lisa was a few years ago. Michelle said the two women had a good time talking and catching up. Michelle said Lisa would never walk away from her children.

"That's what's got us worried," Michelle said. "Those kids were her life. She was a good mother, and Craig did admire Lisa for that. Many times he said 'I'm glad she's here' to take care of it."

Now, Craig Stebic has filed for sole custody of the two children, even while his estranged wife remains missing.
CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller said Craig Stebic had made some errors in judgment.

"His first big mistake was to refuse a polygraph," Miller said. "His second is trying to take kids away from mother even though she's not around."

On Wednesday, neither Craig Stebic nor his attorney wanted to discuss his sole custody motion directly.

"The focus does not need to be on him," said Dion Davi, Craig's attorney. "We need to use every [bit] of man power we have in finding Lisa."
http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/Lisa.Stebic.missing.2.336943.html

[Pauli]

Was Lisa Stebic Living in Fear?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007


Transcript from "On the Record ," May 8, 2007.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: "We need her back," that plea tonight from Lisa Stebic's family. We are following this one closely. This 37-year-old mother of two vanished eight days ago.

Now many are wondering if her husband Craig knows anything about her disappearance. The couple is divorcing and some say Lisa Stebic lived in fear of her husband. Joining us, Lisa's sister Debbie Ruttenberg and her cousin Melanie Greenburg.

Welcome to both of you. Debbie, I assume that there's no update in the search. There's no new information tonight; is that right?

MELANIE GREENBURG, MISSING MOM'S COUSIN: We don't have any new information at that time. We're hoping that the $20,000 reward that we announced on your show last night will lead to some new information and some new tip that will bring Lisa home safely to her family.

VAN SUSTEREN: Melanie, we have heard that she has said things to neighbors or friends in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. What did she say?

(Story continues below)
GREENBURG: You know, I have been reading surprising things in the press. I mean, a lot of these things were surprising to the family. We didn't know — know any of these things. We certainly would have been willing to help her out if we heard that she was in trouble or that she needed our help.

VAN SUSTEREN: Debbie, when is the last time you spoke to your sister?

DEBBIE RUTTENBERG, SISTER OF MISSING MOM: I spoke to her Thursday, I believe it was the 28th.

VAN SUSTEREN: And did she say anything unusual that day?

RUTTENBERG: No. We had a wonderful conversation. It was a long conversation. She was very positive. We were sharing sisterly stories. She was just having a positive time moving forward, getting her life together, doing some exercising, taking the kids places. We were talking about how she worked on homework with the kids. So, really, she was in positive, positive spirits.

VAN SUSTEREN: Debbie, I mean any time a woman disappears or a man for that matter, we always look at the spouse. And in this instance, your sister was in the process of divorcing her husband, her husband divorcing her. Did she ever say anything to you that suggested she had fear of her husband?

RUTTENBERG: Well, I mean, you know, my sister and I shared a lot of things. But, if she had fear of her husband, I was not aware of that. You know, like Melanie said, if there was something that we could have done, you know, if Lisa was in trouble, we certainly would have been there for her. We're obviously extremely concerned. And at this point, we need Lisa to return. And that's, you know, really what we are here for. How can the public help us?

VAN SUSTEREN: Melanie we only have about 45 seconds left, she post something on the Internet that might at least give us some clue?

GREENBURG: You know, we know that the police have taken her computer and are looking over it. Possibly, they might find some clue. We hope that they will find some lead with the new information coming in from the reward. And if anyone out there in the public has any information, we urge them to visit the Web site findLisaStebic.com and give the Plainfield police a call and let them know if you have seen anything, if you know anything, even if you think it's irrelevant. It might be something that the police can use to bring Lisa home safe to her children and her family.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. And I — by asking about her husband, I didn't mean to suggest that he had done something, but he's simply the first person you look at are family members and friends and people she might have come in contact with.

Melanie, Debbie, thank you both.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271074,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271074,00.html)

[Pauli]

Timeline of events in case of Lisa Stebic's disappearance

May 10, 2007
More than a week has passed since a Plainfield mother of two vanished without a trace from her home on Red Star Drive. The search continues for 37-year-old Lisa Stebic, who was reported missing May 1.

The Sun has compiled this list of key events leading up to and since Lisa Stebic's disappearance from reports published this week. Some of the entries reflect conflicting accounts of events from family, friends and authorities, which are marked in italics.

1995
Craig Stebic was arrested in Lake County and faced two felony counts and four misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a weapon, according to published media reports. Police found a 10-gauge double-barrel shotgun, a .44 magnum semi-automatic pistol, a Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle and an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle in his pickup truck. He reportedly received supervision for the offenses.

December 2006
Plainfield police were called to the home of Craig and Lisa Stebic at 13244 Red Star Drive for a report of a nonviolent verbal fight between the couple.
• In an interview this past week, Craig said he called police after his wife showed up intoxicated after being out all night. A friend of Lisa's said that Lisa told her Craig locked her out of the house.

January 2007
Craig Stebic, 41, filed for divorce from Lisa Stebic, 37, after 14 years of marriage. According to court records, Craig cites irreconcilable differences. Lisa and Craig both seek joint custody of their children with Lisa as the residential custodial parent; child support and division of their marital property. Lisa Stebic also seeks alimony. The couple has two children, 12-year-old Lexi and 10-year-old Zac.
April 2007
More.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...ING_S2.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/379674,6_1_NA10_MISSING_S2.article)

[Pauli]

Nancy Grace's May 10th, 07 Transcripts.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the Chicago suburbs of Painfield (ph), Illinois, 37-year-old mom Lisa Stebic reportedly heads out for a routine jog and hasn`t been seen since. Friends and family believe something is very wrong, saying the devoted mother of two, popular in the community, would not leave her 10-year-old and 12-year-old behind. A multi-law enforcement team, including Painfield police, force (ph) reserve officers and the fire department, search nearby Lake Brunwed (ph) and the shoreline for clues.

Stebic`s estranged husband, the last person to reportedly see her before she vanishes, not only refusing a polygraph but files an emergency motion for custody of the two kids. And it`s all just 10 days after their mother goes missing.
Let`s switch gears. I want to tell you about a search for a missing mom out of upscale Chicago suburbs. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV: April 30th was the last time that she was seen, and she works at a school cafeteria. So she reported for work that day. They saw her. Her husband is the last one that says he saw her late in the afternoon on April 3rd. He said that she normally would leave in the evening to go do exercise. She`d come back 10:30 or 11:00. She was never seen again. Her children, her two children, have the same story that the father has, that the last time they saw the mother was late that afternoon. Her cell phone and credit cards, they haven`t been used since that April 30th date.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Tonight, the updates. Apparently, local waterways are being searched for the body of this young mom. According to her husband, she went jogging and has never been seen since. She leaves behind two young children. Family and friends say no way would she leave, leaving her children behind.

Also tonight, the husband files an emergency motion for sole custody. It sounds like he`s not expecting her to walk through the front door.

Out to you, Michele Fiore with WBBM NewsRadio 780, what`s happening?

MICHELE FIORE, REPORTER: Hi, Nancy. Well, here`s the deal tonight. Craig Stebic`s attorney, Dion Davi, did file that emergency petition in Will County court today, actually yesterday. He`s seeking temporary sole custody of their two children, 10 and 12 years old.

Craig`s attorney, Dion Davi, has claimed that, if Lisa is out there alive and well, that she may try to sneak back home and leave with the kids. And we did obtain a copy of that petition today, and I will read from it right now. Quote, "Craig Stebic is the fit and proper person to have the temporary sole, physical, and legal custody of the minor children of the parties."

The judge did decide that it was not an emergency, as Stebic`s attorney had claimed. He moved the issue to a hearing on -- I believe it`s May 22nd. I did speak with Lisa`s divorce attorney tonight, as well, Glenn Kahn. He tells me that he will be filing a response on Tuesday objecting to the petition. He called it unnecessary at this time, and he stressed that there are no allegations that the children are in danger.

Kahn says this is a woman whose story has gone nationwide, that people everywhere are looking for Lisa Stebic. So for her to be able to do such a thing as to walk down the street and pick up her kids is just plain, old ridiculous to even think about.

GRACE: You know, it doesn`t make sense. This mom has been missing now day 10, and instead of being out searching for her, the husband files an emergency motion for sole custody. It doesn`t even make sense.

Let`s unleash the lawyers, Susan Moss, Allison Gilman, Anne Bremner. To you, Susan Moss.

SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: The reason why he probably is doing this is because he wants to get into court before mom`s family does. Once more evidence comes out, Dad may be the primary suspect. And if that happens, Mom`s family is going to have good cause to come in to say that they should be the temporary custodial parents of these children.

None of this case makes sense. These people are living in -- going through a very contested divorce. They`re living in the same house. Can you imagine the anger? Can you imagine the aggression? Could you imagine the tension? Something might have popped, and that might have led to the ultimate murder of this mother.

GRACE: To you, Anne Bremner, have you ever seen in a missing person case the remaining spouse file for sole custody? I`ve never seen anything like it.

ANNE BREMNER, TRIAL ATTORNEY: No. It`s totally surprising. But there`s two things. You never say never, but never say always. We can`t say it`s always the husband. And I`ll tell you, Nancy, something like this to me, as a defense lawyer, I would argue it shows that he simply is worried about the kids and he wasn`t involved.

GRACE: But worried about what, Allison Gilman? Worried about what? She`s missing.

ALLISON GILMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I agree with you, Nancy. I mean, coming from both the criminal defense side and the family side, you file the emergency motion and, being a prosecutor, I`d be like, "Well, obviously he doesn`t really care about her and he really is trying -- this is motive. This is the reason that he`s filing it, to gain an advantage, and that she`s coming home, and he thinks she`s coming home."
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../10/ng.01.html (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../10/ng.01.html)

[Pauli]

The search for Stebic: Authorities canvass nearby Lake Renwick

May 10, 2007
Staff Reports
PLAINFIELD -- Local law enforcement and emergency personnel conducted another search Thursday morning for Lisa Stebic, the Plainfield woman who has been missing for 10 days.

Plainfield police, Will County Forest Preserve District officers and Plainfield Fire Department personnel were canvassing Lake Renwick in Plainfield in search of any new leads in the case.


Officials at Lake Renwick said nothing has been found at the lake so far, but more searches are planned.

» Click to enlarge image

Plainfield police officer John Konopek (from left), Will County Forrest Preserve officer John Kamarauskas, and Plainfield Fire Department personnel John Stratton and Brian Joseph go over a map of Lake Renwick to plan their next search for Lisa Stebic Thursday morning.

(JOHN PATSCH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

RELATED STORIES
• Police seek volunteers to aid in search
• Vigil held: 'Our hearts are broken'
• Husband files for custody of kids
Plainfield Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting said Wednesday there has been no change in the investigation and there are no new leads on Stebic's location.

The 37-year-old Stebic, described as 5-foot-2 and 125 pounds, was last seen when she left her house with her purse and cell phone about 6 p.m. April 30.

Investigators tried to locate her by tracking her cell phone, which was a pay-per-minute phone, to no avail, Eiting said. Neither her phone nor her purse have been found.

Stebic was living with her estranged husband, Craig, and their two children at the time of her disappearance. The couple was planning to divorce, and Craig Stebic filed this week for emergency temporary custody of the couple's children.

Friends, family and neighbors gathered for a vigil for Lisa Stebic in their neighborhood Wednesday evening.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/b...RCH_S1.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/380379,4_1_JO10_SEARCH_S1.article)

[Pauli]

Divers Scour Ponds In Search For Lisa Stebic

Plainfield Mother Of 2 Has Been Missing Since April 30

CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli and the Naperville Sun contributed to this report.


PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ― Divers from 10 area fire departments were scouring retention ponds in Plainfield Friday as the search for Lisa Stebic intensifies.

Stebic was last seen around 6 p.m. on April 30, by her husband, Craig Stebic, after she said she was leaving to work out. There has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since then.

As CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports, 44 divers and 33 land-based rescue workers were searching four ponds. They began with 10 searchers in wet suits who held onto ropes and searched the perimeters of the ponds, then added other divers who went deeper.

The deep divers had to search primarily by sense of touch, since visibility was near zero.

Two additional ponds may be searched before divers finish up, but police want them to be done by the time the Stebics' two children get home from school.

"Obviously, we're here to support the family and try to find Lisa, and I think it would be kind of traumatic for them to have to sit out there and see all this emergency equipment outside their window," said Plainfield police Chief Don Bennett, "so we wanted to do it during the time they were in school."

The Plainfield mother of two has not been located despite a $20,000 reward, national interest in her case and more than 34,000 hits on the website findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com/).

Later in the day on Friday, Lisa Stebic's family plans to hold a news conference asking for volunteers to help with a ground search of walking and biking trails near the Stebics' house on Saturday. They also plan to go to area businesses on Sunday to pass out carnations, all part of "Bring Lisa Home for Mother's Day."

On Thursday, divers searched for Stebic at Lake Renwick near State Route 30. Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton said searchers walked the banks of four lakes near Lake Renwick.

Police say they were not following a specific lead in the search, and divers found nothing.

Anyone with information about Lisa Stebic is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217.

Police say they were not following a specific lead in the search, and divers found nothing. http://image.cbslocal.com/175x131/images_sizedimage_131120637.jpg Divers search for Lisa Stebic in a Plainfield retention pond. CBS
http://image.cbslocal.com/175x131/images_sizedimage_124213141.jpg Lisa Stebic has been missing since April 30




http://image.cbslocal.com/175x131/images_sizedimage_131114708.jpg Divers plan to search four retention ponds. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Lisa.Stebic.Craig.2.336912.html

[Pauli]

DIVERS TAKING UP STEBIC SEARCH

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS BROADENING THE SEARCH FOR A PLAINFIELD MOM MISSING SINCE APRIL 30


May 12, 2007
By Janet Lundquist Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- Police and fire personnel from nine area agencies dove into the retention ponds near Lisa Stebic's house Friday, but found nothing related to her disappearance.

Lisa Stebic, 37, was reported missing May 1. Her car is still at home, and police say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since April 30, when she was last seen about 6 p.m.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO12_MISSING_P1_scn_feed_20070511_22_28_23_2560-110-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/382503,JO12_MISSING_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Divers from Plainfield and Little Rock Township walk through a pond Friday near Lisa Stebic's Plainfield home looking for clues to her disappearance. Nine area fire departments provided divers to aid in the search at various locations in Plainfield.
(John Patsch/Staff Photographer)


About 9 a.m. Friday, police and fire vans, as well as media crews, descended upon the quiet subdivision. A helicopter hovered overhead.
Some living near the ponds watched the divers from their driveways and sidewalks.

Community remains involved
Everyone had an opinion on the case, but no one wanted their name in print.

"My wife says that she's alive," one man said. "I really believe ... she would never leave her children."

Two other residents said they don't mind the police and reporters frequenting the neighborhood.

"We want them to stay until they find her," a woman said.
"If nothing ever happens, at least the kids will know that people cared enough to look for their mom," said another.

A memorial created Wednesday night by those at a vigil in a park near the ponds was still up Friday. One nearby resident said someone lights the luminary candles each night.

The memorial includes a poster decorated by children and staff from Lincoln Elementary School, where Lisa Stebic works in the food service program.

Plainfield School District spokesman Tom Hernandez said social workers and counselors have been available for students at Lincoln this week.

Staff at Walkers Grove Elementary and Heritage Grove Middle schools, which the Stebics' children attend, were told to provide age-appropriate guidance and answers to any questions from children or parents.

"The focus at both schools has been to maintain a sense of normality as much as possible for all of our kids, including Lisa's children," Hernandez said.

Broaden the search
Police said Friday they will refocus and broaden the search for Lisa Stebic, pending the outcome of a massive local search planned today.

Police Chief Don Bennett said the case is still a missing person investigation, with no suspects and no new information in her disappearance.

Police have conducted "basic" searches of the Stebics' house and Lisa Stebic's car, he said. Nothing significant was found on her computer, which was turned over to police by Lisa's husband Craig.

Plainfield Emergency Management Agency personnel and volunteers are searching local ponds, bike paths, parks and natural areas today for any sign of the missing mother.

After today's search, investigators plan to meet with members of the FBI, which has opened an active case on Lisa Stebic's disappearance, and the fire department to determine which angles need further investigation, Bennett said.

Fire departments from Lockport, Joliet, Naperville, Lisle-Woodridge, Coal City, Sandwich, Somonauk, and Little Rock Fox joined police from Naperville and Plainfield fire in the dive search Friday.

'Praying for her'
Ed and Peg Megrant, owners of downtown Plainfield gathering place Magnolia Coffee Shoppe, said the Stebic case has been a hot topic among their breakfast crowd.

"We're praying for her, and that's all we can do," Peg Megrant said. "We pray that she'll be found alive and well."

Customers in the coffee shop Friday morning said they don't know Lisa Stebic but have been following the case.

"The more her picture is out there ... the more it helps," said Matt Garrey of Plainfield. "Hopefully, it's nothing tragic."

Jamie Tirado's daughter attends the same school as the Stebics' daughter.

"It makes me think something happened to her, that she didn't just leave on her own," Tirado said. "My heart goes out to them."

Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's whereabouts is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department, (815) 267-7217, or Will County Crime Stoppers, (800) 323-6734.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/382526,4_1_JO12_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Tensions on the rise

Husband absent from search; family pleas for his polygraph



May 14, 2007
By Jennifer Golz Staff Writer
Tension might be surfacing between Craig Stebic and his missing wife's family.

Until now, Lisa Stebic's family has said they do not want to make any assumptions as to what has happened to the 37-year-old Plainfield mom who has been missing since May 1.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA14_MISSING_P2_scn_feed_20070513_23_28_18_350-228-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/384464,NA14_MISSING_P2.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))The Applebee's Grill and Bar in Plainfield distributed carnations to moms dining on Mother's Day. Each flower was tagged with a photo of Lisa Stebic, the Plainfield mother of two who has been missing since May 1.
Danielle Gardner / Staff photographer

She was last seen in the home she shares with her husband, Crag Stebic at 6 p.m. April 30, according to police reports. A neighbor reported Lisa Stebic missing the following day, May 1.

Lisa Stebic's car remains in the garage, but neither her cell phone nor credit cards have been used since her disappearance.

Family wants answers
For the first time, the family is publicly speaking out about the many unanswered questions they have.

During an on-air interview Saturday evening with Kimberly Guilfoyle of "The Line Up" on FOX News Channel, Melanie Greenberg of Naperville, Lisa Stebic's cousin and spokesperson for the family, said they want Craig "to take a polygraph" test and do anything he can to help.

Plainfield police have said Craig Stebic has been "cooperative" in their investigation thus far.

But last week Craig Stebic refused to take a polygraph test, under the advice of his divorce attorney. The same day he canceled the test, Craig Stebic also refused FBI agents entry into his home when they showed up on his doorstep Tuesday.

Although Plainfield police have offered family and friends of the Stebics the opportunity to take a polygraph test, it is unclear if Craig Stebic was asked by police to take the test as part of the investigation, or by family out of curiosity.

Plainfield police were not available for comment on the case Sunday.
"All investigators are off on Sundays," a Plainfield police dispatcher told The Sun that afternoon.

Craig not looking
Despite the family's pleas, Craig Stebic also was missing from the massive search events this weekend.

More than 200 volunteers gathered Saturday to search local ponds, bike paths, parks and forested areas. They also tied ribbons with pictures of Lisa Stebic to hundreds of carnations to be handed out at area eateries on Mother's Day.

Sarah Norwood, 21, of Plainfield works at one of the restaurants that was handing out the flowers.

She said that while the search efforts by Lisa Stebic's friends and family are great, she doesn't hold much hope, as she's seen it before.
Norwood used to live in California, just 20 minutes away from the home of Scott and Laci Peterson.

A seven-month pregnant Laci Peterson went missing from her Modesto, Calif., home Christmas Eve 2002. Her remains washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay four months later.

Almost two years after her disappearance, her husband, Scott Peterson, was found guilty of double murder and sentenced to death Dec. 13, 2004.

"This is like a mirror image of what happened in California," Norwood said.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/384445,6_1_NA14_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Hours before missing, Lisa seemed 'normal'


May 15, 2007
By Jennifer Golz Staff Writer
It may have been the last thing missing Plainfield mom Lisa Stebic ate before disappearing.

At least once a week for the past year since the store's opening, Stebic would stop at Jimmy John's, 12632 S. Route 59, Plainfield, for a Turkey Tom. The 8-inch turkey sub sandwich includes lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and alfalfa sprouts.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA15_MISSING_P2_scn_feed_20070514_22_28_44_583-110-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/385606,NA15_MISSING_P2.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Christine Muilenberg, center, prepares sandwiches at the Jimmy John's store Lisa Stebic frequented on Route 59 in Plainfield. Stebic has been missing 15 days.
Kate Szrom / Staff photographer


MISSING PERSON CASE
Deputy Plainfield Police Chief Mark Eiting said Monday that Stebic's disappearance officially remains classified as a missing person case. Police have "no new leads or anything at this point," he said. ON THE WEB
• Visit findlisastebic.com for latest updates from her family and to post well-wishes. • Take a look at The Sun's gallery of pictures from events this weekend at napersun.com.


Stebic was at that Jimmy John's at about 2 p.m. April 30, the day the 37-year-old mother of two went missing.

"She was normal, just like any other day," manager Christine Muilenburg said. "There was no indication anything was wrong, at least from as far as we know her."

Stebic ordered her regular sandwich, talked about her children and said she was in a hurry, as she had errands to run before the kids retuned home from school that day, Muilenburg said.

"It was a mom conversation," she said.

The ladies who work the midday shift at Jimmy John's call themselves the "Desperate Housewives," as many of them are just like Stebic - moms looking for a part-time job while their children are in school.

Stebic is a lunchroom worker at Lincoln Elementary in Plainfield, a job that allowed her to be home in the afternoon to greet her children.

According to police reports, Stebic was last seen at 6 p.m. April 30 in the home she shares with her estranged husband, Craig. Her car remains in the attached garage of the Plainfield home and neither her cell phone nor credit cards have been used since her disappearance.

"It's unnerving," Jimmy John's general manager Lydia Atkinson said of Stebic's disappearance. "Maybe if we kept her here a little longer," she added, leaving a lot unsaid.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/385591,6_1_NA15_MISSING_S2.article

[Pauli]

http://imgsrv.wbbm780.com/image/DbGraphic/200705/536759.jpg
Posted: Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:23PM
Items Seized From Stebic Home

(WBBM/STNG) - Police confirm that they searched a missing Plainfield woman's home early this morning and impounded two cars and other items from the house in the southwest suburb.
WBBM’S Debra Dale has the story.

Plainfield police confirm that they obtained a search warrant late last night and searched the Stebic home at 13244 Red Star Drive.

Police also impounded two cars registered to Craig Stebic...a 2002 Chevy S-10 pickup and a 2004 Saturn Ion. Lisa drove the Saturn.

Police say they took some items into custody, but will not specify what those items are.

Craig Stebic tells WBBM that Plainfield police came to the family home in the middle of the night...performed a search...and took a few items. He says they took "blankets and stuff."

“We need to focus part of our investigation on the fact that she may not have voluntarily disappeared,” Police Chief Don Bennet said.

Although investigators are considering the possibility that Lisa Stebic’s disappearance was not voluntary, Bennett said they have no hard evidence of foul play.

Lisa Stebic has been missing for two weeks. She was last seen by her husband. He says she went out. She took her cell-phone and credit cards, which have not been used since.

Plainfield Police are being assisted in their investigation by the FBI. At this point they say they have no suspects and no persons of interest.

Craig Stebic has reportedly cooperated with investigators but has refused to submit to a polygraph test, he says, on the advice of his lawyer.

Lisa Stebic's family and friends hope another package of events this weekend will deliver new information on her whereabouts.

More than 400 volunteers spent Saturday combing Plainfield for Stebic, who was last seen April 30 at her home on Red Star Drive. On Sunday, they distributed hundreds of carnations affixed with her photo and a hot line number to businesses throughout the area.

But the effort failed to produce new clues. Melanie Greenberg, who is married to Stebic's cousin, Mark Greenberg of Naperville, said another campaign to circulate her photo is planned so that no stone is left unturned.

"I'm going to feel like we have done absolutely everything we could do," said Melanie Greenberg, who has acted as the family's spokesperson.

A neighbor reported the mother of two missing the morning of May 1. Stebic is in the midst of a divorce from her husband, Craig Stebic, who says he last saw her at their home around 6 p.m. the evening before.

Police say they have found no trace of Stebic, whose car is still in the family's garage.

Family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers cling to hope that Stebic will return safely to her two children, ages 12 and 10 years.

Volunteers plan to hand out 300 magnets with Stebic's picture at Spring Fest in downtown Plainfield on Saturday, which marks Stebic's 38th birthday. The Plainfield Chamber of Commerce donated space at its table to help distribute the magnets.

Organizers are fielding offers of private donations that would add to the $20,000 award for information leading to her whereabouts being offered by Stebic's family.

"I'm hopeful that the reward may have brought in some tips and leads that the police haven't had a chance to thoroughly check out yet," she said.

Volunteers at Spring Fest also plan to distribute photos of Stebic attached to balloons.

On Saturday evening, another candlelight vigil is planned, similar to one last Wednesday that was attended by more than 100 of her family
members, friends and co-workers from Lincoln Elementary School.

Finally, a new video will be launched this week on the Web site www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com/) that will show more photos and video footage of Stebic.
"(We're doing) anything we can think of to keep her name and face fresh," Greenberg said. "The world is concerned about Lisa Stebic and wants to find her."
If no new leads turn up after this weekend, Greenberg said she is not sure of the family's next steps.
"It's difficult to be optimistic, but I'm personally still willing to do what I can," Greenberg said Monday. "It's very difficult because it is two weeks today."
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/459985.php?contentType=4&contentId=502825

[Pauli]

POLICE AND FBI RAID STEBIC HOME

WITH NO SUSPECTS IN THE CASE OF THE MISSING PLAINFIELD MOTHER ...


May 16, 2007
By Janet Lundquist Staff Writer

PLAINFIELD -- While police say they have no suspects in the disappearance of a local mother of two, her husband's attorney believes a midnight search of her house was an attempt to intimidate her husband and coerce a confession.

For the first time Tuesday, investigators said they are expanding their search for Lisa Stebic to include the possibility of foul play -- and served early-morning search warrants at the Stebic house as the next step in the investigation.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO16_MISSING_P1_scn_feed_20070515_22_44_38_893-115-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/387283,JO16_MISSING_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))A poster with the picture of Lisa Stebic, who is missing, hangs from a light pole Tuesday morning near her Plainfield home on Red Star Drive. Plainfield police searched the home and impounded two vehicles early Tuesday.
(STEVEN BUYANSKY/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)


Lisa Stebic, 37, was reported missing May 1. Police say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since April 30, when she was last seen at home about 6 p.m.

"We need to focus part of our investigation on the fact that she may not have voluntarily disappeared," said Police Chief Don Bennett.

Although investigators are considering that possibility, Bennett said they have no hard evidence of foul play.

Plainfield police, an FBI evidence response team and a special operations unit from the Joliet Police Department searched the house at 13244 Red Star Drive, and the Stebics' vehicles early Tuesday morning.

Craig Stebic's attorney Dion Davi said Stebic was not allowed to call him during the search, which police said lasted about four and a half hours. Bennett said Stebic was offered the chance to call his attorney and declined.

Stebic was cooperative and let officers in to conduct the search, police said. During the search, Stebic stayed in a room with officers while his two children were in a car outside with female officers, police said.

"They say he's not a suspect. They say he's not a person of interest.
But they come in the middle of the night, take the kids out of their sleep and force them to sleep in a car while they search for hours," said Davi, who said he learned of the search when Stebic called him about 6 a.m. Tuesday.

"They're trying to coerce a confession from my client when he's already stated his innocence," he said.

Bennett said the process of obtaining the warrants from the Will County State's Attorney's office started much earlier in the day Monday and took longer than expected, but that investigators had personnel available to conduct the searches and felt it was important to move forward that night.

Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting said investigators still have no suspects and no persons of interest in connection with Lisa Stebic's disappearance. He would not say what items were taken from the house, nor would he discuss the content of the search warrant.
Police did say they impounded Lisa's 2004 Saturn Ion and Craig's 2002 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, both of which are registered to Craig Stebic.

Will County State's Attorney spokesman Chuck Pelkie said because of the high-profile, ongoing investigation, the warrant is under court seal and not available for public scrutiny.

Investigators are not currently planning further ground searches nor have they sought additional search warrants, Eiting said.

Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family, said she had not talked to police and declined to comment on the latest development in the case.

Lisa Stebic's family has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Anyone with information on Lisa S
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/387248,4_1_JO16_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Lisa filed to evict husband




May 16, 2007
By Janet Lundquist Staff Writer
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO16_MISSING_P1_scn_feed_20070515_22_44_38_893-115-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/387283,JO16_MISSING_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))A poster with the picture of Lisa Stebic, who is missing, hangs from a light pole Tuesday morning near her Plainfield home on Red Star Drive. Plainfield police searched the home and impounded two vehicles early Tuesday.
(STEVEN BUYANSKY/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)


On May 9, Stebic filed the emergency motion for custody of the kids, ages 10 and 12. His attorney Dion Davi said the motion was an attempt to protect Craig in case Lisa returned, took the children and disappeared again.

In his response today, Lisa’s attorney Glenn Kahn said, considering the unanswered questions surrounding Lisa’s disappearance, the court should maintain the status quo instead of possibly jeopardizing Lisa’s parental rights.

The judge decided the motion was not an emergency and set it for a hearing May 22 in Will County Circuit Court.


http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/388196,4_1_JO16_MISSING_S4.article

[Pauli]

Police: 'We are always sensitive to the children'


May 16, 2007
By Paige Winfield Staff Writer

After they spent the weekend with relatives, the children of a missing Plainfield woman were back home Monday night when police searched the family's house around midnight.

Lisa Stebic, mother of 12-year-old Lexi and 10-year-old Zach, has been missing since April 30.

Two female officers watched over the children in the back of a squad car while authorities searched the home, neighbors said.

Mark Eiting, deputy chief of police for the Plainfield Police Department, said officers made sure the children did not observe the search.

"We are always sensitive to the children," he said.

Amid the media attention surrounding Lisa's disappearance, relatives have tried to keep the children's lives as normal as possible, said Melanie Greenberg of Naperville, who is married to Stebic's cousin, Mark Greenberg.

Other than attending a candlelight vigil for Lisa last Wednesday, the children have been in the house with their father, Craig, when they are not at school. Greenberg said Craig has been shielding them from viewing the extensive media coverage of their missing mother.

Anxiety, abandonment
As Lexi and Zach deal with the anxiety and stress of separation from their mother, it is crucial to shelter them from media attention, said Fatima Ali, a psychiatrist with DuPage Mental Health Services.

"At that age, you are not feeling comfortable with your own emotions," she said. "So media coming to them repeatedly can traumatize them."
But Ali said it is equally important that family members are honest with the children.

When preteen children encounter traumatic situations, two of the most common emotions are feelings of anxiety and abandonment, Ali said. Even though Lexi and Zach can understand that their mother probably didn't leave voluntarily, she said, they may feel betrayed and begin to worry about losing another loved one.

Custody hearing set
Since Lisa vanished, Greenberg and other relatives have repeatedly described her as a devoted and loving mother, saying she would never voluntarily leave her children.

But when Craig filed for temporary custody of the children last week, he made a move that has left Lisa's family members puzzled.
Mark Greenberg, who is an attorney, said the move makes no sense, since Craig already has custody of the children.

Craig's emergency motion for temporary custody is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday in Will County Circuit Court.

While none of Lisa's family members are currently seeking custody of the children, Melanie Greenberg said they would all be willing to care for Lexi and Zach if needed.

"Any member of Lisa's family would be willing to take the children," she said.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/387119,6_1_NA16_MISSING_S2.article

[Pauli]

NANCY GRACE

Police Say Possible Foul Play in Disappearance of Chicago-Area Mother

Aired May 16, 2007 - 20:00:00 ET

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, breaking news. Day 16, a young mother of two who reportedly goes for a jog, then never heard from again. Tonight we learn Lisa Stebic disappears just hours after mailing court papers to evict her husband, the two still living under the same roof. And tonight, for the first time, police refuse to rule out foul play. And further developments. Police swoop in for a late-night search, a five-hour search on Stebic`s home, seizing both family cars.
And tonight: A beautiful 4-year-old baby girl on a luxury resort vacation with her entire family vanishes from her own bedroom after parents leave the children alone to attend a dinner party. Tonight, the reward climbing to over $5 million to find baby Maddy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last Thursday evening, a little girl called Maddy was taken from the family hotel room. As I`m sure you understand, we need to do everything possible to help the police with their inquiries in finding her. If you have seen this little girl, please could you go to your local authorities or police and give any information that you have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is very nearly two weeks now since Madeleine McCann was abducted from her family`s holiday apartment. In that time, police have searched hundreds of properties. The latest development, a block of apartments in this resort has tonight been sealed off. There have been in those two weeks been leads and suspects, the most high-profile of them Robert Murat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robert Murat`s house is still under police guard. Police tape still marks the outer limits of his garden and the driveway here. But police have been very clear they don`t have enough evidence even to continue questioning Robert Murat, let alone arrest him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police have been seen working at another property.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The inquiry appears to have moved quite quickly over the last three days, but the hours must tick by very slowly for the McCann family because Madeleine is still not here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight. First, to upscale Chicago suburbs and the mystery of missing mom Lisa Stebic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Plainfield Police Department obtained and executed a search warrant at the home of Lisa Stebic, who has been missing since April 30.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The photos are somewhat grainy, an eerie shade of yellow, taken with a special low-light attachment. What they show is eerie, too -- highly specialized police units, including members of the Joliet Police Department`s special operations squad, the FBI`s evidence response team, some in SWAT gear, moving in on the quaint suburban home Lisa Stebic once shared with her husband and two children. The pictures show forensic technicians entering and police impounding Lisa`s car and her husband`s truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what were you able to recover?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re not discussing what items were discovered at the residence or in the vehicle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Deputy Chief Eiting says a neighbor reported Lisa missing and that she was last seen by her husband, Craig, in their Plainfield home 15 days ago. The Stebics were in the process of getting a divorce and lived in the home with their two children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Where is missing mom Lisa Stebic? Tonight, the plot seems to thicken. It is revealed that the very day, just hours, in fact, before she goes missing, she had mailed formal court documents back to her lawyer asking her husband to be evicted from the family home, the two in a bizarre living situation much like "War of the Roses," two of them while seeking a divorce living under the same roof. Nothing good can come of that.

Out to Michelle Fiore with WBBM Newsradio. What`s the latest?

MICHELLE FIORE, WBBM NEWSRADIO: Well, I talked with Glenn Khan just this evening, and he tells me that the situation in the divorce had become tense, tense enough to the fact that the -- to the point to where Lisa was wanting to have her husband removed from the home. She had told her attorney that it didn`t feel comfortable in the house anymore, that he was both verbally abusive to her alone when she was only in the house, and even in front of the children, as well, that he was intimidating to her, and that she thought it would be best for not only herself but also for the sake of the two children that he be removed from the house.

GRACE: Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Plainfield Police Department obtained and executed a search warrant at the home of Lisa Stebic, who has been missing since April 30. Plainfield police, with the help of the Joliet Police Department and the FBI, started the search last night at midnight and spent approximately four-and-a-half hours at the residence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The photos are somewhat grainy, an eerie shade of yellow, taken with a special low-light attachment. What they show is eerie, too -- highly specialized police units, including members of the Joliet Police Department`s special operations squad, the FBI`s evidence response team, some in SWAT gear, moving in on the quaint suburban home Lisa Stebic once shared with her husband and two children. The pictures show forensic technicians entering and police impounding Lisa`s car and her husband`s truck.

Lisa left here on April 30 with her cell phone and her wallet and has not been seen since. The phone and credit cards were never used again. Lisa and her husband shared a home with their kids, even though they were going through a divorce. Craig Stebic still lives there with the couple`s children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: He must have a sinus condition because I`m not seeing any tears. I assume that was at one of the vigils. Let me reiterate that the husband, Mr. Stebic, has not been named a suspect.

I have in my hands the court documents. We didn`t even know that Lisa Stebic was asking to have her husband evicted from the family home, these papers filed -- mailed by her to her lawyer. Within hours, she was missing. And what`s so interesting is I`m looking at this -- and to you, Jean Casarez -- it says, "Husband`s behavior toward Lisa alone and in front of the children is unnecessarily relentless, cruel, inconsiderate, domineering, verbally abusive, jeopardizing Lisa`s mental and physical well-being." And this is what disturbed me. "As a result of his disruptive behavior," according to her, "police intervention has been required to diffuse the situation."

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../16/ng.01.html (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/16/ng.01.html)

[Pauli]

LISA WANTED HUSBAND OUT

ATTORNEYS GOT THE LETTER AFTER SHE VANISHED, BUT ON THE DAY SHE DID ...


May 17, 2007
By Janet Lundquist staff Writer

JOLIET -- The day she disappeared, Lisa Stebic mailed a petition to oust her husband from their home while their divorce was pending so she and her children could "live in peace."

Signed on the last page in neat cursive, Lisa Stebic's petition for temporary eviction of her spouse, Craig, states he was being "unnecessarily relentless, cruel, inconsiderate, domineering and verbally abusive." His behavior was "jeopardizing the mental well-being" of their children, she said.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/jo17_missing_p5.jpg_20070517_10_22_10_519-66-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/390512,JO17_MISSING_P5.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))The attorney for Lisa Stebic Said he doesn't know whether her husband, Craig Stebic (right), knew of Lisa's plans to have Craig evicted from their Plainfield home (left) before she disappeared April 30.
(STAFF FILE PHOTOS)


She felt his verbal abuse was affecting her mental and physical well-being, according to her petition.

That petition was included in a motion filed Wednesday by Lisa Stebic's attorney, Glenn Kahn, as a response to Craig Stebic's motion for temporary custody of the couple's two children.

Lisa Stebic, 37, was last seen about 6 p.m. April 30 at her Red Star Drive home. She was reported missing May 1 by a neighbor.

Did Craig know about petition?
Because the petition was received after Lisa was reported missing, it was never filed in court, Kahn said.

The law office typed up the petition and gave it to Lisa to sign and return before her disappearance, he said. He did not know whether Craig Stebic knew Lisa planned to sign and mail the petition.

"That's the million dollar question," Kahn said. "It's quite possible he did, it's possible he didn't as well. She did have it at the house."

Craig Stebic's attorney, Dion Davi, said as far as he knew Craig did not know Lisa was mailing the petition.

Davi, who said he saw Lisa's petition for the first time Wednesday, said it did not contain any specific allegations. Other than the police responding to their house in December for an argument, Davi said he had no indication that the couple had a problem living in the same house.

"We don't know if Lisa truly intended to file this petition," Davi said.
He said he does not think the petition will hurt Craig's chances of obtaining temporary custody of his kids.

Lisa's petition suggested Craig could live in his father's Highland Park home, while still paying the mortgage and utilities for the Plainfield house, until their divorce was final. It also said Lisa did not have local family or friends she could stay with.

Troubled marriage
Craig Stebic has said he and Lisa had not spoken much in the six months before she disappeared, essentially living separate lives under the same roof.

In fact, Kahn's Wednesday motion said the couple had minimal interaction since October.

Craig filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences, according to court records. Lisa and Craig both sought joint custody of their children, ages 10 and 12, with Lisa as the residential custodial parent; child support; and division of their marital property.

Lisa Stebic was seeking alimony, but Craig said they could each support themselves, court records say. According to Lisa's petition, Craig earns more than $80,000 per year, while she earns less than $10,000 per year.

Eight days after his wife was reported missing, Craig filed an emergency motion for custody of the kids. Davi said granting temporary custody would protect Craig in case Lisa planned to return, take the children and disappear again. Lisa had not previously threatened to take the children away, Davi said. But he felt the motion was necessary, considering the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance.

Kahn said Lisa's disappearance is not a "reasonable or sound legal basis" to remove her parental rights and is asking the court to maintain the status quo. The judge decided the motion was not an emergency and set it for a hearing May 22 in Will County Circuit Court.
Friends' concerns

Police say Lisa's whereabouts are still unknown. There has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since April 30. Lisa's car was parked in the garage until a police search at the Stebic house early Tuesday. Police impounded her car and Craig's truck during the search.

Officers also took items from the house, but would not say what was taken.

Lisa's petition lends credence to some concerns her friends have raised since her disappearance, including that Lisa sought counseling at Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet.

"I've heard her say, 'If anything ever happened to me, look towards Craig,'" said Amer Zegar, speaking with The Herald News' partner the Naperville Sun. Zegar and his wife hosted Lisa and her two children at his home several times since January.

"I don't want to blame someone who's innocent. (But) we're scared, we really are," he said.

A friend of Lisa's said the petition didn't surprise her.

"Sometimes she'd come in (to work) in the morning and you could see she was crying. She didn't really want to talk about it," said a friend who didn't want her name used. "Lisa said things. I know it wasn't a pleasant situation. She was going to counseling in Joliet with her children."

Friends knew Craig Stebic was going to be leaving the Plainfield home soon and to prepare their children for the divorce, Lisa Stebic started to take them to counseling.

Sheila Schmitz, chief executive officer of Guardian Angel Community Services, would not confirm whether Lisa was a client, but did say she had been contacted by police.

The organization offers a comprehensive counseling program for children, including kids whose parents are going through divorce, she said.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/389727,4_1_JO17_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Stebic Blood Found In Husband's Vehicle

Authorities Acknowledge Lisa Stebic Might Be Victim of Foul Play

CBS 2's Pamela Jones contributed to this report.


Plainfield, Ill. (CBS) ― There's a new lead in the disappearance of Lisa Stebic; it comes as friends and families mark the missing woman's birthday.

The Naperville Sun is quoting an unnamed police source saying police found a tarp in Craig Stebic's truck which has tested positive for his wife Lisa Stebic's blood.

The Will County State Attorney's Office will neither confirm nor deny that, saying the warrant is under seal.

It's information the missing woman's side of the family was surprised to hear.

In an e-mail from Melanie Greenberg, the Stebic family spokesperson, stated: "The family of Lisa Stebic was not aware of, and does not now know, the grounds on which the Plainfield Police Department obtained the search warrant executed at Lisa and Craig's home last Monday. We continue to have full confidence in the Plainfield Police Department, and do not wish to comment on the course of their investigation at this time. We remain thankful beyond words to all those who have supported us and sent their prayers for Lisa's safe return."

Satruday balloons lifted skyward against a setting sun in a tribute to Lisa Stebic on her 38th birthday.

The family said they are grateful for those who attended the candlelight vigil in Stebic's honor Saturday evening.

"It's just a difficult day in general because it's Lisa's 38th birthday and she's not here with us and she's not with her two children," said Melanie Greenberg, Stebic's cousin and family spokesperson.

The Naperville Sun reports a tarp investigators confiscated from Stebic's home as evidence has tested positive for Lisa Stebic's blood and that evidence sparked a judge to approve a search warrant on the home executed Monday.

"It's extremely painful and difficult," said Mark Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin. We've been contacting and discussing what's been going on with police. We've asked them to tell as much as they can to us without jeopardizing the investigation. This is news to us."

Craig Stebic told CBS 2 he'd talk later, but was busy with family during the birthday celebration.

Loved ones will save a piece of Lisa's birthday cake with the hopes she'll taste it someday along with a huge birthday card for her to read.

CBS 2 and our news partner the Naperville Sun are working on this story together. Read more about the investigation in sunday's Naperville Sun.

"We need to focus part of our investigation on the fact that she may not have voluntarily disappeared," Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett told Sun partner The Herald News. http://image.cbslocal.com/175x131/images_sizedimage_123142318.jpg http://cbs2chicago.com/local/lisa.stebic.plainfield.2.337095.html

[Pauli]

Who is Lisa Stebic?

May 19, 2007
By Catherine Ann Velasco STAFF WRITER

PLAINFIELD -- At the time of her disappearance, Lisa Stebic loved butterflies because it symbolized her transformation.

In the middle of a divorce, Stebic started a fitness regimen, lost weight and looked forward to a life as a single mom, family and friends say.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO19_MISSING_P1_scn_feed_20070518_22_44_34_2124-106-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/392752,JO19_MISSING_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))This 2007 photo shows Lisa Stebic (from left) with her sisters, Jamie Bouma and Debbie Ruttenberg.



She seemed to understand the saying, "What a caterpillar thinks is the end, a butterfly knows is just the beginning."

To celebrate a new start in her life, Lisa got a butterfly tattoo on her lower back with her children's names on each side. She already had a small rose on her ankle with her daughter's name and wanted a tattoo with her son's name.

"A butterfly was her symbol right now because she was going through changes in her life. She was going through a divorce. It was a symbol for her about the changes she was making in her life," said Melanie Greenberg, a family member.

Lisa had planned to get another tattoo with a smiley face before she disappeared April 30, said co-worker and friend Ruby Zegar.

Monday will mark three weeks since the 37-year-old mother of two disappeared from her Plainfield home at 13244 Red Star Drive.

Lisa's husband, Craig Stebic, reported to Plainfield police that he hasn't seen his wife since she left their home with her purse and cell phone about 6 p.m. April 30. He said she left on foot or was picked up because her car was still in the driveway.

Lisa has missed some milestones in three weeks, including Mother's Day and now her 38th birthday, which is today.

For Lisa's birthday, Kim Young, Sodexho Food Service manager and Lisa's boss and friend, Lisa and co-workers had planned to go out and have drinks to celebrate.

Young hired Lisa four years ago, developing a friendship based on common interests, such as animals and fitness.

About a year ago, Lisa and Young focused on getting healthy.
"She would make weird drinks and I would make smoothies and we'd compare them," Young said.

While Young experimented with turkey burgers, Lisa enticed her children with healthy salads.

"She lost 40 pounds. Over the year, she started working out. She was running and taking the dog for a run around the house," Young said. "She started feeling good and wanted to get other people involved."

Young, who lives in Oswego, said she didn't exercise with Lisa, but knew Lisa would go to Plainfield North and Plainfield South high schools to work out.

Lisa had looked forward to the summer, planning trips to the beach, the water park and museums with Zegar, a mother of three boys.
Zegar described Lisa as a true friend.

Young said when you talked, Lisa really listened.

"When she met you she would retain something about you and ask you all these questions about your life and your family," Young said.
"When she talked to you she sat and studied you and listened," said co-worker Betty Stubner.

From the beginning
Greenberg, the family spokeswoman whose husband, Mark, is a cousin of Stebic, talked to Lisa's mom about her missing daughter.

Greenberg wouldn't grant The Herald News an interview with the family, saying she is trying to protect Lisa's parents, who are retired and not able to travel. Lisa's sisters were in transit to visit their parents for Lisa's birthday.

The family did e-mail a statement about Lisa.
In that e-mail, Lisa's mom said her daughter has a heart of gold and always thought of others first and herself last. In nursery school, if someone was missing a crayon she would stand up and give hers to them.

"As a child, Lisa's love of nature became apparent from the early age of 2. From puppies to frogs, turtles to chameleons she was eager to watch, play and nurture them. Her excitement over little things brought delight to her entire family," according to the family's e-mail.

The then Lisa Ruttenberg graduated from Libertyville High School in 1987. There, she competed on the swim team and danced jazz. She attended Southern Illinois University before going to Kendall College where she got a degree in hotel and restaurant management. She worked in hotels in Lincolnshire and Northbrook.

"From a teenager on, Lisa took pride and pleasure in creating culinary dishes to surprise her family. We know she specially created these dishes which are rich with love," the family wrote in their e-mail.
Life with Craig

"She met Craig at a party. They didn't go to school together," Greenberg said. "They got married April 6, 1993, in Jamaica. They eloped."

Greenberg said since Lisa is Jewish and Craig wasn't, it was easier to elope than planning a wedding melding both religions. Greenberg's mother-in-law hosted a wedding reception for her niece.

Two years later, the couple celebrated the birth of their first child, Alexis, with Zachary following about a year later.

The couple lived in Waukegan, but because Craig Stebic was in construction he traveled to the Plainfield area a lot so they moved out here five years ago, Greenberg said.

Craig Stebic's attorney denied an interview with his client about his wife's life.

Lisa has an older sister, Debbie, and younger sister, Jamie. The three recently went to a water park hotel in Lake Geneva with their children.

Known as a devoted mother, Lisa gave up her career that consisted of long evening hours and stayed home to raise her young children. When her children started school, Lisa started working as a Sodexho Food Service worker because the hours meshed well with her children's schedule. The job gave her the same school holidays as her children and she could be home to take them to after-school activities and help with homework.

Craig, an avid hunter in his spare time, is employed as a pipe fitter for Dial Corp. in Montgomery. He grew up in Highland Park, attended Lake County College and then spent a year at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, Ohio.

In March 2006, Lisa started working as a substitute custodian for Plainfield School District, working nights after the children were in bed in addition to her lunch duties. However, about a year later she stopped the custodial work.

"Last year, she was working 50 hours a week. It was a lot of physical work. She started losing weight then. She is a hard-working girl," Stubner said.

"It was too much," Young said. "It was extra money for the summertime. Fun money."

Before Lisa disappeared, Stubner said the three of them -- Lisa, Stubner and Zegar -- planned to request returning to work as lunch servers at Lincoln Elementary next school year.

"We were going to get our letters ready ... so we were not moved around somewhere else," Stubner said. "We worked really well together -- the three of us."

Stubner knows about one rule Lisa lived by.
"She would never leave her children alone," Stubner said. "If her husband wasn't going to be there ... she wasn't going to go out."
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/392743,4_1_JO19_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

DNA test matches blood found on tarp with Lisa's
Police: She might not have voluntarily disappeared


May 20, 2007
staff report

Missing Plainfield woman Lisa Stebic's blood was found on a tarp recovered from husband Craig's vehicle, an unnamed police source said.

A DNA test determined that the blood on the tarp was Lisa's, and authorities used that information to convince a judge to issue a search warrant that was executed at the Stebic's Plainfield home late Monday night. Charles Pelkie, spokesman for Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, would neither confirm nor deny the report
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/n...ING_S2.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/n...ING_S2.article)

[Pauli]

Neighbors Respond To News of Stebic Blood

Lisa Stebic's Blood Identified on Tarp Found in Husband's Car

by Joanie Lum

Plainfield, Ill. (CBS) ― Blood from a missing Plainfield woman has reportedly been found in her husband's truck. CBS 2's Joanie Lum spoke with Lisa Stebic's neighbors about the new lead.

Sources told the Naperville Sun, the blood evidence convinced a judge to issue a search warrant of the Stebic's home last week.

Home video shows authorities impounding two vehicles.

The source says DNA from the blood-stained tarp found in Craig Stebic's truck matched Lisa Stebic.

The Stebic family has kept this case active through continuous media exposure, including volunteer searches and daily news conferences. A family spokeswoman said it's time to let police work on their investigation, issuing this statement.

"The family of Lisa Stebic was not aware of, and does not know the grounds on which the Plainfield Police Department obtained the search warrant executed at Lisa and Craig's home last Monday."

Neighbors say the lack of information about Lisa Stebic's disappearance is troubling.

"It's a horrible thing," said Stebic neighbor Clinton Kuchta. "She's missing. They can't find her, but they don't know what's going on yet."

"I think we all want to put this to rest, find out what happened, be at ease," said neighbor Jim Cervenak.

Neighbors say they aren't sure what to think of Craig Stebic, who was in the process of divorcing Lisa when she disappeared.

"He acts like it's a normal life," said neighbor Lisa Maggio who lives next to Stebic. "He does landscaping, goes to and from work. He acts like it's normal day to day, like she's coming home tomorrow; he doesn't seem like a normal father of kids should act of a missing mother."

The Stebic family has been supportive of Craig and says it has full confidence in the Plainfield Police Department and remains thankful to supporters who hope for Lisa's safe return.

The family says it won't be making any more public statements for a while.

"He acts like it's a normal life," said neighbor Lisa Maggio. "He does landscaping, goes to and from work. I live close to him. He acts like it's normal day to day."

http://image.cbslocal.com/320x240/images_sizedimage_127191921.jpg












http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/lisa.stebic.craig.2.337085.html

[Pauli]

Judge Denies Craig Stebic's Motion For Full Custody

Man's Attorney Calls Ruling 'Disheartening'


POSTED: 6:39 am CDT May 21, 2007
UPDATED: 6:18 pm CDT May 22, 2007


http://www.nbc5.com/2007/0521/13357949_240X180.jpg
(http://www.nbc5.com/news/13356252/detail.html#)


Craig Stebic filed for temporary custody of his two children earlier this month after his wife, 37-year-old Lisa Stebic, disappeared from their west suburban home on April 30. Despite massive police searches, she remains missing.

A Will County judge rejected her husband's bid to gain sole custody of the kids, ruling Stebic hadn’t met the required legal standard and calling it "legally insufficient."

But Stebic will continue caring for the couple’s 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter.

The missing mother's family considered it a bizarre move.

Stebic's attorney, Dion Davi, said his client's wife might have been abducted or might be a runaway estranged wife, and he said for those reasons, the order should have been granted. Stebic — who filed earlier this year for divorce — didn’t attend the brief hearing.

The finding means that, if Lisa Stebic is OK and returns, she could take the children, said Davi, who called the ruling "disheartening."

Stebic still has parental rights over the children. No one has petitioned to take them away from him.

Despite her lengthy absence and reports that police found blood in Craig Stebic’s truck during a search after she vanished, Davi maintained that it’s still not clear whether Lisa Stebic vanished on her own or was abducted or killed.

"Of course, I don’t suspect foul play," Davi said.

He said Craig Stebic has cooperated with the search for Lisa Stebic "in every way possible that's reasonable."

Stebic has refused to take a polygraph test, Davi said, maintaining that the lie-detector isn’t reliable.

Lisa Stebic's continued absence likely will stall the couple’s ongoing divorce proceedings, Davi said.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/13356252/detail.html#

[Pauli]

Family of Missing Illinois Mom Lisa Stebic Not Yet Casting Blame

The cousin of missing Illinois mom Lisa Stebic says her family is holding off casting blame on who may be responsible for her disappearance until evidence proves exactly what happened to her.

"The police have not told us they have a suspect," Mark Greenberg told FOX News on Monday. "The people pointing fingers at this point are the media."

Plainfield, Ill., police were able to obtain a warrant to search Stebic's home on May 14. Local news reports said they obtained the warrant because they had found traces of her blood on a tarp in her husband's vehicle.

But Dion Davi, the attorney for Stebic's husband, Craig, told FOX News that it's not yet clear whether the tarp was the cause for the warrant. Davi said that after two searches of the Stebic home earlier this month, he received from police an itemized list of what was taken from the home, which included the family computer. The tarp was not on the list for either of those two searches.

That means it may be something else police found after those two searches that prompted the May 14 warrant.

Unnamed police sources, as reported in local newspapers like The Naperville Sun and the Joliet Herald News, had said officials used the blood evidence to obtain the warrant by positing a scenario that her husband Craig, an avid hunter, might have used the tarp to transport his wife's body from the home.

Charles Pelkie, spokesman for Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, would neither confirm nor deny the report for the Sun, saying that "the contents of the warrant are under court seal."

But FOX News confirmed that the car the blood was found in was one of the family's two vehicles, a 2002 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. The family's other car was a 2004 four-door Saturn Ion. Both were registered to Craig Stebic, but Lisa used the Saturn. Both have been confiscated by police.

Craig Stebic has never been named a formal suspect in the case and has been compliant with police requests, according to Michelle Sigona, a correspondent for America's Most Wanted, which has profiled the Stebics' case. Craig Stebic gave police the family's computer but would not submit to a lie-detector test on the advice of his attorney, Sigona told FOX News. His divorce lawyer has advised him against submitting to the test.

"We just have to hold out hope as long as we possibly can," Greenberg told FOX News on Monday.

He said Lisa's family was "very concerned" about the couple's children, ages 10 and 12, and how they're holding up while their mother is missing. Greenberg said Craig Stebic brought the children to stay with another relative two weekends ago to take a break from the media frenzy surrounding the case.

"It's very important we try to preserve as much of a normal life as possible for these children," Greenberg said.

On Saturday, friends and family of Lisa Stebic gathered for a candlelight vigil to mark the mother of two's 38th birthday.

Stebic was last seen at about 6 p.m. April 30 at her Red Star Drive home in Plainfield, Ill.

She disappeared while her husband — from whom she was seeking a divorce — was in the backyard and her two children were out. She was reported missing by her husband the next day. Since then, there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards.

The search on May 14 was the first time authorities publicly acknowledged Stebic may be a victim of foul play.

"We need to focus part of our investigation on the fact that she may not have voluntarily disappeared," Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett told the Sun.

It was reported May 17 that Stebic was trying to have her husband evicted from their Plainfield, Ill., home so the family could "live in peace."

Stebic's petition for temporary eviction stated he was being "unnecessarily relentless, cruel, inconsiderate, domineering and verbally abusive." His behavior was "jeopardizing the mental well-being" of their children, she wrote.

Divorce proceedings began in December. The couple has lived in the same house since then but rarely spoke.

Craig Stebic's attorney, Dion Davi, denied the abuse allegations to the Chicago Tribune, noting the couple cited irreconcilable differences in their divorce action. He said Lisa Stebic was never in danger from her husband.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274418,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274418,00.html)

[Pauli]

Craig Stebic unsurprised by discovery of blood


By JANET LUNDQUIST The Herald News
The blood police found in Craig Stebic's truck had to have come from a dead animal he hunted, the Plainfield resident said Monday afternoon.

Stebic dismissed a weekend news report that police found a tarp in his truck with his wife’s blood on it — evidence that reportedly led to a search warrant for his house and vehicles.

“We do a lot of hunting,” he said. “I know there’s blood all over the back of the truck. For them to find blood in the back of the truck doesn’t surprise me a bit.”

Police on Monday would not comment on the report, in which The Herald News’ partner The Naperville Sun cited an unnamed police source saying the bloody tarp was used to obtain a search warrant for the family’s house and vehicles.

Police Chief Don Bennett said the search warrant, and the authorities’ grounds for obtaining it, is under court seal.

Lisa Stebic’s family declined to comment, except to issue a statement saying they do not know the grounds on which the police department obtained the warrant.

When asked about a petition to evict him from the house that Lisa mailed to her attorney the day she disappeared, Stebic said he didn’t know anything about it.

“I don’t know what to think, say or do,” he said.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/n...WEB_S1.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/home/395090,5_1_JO21_STEBICWEB_S1.article)

[Pauli]

Husband of Missing Illinois Mom Lisa Stebic Not Granted Sole Custody of Children


JOLIET, Ill. — The husband of missing Illinois mom Lisa Stebic was denied sole custody of the couple's two children Tuesday.

Craig Stebic's lawyer, Dion Davi, filed the legal motion after Lisa disappeared, arguing that his client was afraid that if and when Lisa ever came back, she may take off again, this time, with the children — Alexis, 12, and Zachary, 10. In family court on Tuesday, Davi argued that while Lisa has been missing for three weeks, she has not assisted with any parenting responsibilities.

Lisa's attorneys have filed on her behalf requesting that petition be denied. Judge Joseph Polito ruled that Craig's case had no merit and struck his motion from consideration.

Lisa's attorney, Glenn Kahn, told reporters after the hearing that the judgment has no impact on the kids and that they will remain under Craig's care, since he still has all of his legal rights.

But Davi countered that, saying it's "unfortunate" the court ruled this way, because Craig is subject to the loss of certain rights if his wife were to take the kids to another jurisdiction without his permission.

More to story.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274637,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274637,00.html)

[Pauli]

Blood is from animal, Stebic says

3 weeks and Lisa's still missing; officials mum about evidence


May 22, 2007
BY Janet Lundquist Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- Craig Stebic said Monday afternoon the blood police found in his truck had to have come from a dead animal he had hunted.

He had just walked into the house after picking his son up from school. Standing at the kitchen counter, he poured a dose of antacid for the 10-year-old, who had said his stomach was upset.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO22_MISSING_P1_scn_feed_20070521_23_00_20_2660-110-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/395592,JO22_MISSING_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Three co-workers of Lisa Stebic, including Betty Stubner (center) and Linda Terpto (right) place flowers at the doorstep of the family home in Plainfield on Monday afternoon.
(Michael R Schmidt/Staff Photographer)


The family dog excitedly jumped up on the boy, who pulled a purple popsicle out of the freezer.

It's been three weeks since Lisa Stebic was reported missing.

Seemingly disappearing without a trace, she was last seen about 6 p.m. April 30 at her house.

Her 38th birthday was Saturday, and her friends and family held a candlelight vigil in her honor that night.

Earlier Saturday, volunteers manned a booth at a local festival, passing out magnets and balloons with Lisa's picture, the family's Web site, findlisastebic.com, and the police department's tip line printed on them.

Craig said he and his kids stayed away from the weekend activities to shield the children from the media.

"I don't know what to think, say or do," he said.

Lawyer questions source
Stebic dismissed a weekend report that police found a tarp in his truck with his wife's blood on it -- evidence that reportedly led to a search of his house.

"We do a lot of hunting," he said, adding that any blood in his truck is likely from a dead animal. "I know there's blood all over the back of the truck. For them to find blood in the back of the truck doesn't surprise me a bit."

Police Monday would not comment on the report, in which The Herald News' partner The Naperville Sun cited an unnamed police source saying the bloody tarp was used to obtain a search warrant for the family's house and vehicles.

Stebic's attorney Dion Davi questioned the unnamed source, saying police provided a list of items taken from the two consensual searches authorities conducted at the Stebic house -- and a tarp isn't on the list.

"How accurate is this information?" Davi said. "On the other hand, if it is accurate, why was this information not provided in their list of items? It draws into question the veracity of the statements being made by this unnamed source."

Police Chief Don Bennett said the search warrant, and the authorities' grounds for obtaining it, is under court seal.

Lisa Stebic's family issued a statement saying they declined to comment on the police investigation, and that they do not know the grounds police used to obtain the warrant.

Some neighborhood residents who heard the weekend report didn't know what to make of it either.

"I don't know that I believe there was blood on the tarp," said one nearby resident. A picture of Lisa was taped to the window next to her front door. "I just don't know what to think about it."

Cindy Curulewski said she has worked out at Plainfield North High School with Lisa, last seeing her the Wednesday before she disappeared.

"I hope it's not (Craig Stebic)" who is responsible for Lisa's disappearance, she said. "But I don't know much about him either."

Coping with disappearance
Stebic also said he didn't know about a petition to evict him from the house that Lisa mailed to her attorney the day she disappeared.

The petition, in which Lisa accused Craig of verbal abuse, was introduced by Lisa's attorney Glenn Kahn as part of his response to Craig's motion for temporary custody of the couple's son and 12-year-old daughter.

The motion will be heard this morning in Will County Circuit Court.
Monday, three of Lisa's co-workers from Lincoln Elementary School stopped by her house and left a bouquet of purple flowers on the front step.

One nearby resident said it's been hard to deal with Lisa's disappearance.

"We miss her," she said. "You know you think she's gone ... but you still hope she's coming back."

Anyone information on Lisa Stebic's location is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at (815) 267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at (800) 323-6734.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/395563,4_1_JO22_MISSING_S1.article

[Pauli]

Craig Stebic Won't Let Police Talk To Kids

Court TV Anchor Says Foul Play Was Likely In Lisa Stebic's Disappearance

Paige Winfield and Art Peterson of the Naperville Sun contributed to this report.

PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS/Naperville Sun) ― Investigators in Plainfield say Craig Stebic will not let them talk to his children about their mother's disappearance, and that he is no longer speaking to authorities himself.

His estranged wife, Lisa Stebic, has not been seen since April 30. Craig Stebic is no longer talking to police on the advice of his attorney.

He has also refused to allow police to question 12-year-old Lexi and 10-year-old Zach since investigators initially interviewed them just after their mom was reported missing May 1.

Deputy Chief Mark Eiting said Craig, as the children's legal guardian, can prohibit police from interviewing them.

"He has the right as the parent to not let us talk to the children," Eiting said.

But the Plainfield police do feel that the kids could be instrumental in the search for Lisa.

"I feel confident that the 10- and 12-year-old children want us to find the whereabouts of their mom," Plainfield Police Commander Mike Altenhoff told CBS 2.

Aside from visiting Lisa's two sisters two weekends ago, the children have remained home with their father when they are not at school.

Lexi attends Heritage Grove Middle School, and Zach goes to Walker's Grove Elementary School.

Family members have sheltered them from media attention, with Craig monitoring their television viewing.

A neighbor, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Lisa, says she occasionally has witnessed Craig or the children leaving and entering their home. As the "hot topic" in the neighborhood, the Stebic family is frequently the focus of conversations, she said.

The neighbor said she and many of her neighbors are concerned about Lexi and Zach continuing to live with Craig.

"I'm really scared for those children and that's really what everyone says, too," she said. "Who knows if he's going to snap with those children in the house."

Lisa Stebic disappeared the same day she petitioned for Craig to be evicted from the home. Craig said Lisa left for the gym and never came back.

On Wednesday night, CNN's Larry King interviewed Lisa Stebic's cousins – Mark and Melanie Greenberg, Craig Stebic's father, Joe, and court TV anchor Lisa Bloom.

While Bloom emphasized that Craig Stebic has not been called a suspect or person of interest in his wife's disappearance, she said women in abusive relationships are often in danger when it comes time to part ways, and she also said the circumstances of the case did suggest foul play.

"She had been exercising a lot, she lost about 40 pounds in the months since her disappearance, she got a tattoo of a butterfly on her back, symbolizing rebirth, and according to all her friends, she was looking forward to this divorce," Bloom said. "She was starting a new life and she was optimistic. So it's very odd, and it certainly does sound like foul play, that she would simply disappear and never be heard from again."

Joe Stebic told King his son has done nothing wrong. Lisa's cousins hope the national exposure from the show will help them find her.

Craig Stebic Has Faced Past Weapons Charges
Craig Stebic told reporters this week that his love of hunting was the reason police found blood on a tarp in the back of his truck. He said he was not surprised blood was found in his vehicle since he often uses it to transport animals.

An unnamed police source told The Naperville Sun blood was found on a tarp in the back of his truck that matched Lisa's. The discovery led to a search of the Stebic home late May 14.

Twelve years ago, he received six weapons-related charges as he was returning from one such trip.

Lincolnshire police stopped his truck Jan. 3, 1995, after they noticed his windshield was shattered.

Police found four weapons in the back of his truck, including two assault rifles. The weapons included a Chinese-made AK-47 semiautomatic assault rifle, a Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle, a Universal 10-gauge double-barrel shotgun, and a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum semiautomatic handgun.

Craig was charged with two felonies and six misdemeanors. The most serious charge was a felony offense of possessing firearms within 1,000 feet of a school.

Stebic told police he had just returned from hunting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Police said Stebic was cooperative.

Friends also say Craig has a large collection of guns. When police searched the Stebics' home last week, they were acting on information that Craig had two .50-caliber weapons in his possession, according to the police source.

"I feel confident that the 10- and 12-year-old children want us to find the whereabouts of their mom," Plainfield Police Commander Mike Altenhoff told CBS 2.
http://image.cbslocal.com/320x240/images_sizedimage_144075301.jpg Craig Stebic





http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/Lisa.Stebic.Craig.2.337251.html

[Pauli]

Larry King Live May 24th, 07


Lisa Stebic vanished from her home in Plainfield, Illinois on April 30. Her estranged husband, Craig, was the last person known to have seen her alive. Although the Stebices were divorcing, they were still living in the same house. However, the day she disappeared, Lisa mailed off a petition seeking to have Craig removed from the home. In her divorce case, she accused him of being cruel, inconsiderate, domineering and verbally abusive. Yesterday Craig's legal bid to gain custody, temporary sole custody of the two children, was rejected.

Joining us in Chicago is Mark Greenburg, the cousin of Lisa Stebic, the Illinois mother and wife who has missing since April 30, and Melanie, his wife. The Greenburgs have been speaking out on behalf of the family during this ordeal.

On the phone is Joe Stebic, she's the father of Lisa Stebic's estranged husband, Craig.

And in New York is Lisa Bloom of Court TV.

Lisa, you want to get us up to date on this?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Well, absolutely. As you say, Larry, what many legal observers thought was a strange move by Craig Stebic was denied by the judge. The judge said there's no reason to grant temporary custody to Craig just because Lisa has disappeared. The grounds that Craig had sought to get sole custody were simply that she was gone. She could come back at any time and take the children. The judge rejected that.

It's now been over three weeks, as you say, Larry, that she's been missing. The only forensic evidence that's been found so far is some of Lisa's blood found on a tarp in Craig's car. Other than that, there's no evidence of her whereabouts, no credit card receipts, for example, no cell phone calls. She simply seems to have vanished.

KING: Mark Greenburg, do you believe in foul play here?

MARK GREENBURG, COUSIN OF LISA STEBIC: Well, you know, Larry, at this point after 23 days, it's getting hard to keep up hope. But I think, you know, we have to keep up hope. We've seen so much support from the community, from, from family. We just keep hoping and praying.

KING: Melanie, how old are the children?

MELANIE GREENBURG, MARK GREENBURG'S WIFE: How old are the children? KING: Yes.

MELANIE GREENBURG: They're 10 and 12. She has a daughter that's 12 and a son that's 10. This is very difficult.

KING: How are they dealing with this?

MELANIE GREENBURG: It's very difficult. Lisa worked as a lunch room lady at a cafeteria in a school so that she could be home for her children every day after school. These are children that are used to seeing their mom every day after school. And it's extremely difficult. It's been over three weeks. It's hard for the entire family. Everyone is in anguish. We know that Lisa would never leave her children. She would never do this to her family. And so we're just -- it's a complete mystery. We don't know what could have happened to Lisa.

KING: Joe Stebic is on the phone. He's the father of Lisa's husband, Craig. What do you make of this, Joe?

JOE STEBIC, LISA STEBIC'S FATHER-IN-LAW: Well, I'll tell you what, it's all a mystery to me. And just like I heard this lady now talk about that blood again, how come, one station comes up with finding Lisa's blood in a tarp in a truck, and all the rest of the stations deny it?

KING: So you're questioning whether Lisa's blood was ever found anywhere near your son's truck?

STEBIC: Right.

KING: What do you make of this, then, Joe? What's your read on it? What does your son tell you?

STEBIC: He just doesn't know what happened to her. I know we were up here in Michigan on a Sunday -- I mean over the long weekend. And they all went home Sunday and I went home Sunday. And I talked to him Sunday night and that was it. Then I didn't know nothing until he called one morning and said Lisa never showed up. That's the only thing I know.

KING: Joe, how well do you get along with Lisa?

STEBIC: I love Lisa. She was a nice lady.

KING: Do you at all believe anywhere in your system, in your gut, that your son could commit violence?

STEBIC: No, I don't believe that not at all.

KING: Lisa, what's the story about one station saying blood and another station saying no?

BLOOM: Well, the reports that we have heard are that the police have indicated that blood -- a small amount of her blood was found on a tarp in his truck. That certainly doesn't necessarily make him guilty of murder. After all, they were a married couple. It would be typical to find any kind of blood, saliva, et cetera, of hers in his drink.

But one question I would have for Joe is, did Craig report her missing or was it, as had been reported, a neighbor that reported her missing the next morning? If Craig says she disappeared at 6:00 p.m., why didn't he call 911 immediately?

STEBIC: Well, because for the simple reason, Craig told me that she's been leaving every night almost at 6:00 or 6:15 to go do exercises or do something.

BLOOM: And then she's gone all night? And she's gone all night, leaves her children alone all night?

STEBIC: Well, who's at home? Who's home? Craig is working every day and he and the kids go to bed at 9:00 at night because he's got to get up about 4:00 or 4:30 to go to work.

KING: Mark, do you suspect Craig?

MARK GREENBURG: You know...

STEBIC: Yes.

MARK GREENBURG: ... Larry, at this point, you know, we're really relying on the Plainfield Police Department. There are a lot of media reports. Our hopes and prayers are that Lisa is still out there somewhere to be found. But we're relying on the Plainfield Police, the FBI, to look into all possible situations and circumstances and hopefully find something that will bring Lisa back to us.

KING: No question, Joe, that your son did not do anything wrong?

STEBIC: I can't believe that.

And another thing I'd like to say is, if she was so abused, isn't there any kind of a police report or anything? That's what I don't understand. I hear she's been a battered wife. I heard she was taking classes someplace as a battered wife or whatever it was. See, I don't have no TV up here where I'm at. I only go to town and people tell me what they hear on TV.

KING: So you're saying if that was the charge in the divorce, why weren't there police reports?

BLOOM: Larry, can I respond to that?

KING: Yes, sure.

BLOOM: She indicated in the papers that she filed, that she mailed off on the day she went missing, verbal abuse, verbal abuse. I've not heard anything about physical abuse but that he was domineering, verbally abusive and controlling. And that's why she wanted the court to require him leave the house and leave her alone with the children.

STEBIC: You know what; Craig was never verbally abusive to her. Every time I was down there, they seemed to get along just fine.

KING: Let me get a break. We'll be back with more with Mark and Melanie Greenburg, and Joe Stebic and Lisa Bloom of Court TV. Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIE GREENBURG: We just pray for her safe return.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On Saturday, family and friends marked Lisa's 38th birthday with a somber celebration that included a vigil and a birthday cake bearing Lisa's picture.

CROWD: Happy birthday dear Lisa.

MARK GREENBURG: We continue to hope and pray that with all of the things that we've been doing, that people are out there looking and keeping their eyes open. And if they see something or realize they've seen something, they'll talk to the Plainfield police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Coming up next week on LARRY KING LIVE, former first lady Nancy Reagan on the just-published Reagan diaries and what they reveal about the man who adored her, President Ronald Reagan. That's a week from Thursday, May 31, on LARRY KING LIVE.

Joe Stebic, does your son give you any hint as to what he thinks his wife might be?

STEBIC: No, all he told me one time was she was on that computer and he figures something that happened over that computer in email stuff. That's all I know.

KING: Is he leading any kind of search? Does he keep in touch with the police?

STEBIC: Well, no, because the police get in touch with him every once in a while. But every day I call, I ask him, I said, "Did anybody call? Did the cops call?" And he says no.

KING: Do the police tell you anything, Mark?

MARK GREENBURG: Well, you know, Larry, we do talk to the police fairly frequently. They're trying to keep the family as updated as possible. Obviously, one of the concerns that they have and that we have is that their investigation not be hampered, impaired, by whatever they may tell. They've got to make sure the Constitution is satisfied. So they're very cautious about what they do tell us. But we're in regular contact and they're telling us as much as they possibly can. KING: Melanie, frankly, it doesn't look good, does it?

MELANIE GREENBURG: It is very hard to be optimistic this many days out. We appreciate the opportunity you're giving us because we're trying to get Lisa's picture out there as wide -- to as wide an audience as we can. We don't know if someone may have been passing through the Chicago area and has seen something. We just urge anyone to call the Plainfield Police with any tip or any lead that they might have. All we know is there's no way Lisa would leave her children or her family like this. So we don't know what has happened.

KING: Lisa, is there a running theory in this case?

BLOOM: Well, I want to say, first, that the police have said that Craig Stebic is not a suspect. Having said that, we know that women in abusive relationships, and that's what she claims in the court papers, the most dangerous time for them is the time that they decide to leave the relationship. And Craig's dad is right. She had been exercising a lot. She lost about 40 pounds in the months before her disappearance. She got a tattoo of a butterfly on her back, symbolizing rebirth. And according to all of her friends, she was looking forward to this divorce. She was starting a new life and she was optimistic. So it's very odd, and certainly does sound like foul play that she would simply disappear and never be heard from again.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...23/lkl.01.html (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/23/lkl.01.html)

[Pauli]

Reward for missing Plainfield woman increased


June 5, 2007 - The family of Lisa Stebic will hold a news conference Tuesday to announce an increase in the reward for information about the missing Plainfield woman.

The reward will be increased by $30,000 to $50,000. Stebic has been missing since late April.


She was in the process of divorcing her husband Craig Stebic when she disappeared.

http://a.abclocal.go.com/images/wls/cms_exf_2005/news/local/wls_051507_lisa_stebic.jpg


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5365744

[Pauli]

Police: Husband of Missing Illinois Mom Lisa Stebic No Longer Talking

Thursday, June 07, 2007
By Liza Porteus
http://www.foxnews.com/images/foxnews_story.gif


Lisa Stebic (http://javascript<b></b>:siteSearch('Lisa Stebic');) has been missing for more than five weeks and while police continue to question people about the whereabouts of the mother of two, there's one person who they can't get any more information out of: Her husband.

"Based upon the fact that his lawyer indicated that his client no longer wishes to discuss matters with the police, we really have no contact with him at this juncture," Plainfield, Ill., Police Chief Donald Bennett told FOXNews.com on Thursday.

Asked whether that was hindering the investigation, or whether police had gotten all the information they could out of Craig Stebic (http://javascript<b></b>:siteSearch('Craig Stebic');) in the days after Lisa disappeared, Bennett said: "Any time an individual that’s very close to the person who’s missing that doesn’t share all the information with law enforcement, obviously it hampers our ability to look in certain areas we would have looked at with that information."

Lisa Stebic disappeared the night of April 30. Her estranged husband, Craig, says he was in the backyard of their shared house at the time, and the couple’s two children were out at a nearby store. Craig Stebic told police he assumed his wife had gone to the gym as usual.

Police also have not spoken to the children — 12-year-old Alexis and 10-year-old Zachary — since just after their mother vanished, Bennett said. Police attempted to set up a neutral location at a local child advocacy center with child experts on hand during the questioning, but Craig Stebic’s attorney refused the offer, Bennett said.

Craig Stebic's attorney also so far has advised him to refuse a polygraph test.

And without breaking the law, there’s little police can do at this time to force them to talk, since "the options that are available to you under the Constitution" are few and far between, Bennett said.

So police are reinterviewing many people they already talked to. But whereas the first time around, police were exploring the possibility Lisa Stebic ran off on her own, they now consider it a type of abduction case.

"We do not feel at this point she simply walked away," Bennett said, adding that the investigation has expanded into some areas he can’t give details on.

"The initial investigation was focused a lot on the missing persons of someone and we looked at areas we would normally look when someone’s missing and the … circumstances surrounding that," Bennett said. But that produced no solid leads that helped track Lisa Stebic down.

But now, Bennett said, "we are looking more at the fact she didn’t leave on her own accord and with that, we just have to start expanding our investigation into areas we weren’t in that before."

Police have also questioned a man Lisa Stebic had gone on several dates with — one of which was just before she disappeared.

"We’re talking to everyone but right now we have nothing to lead us to believe the individual has anything to do with her disappearance," Bennett said of that man.

Meanwhile, according to a Naperville Sun online poll Monday, almost 75 percent of respondents say police will be able to solve the case. Of the 411 votes cast by Monday, 304 voters said the case will be cracked, while 107 said it will not.


Police have executed at least three search warrants on the Stebics' home. Although Craig and Lisa Stebic were in the middle of a divorce and hardly spoke, they lived in the same home. Craig Stebic has not been named a person of interest or a suspect in the case.

Last month, a bloody tarp was found in Craig Stebic’s truck. DNA tests confirmed that the blood on the tarp was his wife’s; Craig Stebic said it was animal blood. A cabin in that state owned by Craig Stebic’s father also was reportedly searched.

The state attorneys office has told police to not comment on aspects of the investigation such as the tarp or search warrants.

There are seven Plainfield police detectives working the case, with the aid of the FBI, Bennett said. An FBI spokesman told FOXNews.com he could not confirm nor deny any agency involvement with the case.

Lisa Stebic’s family announced this week that the reward for information leading to the safe return of Lisa is now $50,000. They are setting up a fund for donations to be made in her name for her children’s college education.

"I think we have to maintain thoughts that Lisa’s still alive until we can find otherwise. That’s why we’re still putting the resources necessary to try to narrow down our focus," Bennett said. "I would say the investigation has progressed from when it started — we certainly eliminated a lot of theories and a lot of speculations … [but] there’s still some ‘what if’ situations out there."

The June 18 issue of People magazine features an article on the missing mom. Her family is encouraging people to buy copies and put them in doctors’ offices, hair salons, gyms and other heavily trafficked areas.

Lisa Stebic is 37 years old, is 5 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She has two visible tattoos, a small rose on her ankle and a large butterfly on her lower back.

Anyone with any information as to her whereabouts should call the Plainfield Police Department at (815) 267-7217. More information is available at http://www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com/).

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,279089,00.html

[Pauli]

Police Sources: Stebic Investigation Expanding


POSTED: 10:49 pm CDT June 8, 2007
UPDATED: 11:08 pm CDT June 8, 2007

PLAINFIELD, Ill. -- Police sources told NBC5 on Friday that authorities were expanding the area of their investigation into a Plainfield woman's disappearance.

Lisa Stebic disappeared last month from her home that she shared with her estranged husband.

Police said they would interview people as far away as Iowa and the upper peninsula of Michigan looking for clues.

Police also said they have used cadaver dogs in their recent search of the Stebic's home.

http://www.nbc5.com/news/13472308/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

[Pauli]

POLICE SUBPOENA STEBIC FOOTAGE

June 20, 2007
By Janet Lundquist Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- The heavy TV news coverage of a missing Plainfield woman may have come in handy for police investigators.

Plainfield police have subpoenaed access to news video shot by several TV stations covering the Lisa Stebic case.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO20_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20070519_22_44_52_2304-232-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/393831,JO20_STEBIC_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Lisa Stebic has been missing since May 1.
(File Photo)


The department paid WGN Continental Broadcasting Co. $200 for access to its video, according to a bill recently submitted to the village board. Police would not say what -- or who -- they wanted to watch.

Stebic, 38, has been missing since April 30. She was last seen at her Plainfield home about 6 p.m. that day. Her cell phone and credit cards have not been used since.

Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting said Tuesday there were no new leads or suspects in what remains a missing person investigation into her disappearance.

The department also paid $20.41 to Yahoo for the ability to access Internet postings Lisa Stebic possibly made on an exercise Web site before she disappeared, looking for workout partners. Nothing significant was found in her contacts from the site, Eiting said.

Police donated $250 to the Illinois and Wisconsin Search and Rescue Dogs, a volunteer search and rescue organization, for help with a massive search for Stebic on May 12 that drew more than 400 volunteers.

The search, organized by the Plainfield Emergency Management Agency, was the largest coordinated search of trained personnel and volunteers held in Will County, police Cmdr. John Konopek said.

Remembering Lisa
Meanwhile, area residents and businesses continue working to keep Stebic's case in the public eye.

Jimmy John's restaurant, 12632 S. Illinois 59 in Plainfield, will host a fundraiser Sunday for the Lisa Stebic and Children's Fund, a reward fund set up at First National Bank in Plainfield.

The reward for information leading to Stebic's whereabouts was started with $50,000 from Stebic's family. About $3,000 has been added through donations from the public, including $927 raised at a Plainfield Jaycees car wash last weekend, said family spokeswoman Melanie Greenberg. If the reward is never claimed, it will become a college fund for the Stebics' two children.

Customers who present a coupon available for download from www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday will have 10 percent of their sales donated to the fund.

Jimmy John's General Manager Lydia Atkinson said Stebic was a frequent customer and was in the sandwich shop the day she disappeared.

"I think the whole situation is a shame," Atkinson said. "I hope everything comes out OK. You just hope and pray."

Anyone may donate to the fund by mailing checks payable to "Lisa Stebic and Children Fund" to First National Bank, 13600 S. Illinois 59, Plainfield, IL 60544. Donations can also be made through www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) using PayPal.

Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's location is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at (815) 267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at (800) 323-6734.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/434895,4_1_JO20_STEBIC_S1.article

[Pauli]

Police await second DNA test results

Reports say authorities searching storage units for signs of Lisa

June 22, 2007
sun staff

PLAINFIELD -- Police are reportedly awaiting more DNA testing results on items seized from the home of missing mother of two Lisa Stebic.

FOX News on Thursday cited an unidentified source close to the Stebic investigation as saying one round of DNA testing has been completed, while officials of the laboratory conducting the testing have said they need additional samples. Police expect to have the testing results soon, according to the television station.

Additionally, FOX News reported police have searched more than 100 outdoor storage units in the Plainfield area in the event someone had tried to hide a body or potential evidence in one of them. Police have found nothing in those searches.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA22_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20070619_13_28_42_3594-221-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/stebic/434012,NA22_STEBIC_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Stebic



http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA22_STEBIC_P2_scn_feed_20070619_13_28_29_3589-113-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/stebic/434007,NA22_STEBIC_P2.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))An unnamed police source exclusively told The Sun in late May that a DNA test determined that blood found on a tarp in Craig Stebic's truck was that of his wife, Lisa Stebic.
Sun file



• Visit findlisastebic.com for the latest updates from her family.


Deputy Plainfield Police Chief Mark Eiting on Thursday refused to comment on the television reports. Eiting reiterated his position that a search warrant is a sealed court document, and that to comment on it would be tantamount to contempt of court.

An unnamed police source exclusively told The Sun in late May that a DNA test determined that blood found on a tarp in a truck belonging to Stebic's husband, Craig, was hers.

Authorities used that information to convince a judge to issue a search warrant that was executed at the Stebics' Plainfield home.

Lisa Stebic, 38, has been missing since April 30. She reportedly had her purse with her when she was last seen by her husband, yet neither her cell phone nor her credit cards have been used.

The Stebics continued to live in their home despite being in the middle of divorce proceedings. Craig Stebic has told police he was in the backyard of the house when he believed someone picked Lisa Stebic up to take her to an exercise class. The Stebic children were not home at the time.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/stebic/433998,6_1_NA22_STEBIC_S1.article

[Pauli]

In too deep? Pool party with missing woman's husband could sink NBC 5 reporter

July 10, 2007
BY Robert Feder Sun-Times Columnist


Amy Jacobson, a reporter for WMAQ-Channel 5, is in hot water with her bosses for going swimming on her day off with the estranged husband of a missing Plainfield woman. Dressed in a two-piece swimsuit, Jacobson brought her two young sons, ages 3 and 2, with her Friday when she swam in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic.

Dressed in a two-piece swimsuit, Jacobson brought her two young sons, ages 3 and 2, with her Friday when she swam in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic.

Lisa Stebic vanished from the southwest suburban home April 30. She and her husband, parents of two children, were in the midst of a divorce.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/071007jacobson.jpg_20070710_01_39_49_1161-116-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suntimes.com/heraldnews/news/462133,071007jacobson.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))NBC 5's Amy Jacobson brought her two young sons, ages 3 and 2, when she swam in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic.
(Michael McArdle/STNG file)


Lisa Stebic vanished from the southwest suburban home April 30. She and her husband, parents of two children, were in the midst of a divorce.

When Jacobson informed her bosses of the pool party, insiders said, they told her she had used poor judgment and had "crossed the line" of journalistic ethics.

The incident was captured on videotape by a photographer from WBBM-Channel 2 who was shooting from a neighbor's yard. As of Monday, the CBS-owned station had chosen not to air it.

Sources said Jacobson told her bosses that she was on her way to the East Bank Club in River North to go swimming with her sons Friday when she received a call from Craig Stebic's sister, asking her to come to his house to talk about the case.

Jacobson immediately was taken off the Stebic story and was told to hire a lawyer. She did not return calls Monday.

Channel 5 officials declined to comment, saying through a spokeswoman that "the matter is under review." Their options range from a formal reprimand to suspension to termination.

Jacobson, a native of northwest suburban Mount Prospect, joined NBC-owned Channel 5 in 1996.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/461634,CST-FIN-feder10.article

[Pauli]

Reporter Leaves NBC 5 Amid Stebic Controversy

WMAQ-TV's Amy Jacobson Seen At Stebic's Home With Family

by Alita Guillen


CHICAGO (CBS) ― A Chicago reporter parted ways with a local television station after a CBS 2 exclusive video aired showing her in a bathing suit and at the home of the husband of a missing woman. Craig Stebic is the husband of a Plainfield woman who's been missing since late April.

As of Tuesday evening, Amy Jacobson is no longer part of the WMAQ-TV, NBC 5 news team. CBS 2's Alita Guillen has new details about Jacobson's departure after a social visit to the Stebic home.

Lisa Stebic was last seen by her husband, Craig Stebic, on April 30, and there has been no sign of her since despite an intense investigation and repeated searches.

A video captured Friday shows Jacobson wearing a bathing suit top and wrapped in a towel at Craig Stebic's home. Also seen in the video are Stebic himself, his sister from Iowa and Jacobson's two children.

NBC 5 General Manager Larry Wert said late Tuesday that Jacobson and WMAQ-TV parted ways, leaving open the possibility that she may have resigned after more than 10 years at the station.

In a memo to WMAQ-TV employees, managers said in part "We are sorry to tell you that Amy Jacobson is leaving NBC 5 News, effective immediately. Amy's contributions as a reporter over the last 10 years are numerous. We will miss Amy, and wish her the best."

The video has caused countless people to react.

"It's an interesting story," said WLS radio host Roe Conn.

Conn on the air Tuesday expressed sympathy for the reporter.

"I don't think she was planning on reporting at that moment; she was developing the relationship," he said.

Exactly what she was doing last Friday at Craig Stebic's home is not entirely clear. The video shows her in a bathing suit, her two young children in tow. She says his family invited her to the home at the last minute. It was her day off.

"The fact that it was a pool party and she's in a bathing suit is really what--and the fact that she is a woman--is what elevates the story to outrage that so many people have over it," said Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn.

The decision to air the video of Jacobson at the Stebic home was not made in haste; officials at CBS 2 wrangled for four days over whether to broadcast the footage of Jacobson and her two young children socializing with Craig Stebic.

"Once we got this video, it was clear it was provacative, but there were so many questions. For sure we could have thrown it on the air, but it wouldn't have been the right thing to do because there was no context. What was it? Was it newsworthy? We had many, many discussions about that," said CBS 2 Vice President and News Director Carol Fowler.

"No one should lose sight that we have the family of a woman that's deeply distraught that she's missing, the mother of two young children; we still don't know what happened to her," Fowler added. "The degree to which this feeding frenzy detracts from that investigation is really very unfortunate."

The video runs six minutes. In it, Jacobson is seen in a bikini top with a towel wrapped around her waist. Her two young boys are with her. Craig Stebic is there as well as his sister and a few others.

CBS 2 shared the video with Northwestern University journalism professor Michele Weldon.

"I don't see any reason that this could be considered OK," Weldon said.

"Clearly, this is a conflict of interest," Weldon added.

Weldon said it represents a case of gravely crossing a journalistic line; an error in judgment that damages Jacobson's credibility as well as her colleagues'.

"It's going to make the audience and her colleagues and her competitors question what else she has done," Weldon said.

"While it's not a heinous crime it erodes all of our credibility as journalists," Weldon added.

Jacobson was reportedly invited to the home Friday at the last minute. It was her day off and she was with her children.

By Tuesday, word of the video and the story had been spread throughout the Chicago media and CBS 2 felt an obligation to inform viewers.

"Once late (Monday) we learned that both of the major newspapers in Chicago were taking the matter very seriously and NBC was taking the matter very seriously, that met the threshold of a news story in my judgment. Had that not happened the tape might still be in a locked drawer in my desk."

Neighbors tell CBS 2 that Jacobson has been visiting Stebic's house frequently, without a camera crew, since his estranged wife's disappearance. Why she has been there is unclear; while she has covered the story, she has never mentioned any social relationship with Stebic or his family.

"To quote from the (Society of Professional Journalists) code of ethics, they say, 'Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility,'" Weldon said.

"I would use this as an example of something not to do; as something to avoid," Weldon added.

After seeing this video Lisa's family defended the reporter's actions.

A written statement sent to CBS 2 from Lisa's cousin Melanie Greenberg, on behalf of her family, read: "We would like to say a few words about Amy Jacobson after hearing about an unfortunate incident which occurred this past Friday, concerning a visit which involved Amy, her children and the family of Craig Stebic.

From our perspective on behalf of Lisa's family, Amy Jacobson has given 1,000 percent and has never done anything but deliver the most responsible and caring job of journalism during this extremely difficult situation for our family. She has shown compassion to us and always kept Lisa's children's welfare uppermost in her mind, which is also our main concern.

Her sensitivity to Lisa's sisters - Jamie Bouma and Debbie Ruttenberg - during her several one-on-one interviews with them over the past 2 months has been exemplary . This was appreciated beyond words by all of us, Lisa's relatives.

Through Amy's frequent reports on the case, we have been able to reach thousands of people in our search for Lisa, and we owe her a huge debt of gratitude.

We would request that this recent & unfortunate incident NOT distract from the ultimate goal here – which is to find Lisa Stebic and bring her home to her children and her family."

CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller said Jacobson may have put herself in an awkward position by socializing with Stebic. "The fact that she may be putting herself in the position of a friend of Craig Stebic puts her as a person of interest for the police to possibly to talk to to see if Craig Stebic has told her anything," Miller said.

CBS 2 tried to contact Jacobson, her attorney and her agent, but no one returned calls as of 10 p.m. Tuesday.

"I would use this as an example of something not to do; as something to avoid," Weldon said. http://image.cbslocal.com/175x131/images_sizedimage_191075802.jpg Amy Jacobson is seen at Craig Stebics' homehttp://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Lisa.Stebic.Craig.2.338140.html

[Pauli]

Police Still Want To Talk To Lisa Stebic's Husband

Craig Stebic Hasn't Spoken With Police About Wife's Disappearance In Nearly 2 Months

by Mike Puccinelli


PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ― One day after a local television reporter lost her job over questions about her conduct in covering the story of a missing Plainfield woman, investigators are still hoping to interview Lisa Stebic's husband about the case.

The man heading up the investigation into the disappearance of Lisa Stebic says there's one person they'd like to interview most: Craig Stebic.

"Obviously, the person we want to interview the most is Mr. Stebic," said Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett. But Craig Stebic is refusing to speak to police and Bennett says he hasn't spoken to police since day nine of the investigation.

Now, more than nine weeks after the Plainfield mother of two disappeared without a trace, police believe the last people to have seen her alive could be key to finding out what happened.

That's why they hope Craig Stebic will at least allow his children to be re-interviewed.

"Well, both Craig and the children were the last ones to see Lisa alive," Bennett said. "So initially when you make inquiries, you don't have all the information to ask specific questions.

But they've been unable to ask those specific questions because Craig Stebic's lawyer Dion Davi sent Plainfield Police a letter saying all requests to interview Stebic and his children have to go through him.

Police say Craig Stebic stopped freely talking with them once Davi got involved, so the chief addressed him directly today.

"We would like his cooperation and we would like him to assist us in finding his wife," Bennett said.

Lisa Stebic's cousin Melanie Greenburg says she hopes a new billboard campaign in the Plainfield area might generate a breakthrough tip.

"We have a woman who has been missing since April 30 and we're desperate to find her and that's the real story here," Greenburg said.

"We have a woman who has been missing since April 30 and we're desperate to find her and that's the real story here," Melanie Greenburg said. http://image.cbslocal.com/320x240/images_sizedimage_128215404.jpg Craig Stebic has refused to talk to police since day nine of the investigation of his wife's disappearance.






http://image.cbslocal.com/175x131/images_sizedimage_185134919.jpg Lisa Stebic has been missing since April 30 http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Lisa.Stebic.Craig.2.338256.html

[Pauli]

Police To Stebic: Let Us Talk To Your Kids

Craig Stebic Named Person Of Interest In Wife's Disappearance


POSTED: 12:55 pm CDT July 12, 2007
UPDATED: 6:47 pm CDT July 13, 2007

PLAINFIELD -- Named a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife Lisa, Craig Stebic was seen leaving his home before dawn Friday, his children in and out of the family home all day on bikes, apparently unsupervised.

Police want to talk to the couple's children, who they say are kept from them by their father, NBC5's Anthony Ponce reported.

NBC 5 spoke Friday with Plainfield Police Chief Donald Bennett, who said, "From day one, Mr. Stebic has been minimal in his assistance to the police department, but I think what is more disturbing is the fact that he has not supported Lisa's family in the searches for Lisa."

Lisa Stebic has been missing since April 30. Authorities said there has been no activity on her credit cards or checking account since she disappeared.

An Oak Lawn man who is not connected to the case stopped by the Stebic house on Friday to leave a cross, a newspaper clipping from the case adhered to it with a message asking "Where is she?"

Greg Zanis told NBC5 that he realizes a cross may be premature because authorities have not said they believe Lisa Stebic is dead, but he feels she probably is.

"It is a final statement," Zanis said. "We're assuming that she's dead."

Zanis said he went to the house to pray with Craig Stebic. Zanis knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

Police in a news conference Thursday made the announcement that Craig Stebic was being looked at as a person of interest in the case.

In the days after Lisa Stebic was reported missing, Craig Stebic spoke to a reporter in tears, clutching a crumpled tissue and saying his wife would never voluntarily leave their two children.

A neighbor reported Lisa Stebic missing May 1 when Craig Stebic called her that morning, asking if she knew where his wife was. Craig Stebic said he last saw his wife at home at about 6 p.m. on April 30 and said he assumed she left to work out as she often did in the evenings.

But Plainfield Police Chief Donald Bennett said Craig Stebic has refused their repeated requests to talk to his kids, who were among the last people to see their mother alive.

"Twice he has refused requests to have police talk to his children," said Bennett, adding that such action has "clearly hampered the investigation. It's our belief the children have viable info that would assist us."

About an hour after the news conference, Stebic drove past reporters posted outside his spacious, 2-story home and parked his pickup truck in the garage. Inside the home, he started shutting windows, and when a reporter approached, he said: "You know I can't talk to you guys. Call my lawyer."

In a phone interview, his divorce attorney Dion Davi said that he believed police had considered Stebic a person of interest all along and that Thursday's public pronouncement "is just a tack the police are using to try and force Craig's hand to intimidate him."

Davi said he has counseled Stebic not to allow the children to be questioned and that the youngsters already talked to authorities a day or two after their mother's disappearance.

"There does not appear to be any new information upon which to question them," Davi said.

The attorney said his client is trying to make sure his children have as normal a summer as possible. "They laugh, they joke, they're visiting relatives," he said of the kids.

Noting his client is "as strong as he can be," Davi said: "Craig maintains the statements he has always stated from day one. He is innocent of anything that has happened with Lisa."

Craig Stebic has dismissed reports that police found his wife's blood on a tarp in his truck and used the evidence to obtain the search warrant. Any blood in his truck had to have come from an animal he hunted, he said.

Bennett said their investigation and court records reveal that the Stebics have had a rocky relationship dating back to the 1990s and were in the process of divorce at the time of her disappearance.

The police chief said they were looking at many different scenarios -- that she left on her own, was abducted, was the victim of an unfortunate accident, but none of those scenarios rang true.

"We believe that foul play was involved in the disappearance of Lisa Stebic," Bennett said. "There is no appearance that she left her house on her own free will."

Melanie Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin, said she and the rest of Lisa Stebic's family has never quite understood why Craig Stebic has not fully cooperated with authorities.

"Our family is desperate to get to the bottom of this mystery," she said. "He was the last person to see her on April 30. Her children went on their bikes to get candy at a nearby store, and when they came home, their mother was gone. We know that she did not leave her two precious children, she did not just walk away."

Greenberg also said she's worried about the kids' psychological well-being. She said she's urged their father to get them counseling.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/13670839/detail.html

[Pauli]

Stebic a ‘person of interest’

"Craig has always been a person of interest. They're kidding themselves if they say otherwise"


July 13, 2007
BY JANET LUNDQUIST Sun-Times News Group

In the days after his estranged wife was reported missing, a tearful Craig Stebic clutched a crumpled tissue and said Lisa would never voluntarily leave their two children.

Now investigators are calling him a "person of interest," saying they have eliminated other possible reasons for Lisa's disappearance 10 weeks ago.

Police also say Stebic's refusal to let them talk to his children has impeded the investigation. They believe the Stebics' children, ages 10 and 12, could provide crucial information in the search for their mother.

http://media1.suntimes.com/multimedia/071307stebic.jpg_20070712_19_00_43_98-116-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/466713,071307stebic.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Police are focusing their investigation into the disappearance of Plainfield mom Lisa Stebic on her husband, Craig.
(STNG file)


"It is the belief of the Plainfield police and the Will County state's attorney's office that the children may have valuable information that will assist in the investigation," Police Chief Don Bennett said Thursday. "It is also the belief of these two agencies that the children, if allowed, would welcome an opportunity to assist in the effort to locate their mother."

Lisa Stebic, who was 37 when she disappeared, was last seen April 30 at the couple's Plainfield home. Her cell phone and credit cards have not been used since.

Investigators have concluded Lisa was not involved in an accident or forcibly abducted from her house. They believe she was a victim of foul play, and that Craig Stebic knows something about her disappearance.

So far, police say, Craig has offered little assistance in the case and has not participated in organized searches. He has declined to take a polygraph test.

Reports on wife's blood
"Based upon our investigation, we need to bring the fact to light that Craig Stebic is a person of interest, and that he has some knowledge of the disappearance of Lisa," Bennett said.

Results of forensic tests on items taken from the Stebic house have been coming back, he said, but the results remain under court seal, as does the search warrant.

Stebic has maintained he had nothing to do with Lisa's disappearance.
He has dismissed unconfirmed reports that police found his wife's blood on a tarp in his truck. Any blood in his truck had to have come from an animal he hunted, he said.

"Craig has always been a person of interest. They're kidding themselves if they say otherwise," said Stebic's attorney, Dion Davi. "They're inviting the public to come to a conclusion that they can't come to. Maybe the investigation has come full circle. 'Craig's the guy in our own backyard, he's the easy target. Let's focus on him because the investigation hasn't turned up anything else.' "

Davi said it was his decision to block investigators from interviewing the Stebics' children, saying they were traumatized by the late-night search of their home May 15.

Eviction sought, lawyer says
"I'm not going to subject them to any more of these tactics," he said. "I don't know that they have the children's best interest in mind."

Davi said he offered to interview the children for investigators, but the Will County state's attorney's office did not respond.

Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family, said she wasn't surprised by the police focus on Craig.

"He is the last person to see Lisa, so it's not surprising that police would be looking to talk to him," she said, adding that Lisa's family has encouraged Craig to work with police.

"We've also encouraged him to let the children talk to police. They may have something vital that could help find Lisa."

Lisa's divorce attorney, Glenn Kahn, said Lisa told him she mailed him a petition April 30, the day she disappeared, to temporarily evict Craig from their house while their divorce was pending. Her petition said Craig's verbal abuse was affecting her mental and physical well-being, and jeopardizing the mental well-being of their children. Lisa's demeanor during the conversation seemed normal, he said.

Eight days after Lisa was reported missing, Craig filed an emergency petition for temporary custody, which was denied. Lisa had not previously threatened to take the children away, Davi said. But the petition was necessary, according to Davi, because of the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance. Kahn filed Lisa's eviction petition in May with his response to Craig's custody request.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/467083,CST-NWS-stebic13.article

[Pauli]

Craig Stebic drops divorce petition

July 17, 2007
By Janet Lundquist
Craig Stebic is moving to drop his petition to divorce his wife, who has been missing for more than two months.

Stebic’s attorney Dion Davi filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss the divorce petition on July 13, the day after police named Stebic a “person of interest” in Lisa Stebic’s disappearance.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/WA23_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20070522_20_00_06_2859-250-156.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/396741,WA23_STEBIC_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Craig R. Stebic



Lisa Stebic, who was 37 when she disappeared, was last seen April 30 at her Plainfield home.

The motion will be heard at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Will County Circuit Court.

Glenn Kahn, Lisa Stebic’s attorney, said he plans to object to the motion. Davi declined to comment, but said he will make a statement after Wednesday’s hearing.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/471596,jo17_stebicdivorce_s1.article

[Pauli]

Stebic Divorce Dismissed

Husband Wants To Shift Focus

CBS 2's Mai Martinez contributed to this report.


JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) ― A judge agreed Wednesday to dismiss the divorce case between Craig Stebic and his missing wife, Lisa.

CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports Stebic and his attorney wanted to end the divorce case in order to save money and shift attention away from the Stebic's marital problems.

"We had hoped Lisa Stebic would return and we could proceed but that didn't happen," Stebic attorney Dion Davi said. "Mr. Stebic wants to focus more time on the investigation."

Lisa Stebic's attorney, Glenn Kahn, tried to prevent the divorce petition from being dismissed, but he said under these types of circumstances, the judge has little leeway.

"I objected because I don't think that with the activity on the case and the investigation ongoing and such, that it might be wise to have the court hold onto the case a little bit longer," Kahn said. "Obviously, the court didn't feel that that was appropriate. They granted the motion."

Attorneys for both sides say the divorce petition could be reinstated if Lisa were to return alive.

The Stebics were in the process of getting a divorce when she disappeared from the family's home in Plainfield on April 30.

After weeks of investigation, Plainfield police announced last Thursday they believe Lisa Stebic was a victim of foul play, and on the same day, placed the "person of interest" designation on Craig.

He was the last one to see his wife the day she disappeared, when he said she left the house to work out at a local gym and never came back. In the days afterward, he spoke to a reporter in tears, clutching a crumpled tissue and saying his wife Lisa would never voluntarily leave their two children.

Craig Stebic maintains he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance.

Davi, Craig Stebic's attorney, lashed out against police and prosecutors for saying his client hasn't cooperated.

"We have done everything we can to help them with the investigation short of Craig Stebic admitting to what he has not done," Davi said.

Plainfield police want to talk to the Stebic children, ages 10 and 12, but they say Craig Stebic and his attorney have refused to allow that to happen. Will County State's Attorney spokesman Charles Pelkie said, "If Mr. Davi and Mr. Stebic were truly interested in the best interests of the children they would allow them to be interviewed by the child advocacy center,"

Lisa Stebic's cousin Melanie Greenberg said she hopes Davi will allow the children to be interviewed by children's advocates, if need be outside of Will County. She says that will be less traumatic for the children than being forced to testify before a grand jury.

"Let's let the children cooperate with police. Let's let them be questioned in the most gentle humane way possible with the child advocate that Dion Davi chooses," Greenberg said.
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Craig.Stebic.Lisa.2.338371.html

[Pauli]

Stebic family hopes billboards generate leads


By Ben Bradley

July 24, 2007 - New billboards are up asking for information about a missing Plainfield woman. Lisa Stebic disappeared April 30. While investigators now call Stebic's estranged husband a "person of interest" in her disappearance, her family hopes the billboards will generate new information in the case.

Monday will mark three months since Lisa Stebic disappeared. By Monday, there are going to be three of these billboards up. About 140,000 people drive by the billboards each day. Lisa Stebic's family hopes at least one of those people will have the information necessary to finally solve this mystery.


The billboard asks the simple question, but it is one that has gone unanswered for nearly three months now.

"We're just looking for one tip to bring Lisa home," said Debbie Ruttenberg, Lisa Stebic's sister.

For nearly three months now, Lisa Stebic's family has relied on the generosity of friends and family alike to keep Lisa Stebic's image in mind. CBS Outdoor is donating the $10,000 cost to plaster Lisa's picture in and around Plainfield.

"There is a chance that somebody who just happened to be driving by, and recognizes the photo, and they can use that as the possible new lead to help them find Lisa," said Michael Wells, CBS Outdoor.

"We're trying to reach as many people as we can. This is just one more way to get Lisa's picture in front of as many people as we can," said Melanie Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin.

The signs advertise a $60,000 reward along with a website and tip line. Police say leads have slowed in recent weeks, but calls still come in on an almost daily basis. Psychics have even e-mailed the family website, but those leads have all been vague.

"I think if there were some consistency between the different psychics that were calling in, maybe they would hold a little more value in that.

But on a personal level -- and I'm open to anything," said Ruttenberg.

Lisa's family continues to be frustrated that Craig Stebic has stopped talking with police and won't allow detectives to interview the couple's children in the presence of child advocates.

"Maybe the children know a little information. Maybe the smallest piece of information could be of help. The police are asking for that. So obviously we're trying to support them in any way possible. I hope that Craig chooses to," Ruttenberg said. Plainfield Police say that they continue to follow leads in this case and each time that there is an effort to raise awareness about Lisa Stebic, either through billboards or through an increase in media attention, they say there is an uptick in calls to the tip line as well as to FindLisaStebic.com, the website that is operated by her family. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5505341

[Pauli]

Five Months Later: Still No Answers in Disappearance of Lisa Stebic

Monday, October 01, 2007
By Melissa Underwood
http://www.foxnews.com/images/foxnews_story.gif

http://www.foxnews.com/images/310087/0_61_stebic_sisters.jpg (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298814,00.html#) Family photo

Lisa Stebic, left, with her two sisters in April on a family weekend vacation trip.

CHICAGO — The family of a missing suburban Chicago mom who disappeared five months ago still has no answers as to what happened to their loved one, though they believe she is a victim of foul play.

Lisa Stebic was reported missing on April 30. Craig Stebic, her husband, said he was working in the family’s backyard and the children were out when she vanished.

“She did not just walk away," Melanie Greenberg, cousin of Lisa Stebic, told FOXNews.com. "She did not run off and leave her children. Something happened to her.”

The family doesn't just want answers — they want to put Lisa Stebic to rest.

"We know that Lisa is a victim of foul play," Greenberg said. "Whether we will ever find Lisa's body, I don't know. But our family needs closure one way or another."


The case remains active months later after police recently met with the FBI and Will County State's Attorney to review evidence and determine their next move in the investigation.

Police named Craig Stebic a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife in July.

"The case still remains a top priority," said Charles Pelkie, spokesman for Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow. "Everybody wants to find out what happened to this missing person."

No clues or evidence suggest that Lisa left on her own with no activity on her credit cards or cell phone to prove that theory. Police suspect foul play.

"You can't give up hope that she won't be found," said Plainfield Police Chief Donald Bennett. "We're just hoping at some point in time something will turn up."

Prosecutors are considering subpoenaing Stebic’s two young children, ages 11 and 12, who were the last to see her alive. Craig Stebic and his lawyer have declined bringing the children before a grand jury or using a neutral child advocate to interview them.

Officials prefer to interview the children at a child advocacy center with trained specialists instead of forcing them to appear before a grand jury in an effort to shield them from further trauma, Pelkie said.

The children are back at school in Plainfield, Ill., but without their mom at home — or at school, where she worked as a cafeteria worker.

Two cafeteria workers, Ruby Zegar and Betty Stubner, requested a transfer to another school because there were too many memories with Lisa at Lincoln Elementary School where the trio worked together.

Kim Young, food service manager for Plainfield, Ill., elementary schools, spoke with Lisa on the phone the day she disappeared.

“She was happy, full of life,” Young said, adding that they laughed together about plans for a Cinco de Mayo party.

Young said Zegar and Stubner aren’t the only ones who remember Lisa. Students at the school ask about her too.

“It’s very somber," Young said. "The fifth graders, they know. They say ‘we miss her.’“

The family continues to raise money for the reward of information leading to her whereabouts, reaching more than $67,000 after several recent garage sales and other fundraisers.

Greenberg, the family spokeswoman, said she can’t believe the continued outpouring of support from the community.

“It just blows my mind that people still care so much,” Greenberg said. “They still feel a need to do something.”

A recent garage sale collected $2,200 while a hair salon event held a butterfly release. The butterfly was Lisa’s symbol, Greenberg said. Lisa got a butterfly tattoo on her back a few months before her disappearance in celebration of making change in her life.

Billboards along Chicago highways ask “Where is Lisa Stebic?” along with her photo and a phone number to call with information. The family plans to put the ad on billboards near the Stebic cabin in Iron County, Mich., with the start of hunting season.

A judge granted Craig Stebic's request to dismiss his petition seeking a divorce in January from his missing wife, Lisa, in July. The divorce petition cited irreconcilable differences.

Craig Stebic filed the petition a day after Plainfield, Ill., police named him a person of interest. His lawyer called the timing of the filing insignificant.

Meanwhile, another Chicago woman disappeared on Sept. 19 after she didn't show up for a work meeting. Police found her body Thursday behind vacant businesses. Greenberg said her heart goes out to the family since she understands what they are going through.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298814,00.html

[Pauli]

FBI ADDS LISA STEBIC TO WEB SITE

MILLIONS TO SEE MISSING PLAINFIELD MOTHER ON OFFICIAL SITE


Janet Lundquist Staff Writer

PLAINFIELD -- The case of a missing Plainfield woman got a boost in cyberspace this week.

The FBI on Wednesday added pictures of Lisa Stebic and information about her disappearance to its kidnapped and missing persons Web site,
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/lisa%20head%20shot%20new.jpg_20071003_22_30_31_51-124-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/587810,JO04_STEBIC_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))
Lisa Stebic has been missing from her Plainfield home since May 1.
(HERALD NEWS FILE PHOTO)


There was no significance of the day Stebic's case information was added to the site, said Ross Rice, special agent and spokesman for the Chicago FBI office.

"We've been providing cooperation and assistance to the Plainfield Police Department, and this is just one more thing we can do to help them hopefully solve this case," Rice said.

In September, the FBI page listing missing and kidnapped persons got 250,000 views. The ww.fbi.gov Web site gets between 2 million and 3 million visits a month.

The FBI has helped Plainfield police since Stebic was first reported missing last spring. The missing person case remains Plainfield's jurisdiction, Rice said.

"When you have an opportunity to work with the FBI it's critical you take advantage of that," said Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett.

"Anything that anyone does to bring attention to the case is certainly something that we're looking for," Bennett said. "We are kind of frustrated that we're very close, yet we're very far away on certain aspects of (the investigation). If somebody out there knows something that could really help us, we're hoping that person or persons would come forward."

Three days after Stebic was reported missing, her family created the site www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com). Extensive news coverage boosted the site's traffic to about 10,000 hits a day.

Now, five months after Stebic's disappearance, the site's visitor count is up to about 275,000, said Lisa Stebic's cousin Melanie Greenberg.

Stebic was last seen April 30 at her home. In July police named her husband, Craig Stebic, a "person of interest" in her disappearance. He has not been charged in connection with the case. Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at (815) 267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at (800) 323-6734.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/587644,4_1_JO04_STEBIC_S1.article

[Pauli]

Family: Lisa likely not alive

October 12, 2007
By Janet Lundquist Staff Writer

More than five months after Lisa Stebic was reported missing, her family has come to the realization that she is likely dead.

"I have hope that we will find her," said Melanie Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin and a family spokeswoman. "But hope that she's alive?

Even though it's hard, I think she is gone. And I think most of the family have come to feel that.

"It's very difficult knowing that she's out there somewhere but that we cannot put her to rest as we need to do," she said.

Greenberg on Thursday toned down her public support of Lisa Stebic's husband, Craig, saying "no comment" when asked if she thought he had something to do with his wife's disappearance. Greenberg added that she was not speaking for the whole family.

Since Lisa Stebic was reported missing May 1, her family members have given Craig Stebic unwavering support, though Plainfield police have named the man a "person of interest" in the disappearance. He has not been charged in connection with the case.

In July, investigators said they had concluded Lisa Stebic was not involved in an accident or forcibly abducted from her house. They believe she was a victim of foul play, and that Craig Stebic knows something about her disappearance.

Craig Stebic's lawyer Dion Davi has dismissed the police announcement as a tactic to pressure his client into making statements or allowing interviews with his children. Following Davi's advice, Craig Stebic has declined to speak with police, nor has he allowed follow-up interviews with his children, ages 11 and 12.

Davi did not return phone calls seeking comment Thursday, and Craig Stebic was not available for comment.

Lisa Stebic's family agrees with investigators' conclusion that she was a victim of foul play, Greenberg said.

"We know she didn't just walk off and leave her kids. So something happened to her," she said. "We don't think she has amnesia and is wandering around some Wal-Mart someplace. I think that she was the victim of foul play and that she is gone. But gone where?"

New billboards similar to the ones posted this summer in the Joliet and Chicago area will go up the week of Oct. 22 in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where the Stebic family often hunts each fall.

"I haven't lost hope that we'll find her, because as the seasons are changing, leaves are falling. Things may be revealed that were hidden in dense foliage," Greenberg said. "You do have hunters going out this fall in places and on private land where maybe no one had been all summer. Maybe they will see something now that leaves are falling and bushes and trees will be bare."

Police continue to investigate her disappearance as a missing person case. Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's location is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at (815) 267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at (800) 323-6734.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/600158,4_1_JO12_STEBIC_S2.article

[Pauli]

Family of Missing Illinois Woman Lisa Stebic Say Her Husband Cut Communication to Family

Tuesday, October 30, 2007
http://www.foxnews.com/images/service_ap_36.gif

http://www.foxnews.com/images/310087/0_61_stebic_sisters.jpg (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306191,00.html#) Family photo

Lisa Stebic, left, with her two sisters in April on a family weekend vacation trip.

PLAINFIELD, Ill. — Family members of Lisa Stebic say her estranged husband, who has been named by police as a person of interest in her disappearance six months ago, has cut off all communication between his children and his wife's sisters.
Family members say Lisa Stebic's sisters, Debbie Ruttenberg and Jamie Bouma, last saw the children alone about five weeks ago, after a fundraiser in Joliet. The women told the children how their mother loved them and would never intentionally leave them.

"After that, Craig (Stebic) turned off the ringer to his phone and wasn't accepting messages," Melanie Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin, told the Chicago Tribune. "The sisters do not have the children's cell phone numbers. There is no way for us to contact them directly."

Stebic had barred his wife's parents from the couple's Plainfield home and had not allowed his wife or their children, ages 11 and 12, to speak to them for the last two years, Greenberg said Monday. She did not explain why.

Lisa Stebic, 38, was getting a divorce when she vanished. Craig Stebic, who has not been charged in her disappearance, was the last person to report seeing his wife April 30.

The missing woman worked her normal shift in a nearby elementary school cafeteria and was home when her children arrived from school. Craig Stebic has said he saw his wife leave the house carrying only her cell phone and purse. He reported her missing the next morning.

Plainfield Police Chief Donald Bennett said his department is working with the state's attorney's office, pressing to set up an interview with the children by calling them in front of a grand jury. Craig Stebic has not allowed authorities to speak with the children since early in the investigation.

Bennett said Stebic's decision to cut off his children from his wife's sisters is in keeping with what he's learned of him so far. He claims Stebic has been uncooperative since his wife disappearance.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306191,00.html

[Pauli]

Stebic haunted by signs featuring missing wife

He forbids her family from contacting children



October 30, 2007
By Janet Lundquist The Herald News
PLAINFIELD -- Reportedly irritated by the proliferation of fliers, posters and billboards featuring his missing wife's face, Craig Stebic's sisters-in-law say he has barred them from any contact with their niece and nephew.


The family of Lisa Stebic, a mother of two who disappeared from her Plainfield home April 30, said Monday that Craig Stebic has forbidden her sisters, Debbie Ruttenberg and Jamie Bouma, from contacting the children or trying to see them.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA30_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20071029_20_28_21_40-108-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/625816,NA30_STEBIC_P1.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage %27,%20%27toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,st atus=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,widt h=650,height=650%27%29) A billboard featuring the face of missing Plainfield mom Lisa Stebic has been erected on Route 30, just west of Interstate 55, in Plainfield, as well as in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the Stebic family has a cabin.
Herald News file.

Melanie Greenberg, a cousin of Lisa's and spokeswoman for the family, said Stebic told Bouma's husband Saturday that the signs and fliers in town upset his children, ages 11 and 12.

Stebic also claimed to be annoyed that Lisa's family had billboards prominently featuring Lisa's face installed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where his family has a cabin, Greenberg said.

Tonight, at a public prayer vigil to mark the six-month anniversary of Lisa's disappearance, Ruttenberg plans to read a statement regarding Stebic's decision. The vigil will be held at 7:30 p.m. at a gazebo near Stebic's house, at Red Star and Blakely drives.

"This is a man who has done nothing to help find Lisa," Greenberg said. "(Stebic) has not appeared at a single search. He has not passed out a single flier.

"We would like to believe he is innocent," she said. "But anyone would wonder. Anyone would wonder."

Stebic's lawyer Dion Davi said he was not aware Craig told Lisa's sisters to stay away from his kids. He also said he advised Craig not to attend the searches, vigils and fundraisers.

"I believe Craig is in a tough position of whether to go or not," Davi said, adding that the intense media spotlight makes it difficult for Stebic to live a normal life.

"My opinion and my advice to him has been not to attend, because ... someone is always going to be critical of (his actions)," Davi said. "And it's my concern that his presence will detract from the significance or the meaning behind the event."

Until this month, Lisa's family members have given Stebic public support, even though Plainfield police named him a "person of interest" in her disappearance. Stebic has not been charged in connection with the case.

In July, investigators said they had concluded Lisa was not involved in an accident or forcibly abducted. They believe she was a victim of foul play, and that Craig Stebic knows something about her disappearance.

Davi has dismissed the "person of interest" announcement as a police tactic to pressure Stebic into making statements or allowing interviews with his children. Following Davi's advice, Stebic has declined to speak with police and has not allowed authorities to conduct follow-up interviews with his children.

Authorities want to interview the children about their mother's disappearance and have considered subpoenaing the children to testify before a grand jury.

Davi said he has not received any subpoenas for the children, nor has he had contact with Plainfield police or the Will County state's attorney's office.
Sun-Times News Group
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/625831,6_1_NA30_STEBIC_S1.article

[Pauli]

Lisa's sisters: 'We're very scared'


October 31, 2007
By JANET LUNDQUIST Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- The gazebo around the corner from Lisa Stebic's house was surrounded by luminaries and draped with tulle.

A crowd huddled around it, most holding candles, to commemorate the six-month anniversary of Stebic's disappearance Tuesday night.
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/na31_stebicweb_p4.jpg_20071031_00_58_25_94-110-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/627996,JO31_STEBIC_P1.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage %27,%20%27toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,st atus=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,widt h=650,height=650%27%29) Friends and family of missing Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic gathered to mark the six month anniversary of her disappearance Tuesday evening.

(Danielle Gardner /Sun-Times News Group)

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/jo31_stebic_p1.jpg_20071031_00_59_06_95-110-152.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/628001,JO31_STEBIC_P2.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage %27,%20%27toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,st atus=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,widt h=650,height=650%27%29) Lisa Stebic

During the vigil for his missing wife, the Stebic house on Red Star Drive was dark, inside and out. Craig Stebic's father, Joe Stebic, said Craig gets up at 4 a.m. for work and was in bed.

"Yeah, we know about it," he said when asked about the vigil. "But why would we go over there with all the negative (expletive) that's been going on? I don't think you would go over there either if it was you."
Craig Stebic allegedly upset

The family of Lisa Stebic, a mother of two who disappeared from her Plainfield home April 30, said Monday that Lisa's husband Craig has forbidden her sisters, Debbie Ruttenberg and Jamie Bouma, from contacting his children or trying to see them.Family spokeswoman Melanie Greenberg said Craig told Bouma's husband that the signs and fliers posted in town about Lisa's disappearance upset the kids, ages 11 and 12.

He was also reportedly irritated that Lisa's family put up billboards about Lisa's disappearance in the upper peninsula of Michigan, where the Stebic family has a cabin.

Lisa's family has asked hunters to keep an eye out, hoping the change in seasons may reveal Lisa's location. Earlier this month, Lisa's family said they believe she is likely dead.

Stebic's lawyer Dion Davi said he has advised Craig not to attend the searches, vigils and fundraisers that have been held for his wife. The glaring media spotlight on Craig would likely detract from the event, Davi said.

Sisters speak out
Until this month, Lisa's sisters have remained neutral when asked about Craig and his involvement in Lisa's disappearance. That changed Tuesday night."We're very scared," Ruttenberg said. "Jamie and I are speaking out finally because we've been stripped of the one last remaining thread and physical connection we had to our sister."

Craig's purported decision to block Lisa's sisters from his children apparently isn't a new behavior.

Lisa's parents have not had a civil conversation with Craig since 1995, Ruttenberg said. Craig had forbidden them from talking to Lisa or her children for about the last two years, according to Lisa's family.

In July, investigators said they had concluded Lisa was not involved in an accident or forcibly abducted. They believe she was a victim of foul play, and that Craig Stebic knows something about her disappearance.

That month Plainfield police named him a "person of interest" in her disappearance. Stebic has not been charged in connection with the case.

Davi has dismissed the "person of interest" announcement as a police tactic to pressure Stebic into making statements or allowing interviews with his children. Following Davi's advice, Stebic has declined to speak with police and has not allowed follow-up interviews with his children.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/627866,4_1_JO31_STEBIC_S1.article

[Pauli]

Stebic Children Testify Before Grand Jury

Craig Stebic Not Allowed In Grand Jury Room


POSTED: 10:09 pm CST November 7, 2007
UPDATED: 11:10 pm CST November 7, 2007

CHICAGO -- Sources said Wednesday the children of a missing Plainfield woman spoke to a grand jury. NBC5's Anna Davlantes reported that authorities have wanted to talk with the children of Lisa Stebic for months, but their father, Craig, had refused to allow the children to speak to anyone about the case. Lisa Stebic disappeared six months ago

Sources said Stebic and his children came to the Will County Courthouse, where a grand jury had been seated. It was the first time the Stebic children have spoken to anyone investigating the case.


Craig Stebic has been named a "person of interest in the case," and has refused to let his children talk to authorities.

Lisa Stebic's family said in a statement, "We know police and the state's attorney's office have tried every avenue to question the children through a child advocate or otherwise, and offered to do it in any county he wanted. But Craig Stebic repeatedly refused. They were left with no other alternative. The children are two of the last people to see Lisa the day she went missing.


" The only other time the 10-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl have spoken to authorities was right after their mother disappeared from their Plainfield home. Police talked to them, a few days later, for a short time, at their school."


Authorities have said all along that they believe the children may have "crucial information" in the case. Craig Stebic was not present when the children spoke to the grand jury. While Craig Stebic was not allowed to be present, his attorney was there.


Grand jury proceedings are, by law, secret, Davlantes reported, so it was not known what the children said to the grand jury.

http://www.nbc5.com/news/14537530/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

[Pauli]

Stebic's family to ask deer hunters for help

Missing woman sought in Michigan vacation-home area


By Jo Napolitano |Tribune staff reporter November 13, 2007 http://m1.2mdn.net/viewad/817-grey.gif (http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/360f/0/0/%2a/n;44306;0-0;0;12925715;21-88/31;0/0/0;;%7Esscs=%3f) http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/trb.chicagotribune/news/local;tk=11587;ptype=s;slug=chi-stebic_13nov13;rg=ur;ref=courttvcom;pos=1;sz=88x31 ;tile=2;ord=81184181? (http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/trb.chicagotribune/news/local;tk=11587;ptype=s;slug=chi-stebic_13nov13;rg=ur;ref=courttvcom;pos=1;sz=88x31 ;tile=2;ord=81184181?)

The family of a missing Plainfield woman will distribute fliers and hand warmers to hunters in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on Wednesday to raise awareness about her disappearance and encourage hunters to look for her.

Lisa Stebic, 37, was in the middle of a divorce when she vanished from her family home April 30. Her estranged husband, Craig, who was one of the last people to see her, is an avid hunter, and his family spent part of each year in the Upper Peninsula. He has been identified by police as a person of interest in the case, but he has denied any involvement.

Melanie Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin, said family members plan to distribute 300 hand warmers with Lisa's picture and police contact information at a breakfast held each year in Crystal Falls, Mich., to kick off firearm deer hunting season.

"Everyone tells you when you are looking for a missing person that you need to look at the places where they spent the most time," Greenberg said. "Lisa spent a lot of time up there. You just never know."

Greenberg said she hopes the hunters -- who usually cover a wide area -- might stumble across information or evidence that will help police find Lisa Stebic.

"They're going places people haven't been all summer and, with the change of seasons ... things that may have been overgrown could be more revealed now," Greenberg said. "We are asking all hunters to please keep their eyes open."

Greenberg said that she has had no contact with Craig Stebic but that he has complained in the past about the proliferation of fliers and billboards bearing Lisa Stebic's picture -- in the Chicago area as well as in the Upper Peninsula. He has said they upset the couple's two children.

Craig Stebic could not be reached for comment Monday.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic_13nov13,0,6582334.story?coll=chi_tab01_layo ut

[Pauli]

Sister tells Craig's side of the story

MISSING PLAINFIELD MOTHER


November 18, 2007
Since Lisa Stebic disappeared April 30 from her Plainfield home, her husband's family has not been nearly as vocal as her own.

But Craig Stebic's sister Kim Dove spoke out in an e-mail to The Herald News this week, saying she's afraid the worst has happened to Lisa -- and that her brother has been unfairly hounded by the press.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/JO18_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20071118_11_58_32_1223-250-156.imageContent (javascript:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/656754,JO18_STEBIC_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Stebic



"I pray for a good outcome but fear that it has gone too long for that to be. I don't know what has happened or what will be but I do know my brother and I know that this is really hard on him," she wrote. "I can only imagine how I would feel if I was a victim of the media for no reason except that they need to make news."

Person of interest
Plainfield police have named Craig Stebic a "person of interest" in his wife's disappearance. He has not been charged in connection with what remains a missing person case.

Stebic's lawyer Dion Davi has advised him not to speak to the media or the police. Stebic has blocked police from re-interviewing his children, also on Davi's advice.

Earlier this month, Stebic's children, ages 11 and 12, testified before a Will County grand jury.

"(Craig) has gone on the advice of his divorce attorney and that is why everyone has condemned him," Dove wrote. "I believe he has done what anyone else would have done in this given situation. People just get caught up in the media hype and cannot think for themselves. It is really awful."

Dove also countered recent reports that Stebic isolated Lisa and their children from her parents, saying Lisa had a strained relationship with her parents before Craig was in the picture.

Lisa's sisters last month said Craig has cut them off from contacting his children because he was upset about a billboard with Lisa's picture posted near his vacation home in Michigan.

Lisa's family said Craig had told his in-laws they were not to speak to their grandchildren or Lisa.

"There are two sides to every story and you have continuously printed the side that you want the public to hear," Dove wrote. "My brother is a good father and a good person and would do anything for you and his kids love him. They have a great relationship with their dad and I think they would tell you that."

Rocky relationship
Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family, said Lisa's relationship with her parents was tense after she married, but only because they were upset she was with Craig.

Lisa met Craig as a teenager, Greenberg said. The couple married in 1993 and separated in 1995 while Lisa was pregnant with their first child.

Lisa moved in with her parents but decided to go back to Craig, and her parents weren't happy about it, Greenberg said.

While her husband's relationship with her parents was rocky, Lisa continued to see her parents until about two years ago, Greenberg said.

"A few years ago, Craig made it clear they were not welcome at his home," Greenberg said. "It even advanced beyond that; they were not to contact (Lisa or their children)."

While Stebic has not attended the searches, vigils and fundraisers for his wife, which Davi said was his advice, Dove said she and her children have been at some searches and have put up fliers around their hometown.

"Craig would of done anything he could to help but from the beginning he was mobbed by the media and his children were very upset by all of this," Dove wrote. "There is no concern for them as far as the media is concerned.

"(Lisa's) children and husband are all suffering and just want to be left alone," she wrote. "If you look at this situation from the beginning, it was a media circus and that is really sad. I guess ratings are important and come at any cost. Very sad."

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/656061,4_1_JO18_STEBIC_S1.article

[chambord]

It distubs me no end that the Peterson case has left Lisa's whereabouts in the dust.

[Pauli]

There are so many that are all but forgotten.. I really hate that every missing person does not get media coverage. Why devote so much time to one when you could devote a little time to many.

[chambord]

There are so many that are all but forgotten.. I really hate that every missing person does not get media coverage. Why devote so much time to one when you could devote a little time to many.

Exactly! The Lisa Stebic case haunts me.. I wish more was being done to find this mom.

[Justiceguy]

Both of these cases, Stebic and Peterson, have such similar patterns, over-controlling husband, access to weapons, poor marital relationship, silence of the husband at a critical time, non-cooperation with authorities, and then they start to COMPLAIN about so much being focused upon the guy whose wife is missing and presumed dead. This is so typical.

Why do women stay with men like this, .... oh I know... I know... these poor women have really a hard time well before they disappear... it's such a pity it has to go to such a crazy murder like this....and then the man COMPLAINS... like HE's the "victim"... what poor excuses of men these guys are !!!

[FocusFactor]

It distubs me no end that the Peterson case has left Lisa's whereabouts in the dust.

I understand your meaning, but in a way the Peterson case also helped the Stebic case.

Thousands of additional acres have been searched and many of the Stebic volunteers helped in the SP searches.

Lisa has not been forgotten, not at all. Drew is much more interesting than Craig, and he seeks the media, which CS has avoided.

Lisa's family is well-organized, devoted and relentless, and they face the reality. There have been many fundraisers and searches and they are dedicated people who don't give up.

It's just that both women were hidden exceptionally well. There is always hope, but it is pretty dim (that either will be found).

Many parallels in their stories.

[FocusFactor]

Harlett, you have done such a great job with links to Lisa's story. All my Lisa threads at CTV have been poofed.

Here are some pics from the case:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070511stebic-photogallery,0,4269389.photogallery?coll=chi_tab01 _layout

Yesterday, the reporter in all the mess this summer, Amy Jacobsen (great reporter) testified before a GJ...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-peterson_21dec21,0,4972754.story

Also Thursday, former TV reporter Amy Jacobson testified before the special grand jury, which also is examining the April 30 disappearance of Lisa Stebic of Plainfield.

Stebic, 37, vanished from her family's home, and her husband, Craig, has been named a person of interest, though he has repeatedly denied any involvement.

They were divorcing when she disappeared. Numerous searches have failed to turn up evidence.

In July, Jacobson was fired from WMAQ-Ch. 5 after a rival station aired video of her in a bikini top with a towel around her waist at the Stebic home. Jacobson has said she was on her way to the East Bank Club with her children when she got a call from Craig Stebic's sister, who invited Jacobson to the house to talk.

Jacobson's attorney, Robert Andalman, said she was subpoenaed. They declined to answer reporters' questions about her testimony.

Melanie Greenberg, Lisa Stebic's cousin and a family spokeswoman, said she was surprised to learn of Jacobson's appearance before the grand jury.

"We've been assured by the state's attorney's office that they were continuing to work on the case," she said. "We knew there was a grand jury because the children were called before it in November."

[Pauli]

Both of these cases, Stebic and Peterson, have such similar patterns, over-controlling husband, access to weapons, poor marital relationship, silence of the husband at a critical time, non-cooperation with authorities, and then they start to COMPLAIN about so much being focused upon the guy whose wife is missing and presumed dead. This is so typical.

Why do women stay with men like this, .... oh I know... I know... these poor women have really a hard time well before they disappear... it's such a pity it has to go to such a crazy murder like this....and then the man COMPLAINS... like HE's the "victim"... what poor excuses of men these guys are !!!


It's not that they stay with these men Justiceguy.. it's that they get murdered when they try to get away from them. Many women feel that if they try to leave they will be killed.. and that's exactly what happens to a lot of them when they think they finally have a chance of getting out.

[Justiceguy]

It's not that they stay with these men Justiceguy.. it's that they get murdered when they try to get away from them. Many women feel that if they try to leave they will be killed.. and that's exactly what happens to a lot of them when they think they finally have a chance of getting out.

Yes, I agree, when a woman decides to leave, it's the MOST dangerous time for the woman.
A horrible truth... women need more protection, more rapidly, to get them and the kids away from these guys.
These men are all slime, IMO!

[4thekids]

It's not that they stay with these men Justiceguy.. it's that they get murdered when they try to get away from them. Many women feel that if they try to leave they will be killed.. and that's exactly what happens to a lot of them when they think they finally have a chance of getting out.

Yep happens too often. Trapped in a nightmare where neither option is foolproof.

Great job with the board Harlett.

FF why did your thread poof? It was very informative as well.

[FocusFactor]

Yep happens too often. Trapped in a nightmare where neither option is foolproof.

Great job with the board Harlett.

FF why did your thread poof? It was very informative as well.


4the kids, I agree about the "trapped in a nightmare" marriages and the danger of getting out. Too bad marriage is so often fatal.

All my posts at CTV are poofed because I was banned. I didn't do it, I tell ya... or at least that's what I told CW in my reinstate-me-please plea. She said she didn't know why I was banned but that's the breaks. Huge eyeroll.
I have not made a new ID there yet.

Anyways, I hope someone makes a new Lisa Stebic thread. A while back there was a whole forum, then it was archived and who knows now. Last time I checked, there was no LS thread.

Lisa does have a great group trying to find her, they are very dedicated.

[FocusFactor]

More Grand Jury testimony.
The case plugs along....

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/725701,6_1_NA04_STEBIC_S1.article

Father-in-law, neighbors testify for grand jury
Witnesses say all seemed normal at Stebic house

January 4, 2008
By JANET LUNDQUIST The Herald News
JOLIET -- Lisa Stebic's father-in-law testified Thursday before a Will County grand jury investigating Lisa's disappearance, sources say.

Joe Stebic, Craig Stebic's dad, would not comment after leaving the county building Thursday afternoon. His attorney, Steven C. Haney, would not confirm Stebic was at the building as a grand jury witness.

Jim and Laurrie Bingenheimer, Craig and Lisa Stebic's friends and neighbors, told the grand jury Thursday what they remembered about April 30, the day Lisa went missing.

Joe Stebic, missing woman Lisa Stebic's father-in-law, testified Thursday in front of a grand jury investigating her disappearance.

Lisa, whose 38th birthday was in May, was reportedly last seen at her Plainfield home by her husband. The couple were in the midst of a divorce at the time.
Jim Bingenheimer said he also testified about his hunting trips with Craig, while Laurrie talked about Lisa's character.

Laurrie said she was asked whether Lisa would have met a stranger at the gazebo across the street from her house. No chance, she said. Lisa also would not have met strangers through the Internet, she added.

"She was too conservative," Laurrie said. "She would never, for safety's sake. She wouldn't do it."

The Bingenheimers were at the Stebic house April 29. Laurrie and Lisa sunbathed in the backyard while Craig and Jim talked inside. Everything seemed normal that day, Laurrie said.

When Lisa did not show up at work the morning of May 1 and Craig Stebic called the Bingenheimers looking for her, Laurrie reported Lisa missing to police.

Since Lisa disappeared, her family has held multiple press conferences, hosted prayer vigils and started a reward fund that is now worth more than $73,000. Hundreds of volunteer searchers have combed area fields. Divers have scoured Plainfield area ponds and lakes.

But no trace of Lisa has been found.

"At least that they haven't forgotten about her and that it's not such a cold case," Laurrie said. "I'm afraid it'll be a cold case. And it has been a while (since she disappeared)."

This summer, Plainfield investigators named Craig a suspect in his wife's disappearance, said Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett.

Last month, the Stebics' children, ages 11 and 12, testified before the grand jury.

Bennett has said investigators are looking to "lock in" testimony at the grand jury for use in a future prosecution of the case.

Thinking back on the days after Lisa disappeared has been difficult, the Bingenheimers say.

"It's given me anxiety," Laurrie said. "Before, you know, you learn to live with it. Now that you're rehashing it in your mind, we're not sleeping at night again. Just to re-live this again, it's hard."

Lisa:
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA04_STEBIC_P2_scn_feed_20080103_21_28_13_436-124-165.imageContent

Joe:
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA04_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20080103_21_28_15_438-124-80.imageContent

[KittyMom]

I really had hopes that with all the searching being done for Stacy Peterson, someone would stumble across Lisa. Her kids deserve better than they've gotten.

:1222423:

[alonie walton]

I really had hopes that with all the searching being done for Stacy Peterson, someone would stumble across Lisa. Her kids deserve better than they've gotten.

:1222423:

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, MY DAUGHTER LISA MICHELLE HATCHELL HAS BEEN MISSING CLOSE TO FIVE YEARS. JUST LATELY THE MEDIA PICK UP HER STORY. THANK TO NANCY GRACE ON CNN. AND THE ART FINELL REPORTS ON CN8. THE MEDIA IN PHILA. PA ONLY DID TWO I5 MINUTES COVERAGE ON THIS CASE AND THAT WAS AFTER I POSTED THE 1000.00 DOLLAR REWARD. IT TOOK ME A YEAR AND HALF TO GET THEM TO TAKE A REPORT, THEY FEEL LIKE UNLESS THE MISSING PERSON IS WELL OF, THEY ALWAYS SAY THEY JUST WALK AWAY AND DON'T WWANT TO BE FOUND. THE SYSTEM NEED TO CHANGE IT VIEWS ON MISSING ADULTS. AND GIVE THEM ALL THE COVERAGE AS THE NEXT PERSON. THE MISSING PERSON MAY NOT BE IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO THE FAMILY THAT IS SUFFERING AND ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN.

[Roamer]

Alonie, we have a thread for Lisa in the Missing Adults forum if you would like to join us there and give us any updates. Thanks, and God bless you and your family.

[wheezer]

PLAINFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The husband of a suburban Chicago woman who's been missing for nearly a year is asking a court to force police to return guns and cars seized during the investigation.

Craig Stebic hopes a Will County judge will order police to return 24 guns, a Chevrolet pickup truck and a Saturn Ion taken by police.

Lisa Stebic was seen in late April.

Craig Stebic's lawyer says authorities have had more than enough time with the items and they should be returned.

Craig Stebic has been named a "person of interest" in the search for his 37-year-old wife. Police said they believe the mother of 2 was a victim of foul play. No charges have been filed.

Stebic's request comes as a Will County judge ordered police to return items seized from the home of Drew Peterson.

http://www.wthitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7950740&nav=menu593_2

[wheezer]

JOLIET, Ill. — A judge has ruled that the husband of a missing suburban Chicago woman can get his car back.

But Craig Stebic, whose wife Lisa has been missing nearly a year, must wait until later this month to hear whether he can reclaim his pickup truck and 24 guns.

Investigators want to keep those items, which were seized as possible evidence. Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt is expected to rule on them April 24.

Stebic, of Plainfield, has been named a "person of interest" in his wife's disappearance. He hasn't been charged with any crime.

Police say they believe his wife is a victim of foul play.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,345355,00.html

[TigressPen]

Lisa was the portrayed real life missing on Without A Trace this week. I was glad to see that her picture was the one viewed by millions during the show. Of course this is a fictional show and their missing was a teen. But, during the show they always show a real missing persons picture and details.

[KellBell]

Lisa was the portrayed real life missing on Without A Trace this week. I was glad to see that her picture was the one viewed by millions during the show. Of course this is a fictional show and their missing was a teen. But, during the show they always show a real missing persons picture and details.

I had NO IDEA they showed real pictures. That is awesome. I will have to try to catch this show more often.

[wheezer]

JOLIET, Ill. -- A Will County judge has ordered the husband of missing Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic to answer questions and provide documents connected with a lawsuit filed by Stebic's parents and grandparents seeking visitation with her two young sons.

Will County Judge Robert Brumund ruled Friday that Craig Stebic has 14 days to provide the information and that he also may use his fifth amendment right against self-incrimination. Police have named Craig Stebic as a "person of interest" in Lisa's disappearance last April.

Lisa Stebic's parents and grandparents argue that they haven't seen the boys, ages 11 and 13, for six months. But Craig Stebic's attorney suggests Lisa's family could be working with police.

Lisa's family says they are only worried about the children.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6091138

[KittyMom]

JOLIET, Ill. -- A Will County judge has ordered the husband of missing Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic to answer questions and provide documents connected with a lawsuit filed by Stebic's parents and grandparents seeking visitation with her two young sons.

Will County Judge Robert Brumund ruled Friday that Craig Stebic has 14 days to provide the information and that he also may use his fifth amendment right against self-incrimination. Police have named Craig Stebic as a "person of interest" in Lisa's disappearance last April.

Lisa Stebic's parents and grandparents argue that they haven't seen the boys, ages 11 and 13, for six months. But Craig Stebic's attorney suggests Lisa's family could be working with police.

Lisa's family says they are only worried about the children.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6091138

I thought Lisa had a boy and a girl. CS is a jerk. These people have lost their mom and daughter...what right does he have to keep them apart. :mad:

[wheezer]

A Will County judge sided with the husband of a missing Plainfield woman Friday in ruling that his in-laws must respond to Craig Stebic's request for a better explanation of why they believe they should have visitation rights with his children.

Lisa Stebic's parents, Lawrence and Judith Ruttenberg, and grandparents, Milton and Charlotte Ruttenberg, have been fighting for visitation since November. In their petition, they claim that her husband, Craig Stebic, is an unfit parent and that it would be in the best interests of the children, ages 11 and 13, if they were awarded visitation rights.

Craig Stebic's attorney, Dion Davi, filed a request for the Ruttenbergs to explain why they believe his client is unfit and why they believe the children are in harm's way.

Judge Robert Brumund gave the Ruttenbergs' attorney 28 days to respond. The next court date is June 10.

Lisa Stebic was 37 when she disappeared from the family home April 30. She was last seen by her husband, whom she was divorcing. Police have identified him as a "person of interest" in the case. He has denied wrongdoing.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic-both-26apr26,1,863599.story

[wheezer]

April 30, 2007 was the last time the family of Lisa Stebic saw her alive.

Nearly one year later, there is plenty of mystery and few clues about where she might be.

The family members and friend of Lisa Stebic showed their love for the missing woman Sunday as they, as well as members of the community, marked the one year anniversary of her disappearance.

"Our daughter was truly a remarkable gift, a blessing that we shall always cherish," said Judy Ruttenberg," Lisa Stebic's mother.

Whether they knew her or not, hundreds gathered to honor the missing 37-year-old Plainfield woman as a way to benefit a cause that was close to Lisa's heart, the fight against domestic violence.

"I've always felt really helpless every time I heard news about Lisa and her missing, " said Kelley Manges, who participated with the group.

"What they are going through is near to our heart, and I think we'll se a lot of support from the public today," said Dave Wetz of Plainfield Exchange Clubs.

It will be a year ago in the coming week that Lisa Stebic vanished without a trace. Investigators have called her husband, Craig, a person of interest. The couple was going through a divorce when she disappeared.

Detectives say the public could still give them the big break in the case they need.

"With them seeing the police presence out here, it will make them hopeful to come forward and give to us any information they have," said Detective Carrianne Segal of the Plainfield Police Department.

The long investigation is wearing hard on the family, who say they remain saddened by the separation from Lisa's two children.

"This is very, very difficult time. We haven't seeen these children in six months, and that is what is tearing us up even more," said Melanie Greenberg, the missing woman's cousin.

Lisa Stebic's case continues to be compared with that of missing Bolingbrook mom, Stacy Peterson, whose friends joined the event to show some of the support they often have received.

"What we're hoping is that while we are looking for Stacy and other missing people, we can support this family and maybe they can find Lisa," said Sharon Bychowski, Stacy Peterson's friend.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6106722

There is a video if you hit the link.

[KittyMom]

:1222423:

May justice one day be yours.

[wheezer]

JOLIET, Ill. - The family of a missing woman wants to know about threats her husband allegedly made toward her as they seek court approval to visit her children.

The family has filed court documents asking Craig Stebic if he said he would "cut Lisa Stebic into pieces and no one would ever find her." That alleged threat is among others mentioned in the documents filed this week.

Lisa Stebic's parents and grandparents are seeking to prove Craig Stebic is an unfit parent.

An attorney for Craig Stebic has objected to the family's questions about alleged threats.

Lisa Stebic was last seen April 30 of 2007. She and Craig Stebic were going through a divorce but living in their Plainfield home. Police have identified Craig Stebic as a "person of interest" in the case.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-missingwoman,0,3915084.story

[KittyMom]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357461,00.html

Friday, May 23, 2008

PLAINFIELD, Ill. — Illinois State Police have revoked the firearm owner's ID card of a suburban Chicago man whose wife has been missing for more than a year.

The state police took that action Wednesday at the request of Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett. Bennett says he felt revoking Craig Stebic's gun card was "in the best interest of the community." He didn't specify why.

Lisa Stebic was last seen at the couple's home in Plainfield, which is about 30 miles southwest of Chicago.

The Stebics were in the midst of a divorce at the time of her disappearance.

As part of the investigation into Lisa Stebic's disappearance, police seized 24 guns from the Stebic home and Craig Stebic has been trying to get those back.

[Baranis]

"The husband of a missing Plainfield woman has offered to settle a lawsuit brought by his wife's parents and grandparents in their quest to gain visitation rights with the couple's children."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic_web_28may28,0,5923682.story

[KittyMom]

"The husband of a missing Plainfield woman has offered to settle a lawsuit brought by his wife's parents and grandparents in their quest to gain visitation rights with the couple's children."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic_web_28may28,0,5923682.story

Stebic has said he will allow her family to visit with the children under his supervision.


:rolleye0001: What a generous move. :lex_10:

[KittyMom]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,377907,00.html

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

A reporter who was fired last year after being filmed in a bikini top at the home of a man whose wife disappeared has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the TV station that aired the footage.

Amy Jacobson filed the lawsuit against Chicago CBS-affiliate WBBM-TV, claiming the tape it aired of her in a swimsuit at the home of Craig Stebic caused the reporter "enormous public humiliation and disgrace," according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.

Jacobson lost her job in July 2007 at NBC-affiliate WMAQ-TV after the tape aired. She had been covering the disappearance of Craig Stebic's wife Lisa. The video showed Jacobson in a bikini top near the pool at Stebic's home in Plainfield.

WBBM-TV said the lawsuit has no merit.

Also named as a defendant is Northwestern University journalism professor Michele Weldon who commented on air for a CBS story. Weldon said she has a right to free speech and her comments weren't inflammatory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



The nerve of this woman...she put on her bikini and jumped in the pool with CS. Let her deal with it now.
:71541:

[Nut44x4]

Lisa Stebic's Family Continues Effort To See Kids
Attorneys In Court Make Little Headway

POSTED: 2:23 pm CDT September 12, 2008
JOLIET, Ill. -- Lawyers attempting to arrange visits between the family of missing Plainfield woman Lisa Stebic and her children, who are cared for by her husband Craig Stebic, were in court again Friday for a closed-door conference with a judge.

Apparently, they didn't get much closer to their goal of a second visit.

"The judge gave recommendations to settle or address the difficulties the parties are having," Dion Davi, Craig Stebic's lawyer said outside the courtroom.

The case will return to court later this month.

In July, the parties reached an agreement on a petition filed by Lisa Stebic's parents and grandparents -- Lawrence and Judith Ruttenberg and Milton and Charlotte Ruttenberg -- in November seeking visits with the two Stebic kids.

The visitation agreement is confidential, as is the date of the visit between the grandparents and grandchildren that occured this summer.

Last week in court, the Ruttenberg's attorney Timothy Daw accused Craig Stebic of unreasonably withholding a second visit. Davi denied that and said the dispute centered on the Ruttenbergs rejecting the date and time Craig Stebic chose for a second visit.

Lisa Stebic was reported missing May 1, 2007, after she was last seen at her Plainfield home. Despite extensive searchs and investigation, no trace of her has been found.

Police have named Craig Stebic a "person of interest" in her disappearance, but he has not been charged in connection with the case.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/17459790/detail.html

[CR_in_IL]

Original Source - CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/28/cc.lisa.stebic/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

New York (CNN) -- There is little doubt of the trouble existing in Lisa and Craig Stebic's marriage, say friends, family and court documents.

Craig Stebic admits to filing for divorce just four months before his wife's disappearance.

They'd been in the midst of a tumultuous separation, while still living under the same roof. They had hardly spoken to one another in the last months before she vanished.

On the very day Lisa Stebic went missing -- April 30, 2007 -- she had petitioned the court to have her husband evicted from the family home, her family said.

It has now been a year and a half since the mother of two disappeared.

According to her husband, she left at 6 p.m., taking her cell phone and purse, while he was working in the backyard. Lisa Stebic often went jogging at the local track field around that time, but no one saw her that evening at the track.

Police say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards.

For weeks afterward, police and search teams combed nearby areas, hoping to find the missing 37-year-old from Plainfield, Illinois.

The FBI joined in and divers searched bodies of water located near the Stebic home, but they have found nothing.

Police searched the Stebic home with a warrant in mid-May 2007. During the search, Craig Stebic was cooperative, allowing them access to the family computer and two vehicles, police said.

Police have not released the results of this search or investigation. But despite his cooperation with police, Stebic still refuses to take a voluntary polygraph and will not permit his children to be interviewed by police about their mother. While he has not been named a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, police say he is officially a person of interest.

Police did announce that they believe foul play was a likely factor in Stebic's disappearance, though they have not said what evidence leads them to that conclusion. They say that Craig Stebic's refusal to let anyone question his children has been impeding their investigation.

Lisa Stebic's parents and friends insist she would never go off on her own, leaving behind her children, who were 10 and 11 at the time. Even Craig Stebic says that he doesn't believe she would stay away this long voluntarily, especially from her children.

Craig Stebic and Lisa Stebic's family have been locked in a battle over visitation rights with the children in the last year, but finally last month a settlement agreement was reached. This gives hope to police and family that they might finally be able to question the children about the day their mother disappeared.

Craig Stebic maintains his innocence in the disappearance of his wife. His attorney, Dion Davi, says, "I don't understand why the police have named my client a person of interest. He has told police everything he knows about the day his wife disappeared."

Craig Stebic filed for sole custody of the children not long after his wife vanished. This request was denied by the court. Also, a few days after he was named a person of interest in his wife's disappearance, Stebic filed a motion to have their divorce proceedings dismissed. Stebic said his reason was that high legal bills adding up while they waited for news about his wife made a divorce proceeding impossible at the time.

Lisa Stebic's family and the Plainfield, Illinois, Police Department ask anyone having information on the whereabouts of Lisa Stebic to please call their tip line at 815-267-7217. They are offering a $75,000 reward. Stebic is described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall and 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

[:+:MrTT:+:]

Original Source - CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/28/cc.lisa.stebic/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

New York (CNN) -- There is little doubt of the trouble existing in Lisa and Craig Stebic's marriage, say friends, family and court documents.

Craig Stebic admits to filing for divorce just four months before his wife's disappearance.

They'd been in the midst of a tumultuous separation, while still living under the same roof. They had hardly spoken to one another in the last months before she vanished.

On the very day Lisa Stebic went missing -- April 30, 2007 -- she had petitioned the court to have her husband evicted from the family home, her family said.

It has now been a year and a half since the mother of two disappeared.

According to her husband, she left at 6 p.m., taking her cell phone and purse, while he was working in the backyard. Lisa Stebic often went jogging at the local track field around that time, but no one saw her that evening at the track.

Police say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards.

For weeks afterward, police and search teams combed nearby areas, hoping to find the missing 37-year-old from Plainfield, Illinois.

The FBI joined in and divers searched bodies of water located near the Stebic home, but they have found nothing.

Police searched the Stebic home with a warrant in mid-May 2007. During the search, Craig Stebic was cooperative, allowing them access to the family computer and two vehicles, police said.

Police have not released the results of this search or investigation. But despite his cooperation with police, Stebic still refuses to take a voluntary polygraph and will not permit his children to be interviewed by police about their mother. While he has not been named a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, police say he is officially a person of interest.

Police did announce that they believe foul play was a likely factor in Stebic's disappearance, though they have not said what evidence leads them to that conclusion. They say that Craig Stebic's refusal to let anyone question his children has been impeding their investigation.

Lisa Stebic's parents and friends insist she would never go off on her own, leaving behind her children, who were 10 and 11 at the time. Even Craig Stebic says that he doesn't believe she would stay away this long voluntarily, especially from her children.

Craig Stebic and Lisa Stebic's family have been locked in a battle over visitation rights with the children in the last year, but finally last month a settlement agreement was reached. This gives hope to police and family that they might finally be able to question the children about the day their mother disappeared.

Craig Stebic maintains his innocence in the disappearance of his wife. His attorney, Dion Davi, says, "I don't understand why the police have named my client a person of interest. He has told police everything he knows about the day his wife disappeared."

Craig Stebic filed for sole custody of the children not long after his wife vanished. This request was denied by the court. Also, a few days after he was named a person of interest in his wife's disappearance, Stebic filed a motion to have their divorce proceedings dismissed. Stebic said his reason was that high legal bills adding up while they waited for news about his wife made a divorce proceeding impossible at the time.

Lisa Stebic's family and the Plainfield, Illinois, Police Department ask anyone having information on the whereabouts of Lisa Stebic to please call their tip line at 815-267-7217. They are offering a $75,000 reward. Stebic is described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall and 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

thanks CR for posting this...........Back in april and may.......over at the FSP.COM website i took an interest in this case.........and i was on a wait and watch pattern in Lyons.....waiting to see what would come about wit5h the STACY situation......while i was there, before it was shut down.....which ill say now was absolutely divastating to me and others whom had/was posting there, and didnot save any of our postings...........anyways, see the link to map below,,,,,i always had wondered while waiting for developments, if Lisa has/had any connections to lyons ILL......and any reason, from her past or future that would have had her traveling Northeast on W Ogden AV from lyons on 34...........
but was not able to get validation on that, before they shut it down......if you know, or hear/heard anything about that, please post it for me.....for to this day i still wonder about that with lisa..............thanks again, and God bless...........

<center>
<img src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/mp/gr/mplogo.gif" width="99" height="13" border=0 align=middle alt="[ Yahoo! Maps ]"><br>
<a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/maps/extmap;_ylt=AnKIgchkWmaJkRCAAdO1QQRkDLMF/*-http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?q1=Lyons%2C+IL+60534&ds=n&name=&desc=&lat=41.820120&lon=-87.815949&mlt=41.822516396397&mln=-87.81027968488&zoomin=yes&BFKey=&mag=2">
Map of
Lyons, IL 60534<br></a></center>

[grammybears]

This situation with Lisa being missing really bothers me. A mother does not usually just up and disappear. I cannot remember if I had asked this before on any of the sites dealing with Lisa's disappearance but are there wooded areas or canyons or mines near where the Stebics live?
I just can't help but wonder if her body was hidden somewhere that would make it difficult to find her. Of course with all the time that has gone by you would think that she would have been found by now unless she was buried in a grave.

[packy]

This situation with Lisa being missing really bothers me. A mother does not usually just up and disappear. I cannot remember if I had asked this before on any of the sites dealing with Lisa's disappearance but are there wooded areas or canyons or mines near where the Stebics live?
I just can't help but wonder if her body was hidden somewhere that would make it difficult to find her. Of course with all the time that has gone by you would think that she would have been found by now unless she was buried in a grave.

Hi, Grammy. No there would not be any canyons or mines near there.

I'm posting her site in case anyone hasn't seen updates. http://www.findlisastebic.com/index/

[KittyMom]

I keep waiting here that some hunter has stumbled upon her remains. The longer this goes on the more I believe that CS planned this out in detail.

Hopefully, those kids will one day be able to tell what happened on the evening their mother disappeared.

[sarahhod]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1352726,4_1_JO29_TOPSTORY_S1.article

Stebic case remains a mystery
Top stories of 2008: Plainfield mom remains missing

December 29, 2008
By JANET LUNDQUIST jlundquist@scn1.com

PLAINFIELD -- When she disappeared in April of 2007, Lisa Stebic quickly became a household name.

Days after she was reported missing, Lisa's family began an aggressive media campaign to get the word out and generate leads for police.

In 2007, the case drew national and international attention.

In 2008, no other story out of this town of about 37,000 made more headlines than Lisa's missing-person case.

Even a reporter covering the case made national news. This summer, former WMAQ-NBC 5 reporter Amy Jacobson followed up her infamous dip in Stebic's pool with a lawsuit.

In July, Jacobson filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against rival television station WBBM-CBS 2, which aired the tape of her in her bikini, and Stebic's neighbor for invasion of privacy and defamation. Jacobson's story was featured in an article in "Chicago Magazine" this month.

No trace of Lisa
Lisa Stebic, a mother of two, was last seen at her home at 13244 Red Star Drive the afternoon of April 30, 2007. No trace of her has been found.

Police have named her husband, Craig Stebic, the sole "person of interest" in Lisa's disappearance. Stebic has not been charged in connection with the case and has denied any wrongdoing.

In April, to commemorate the anniversary of her disappearance, Lisa's family held an event in downtown Plainfield that raised $7,000 for Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet.

Police continue to investigate Lisa's disappearance, though new leads on her whereabouts have been few and far between.

This summer a psychic joined investigators working on the case, though police have yet to receive any helpful tips from beyond.

"We're still looking for Lisa. We are still actively investigating the case," said Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett. "Unfortunately, during this past year no additional evidence has come forth to help us in either finding Lisa or determining what happened to Lisa."

Visitation agreement
The legal effort by Lisa's parents and grandparents to win visitation rights to her children lasted much of the year.
In November 2007, Lisa's parents, Lawrence and Judith Ruttenberg, and grandparents, Milton and Charlotte Ruttenberg, filed a petition seeking visits with the Stebic children, now ages 12 and 13.

During the case, Lisa's family asked Craig to confirm some things he may have said in front of his children, including an alleged threat to "cut Lisa Stebic into pieces and no one would ever find her," according to court documents.

Or the time he allegedly said Lisa's face "would be on the back of a milk carton someday."

Craig never had to answer the questions, as he and his lawyer offered to compromise on visits soon after the request was made.

The families reached a confidential visitation agreement in September.

Craig Stebic remains publicly quiet about his missing wife. He follows his lawyers' advice to decline on-the-record interviews.

But Stebic made a media splash when he took legal steps to reclaim his vehicles and guns from Plainfield police.

He was able to get his vehicles back, but his 24 guns were entrusted to a friend with a legal firearm owners identification card.

The state revoked Stebic's FOID card in May at the request of Plainfield police.

Anyone with information about Lisa Stebic's case is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.

[nanabillie]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/28/cc.lisa.stebic/index.html
Good story at link

[grammybears]

Lisa has been gone for so long. I feel so bad for the children. This must be so hard on them. Why is it everytime a woman mostly disappears there is a contentious divorce going on? You would think just getting a divorce would be less expensive plus it would keep the ex out of prison. I will never understand the attitude of some.
Prayers going out to her children and her family.

jmoo

[sarahhod]

Police: New developments in Stebic case

April 16, 2009

By JANET LUNDQUIST jlundquist@scn1.com


PLAINFIELD -- Authorities have uncovered new developments in the case of a missing Plainfield mom, according to the Will County State's Attorney's office.
Lisa Ruttenberg Stebic disappeared April 30, 2007. She was last seen at her Plainfield home that evening.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/070408stebic_cst_feed_20080703_19_08_43_5129-116-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suntimes.com/heraldnews/news/1039505,070408stebic.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))
Lisa Stebic
(Courtesy)

She was 38 years old, 5-feet-2-inches tall, weighed 120 pounds and had brown eyes and hair. Police and hundreds of volunteers conducted extensive area searches during the summer of 2007 but found no trace of her.
Charles Pelkie, spokesman for Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow, said he could not comment on specifics of the developments, which came about within the last few months.
"While these developments haven't cracked open the case, they have shed additional light on what happened to Lisa Stebic," Pelkie said.
He added that the investigation, headed by the Plainfield Police Department, is ongoing, and that the Stebic case has been the focus of a grand jury investigation.
Lisa's husband, Craig Stebic, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Lisa's disappearance. The couple was in the process of divorcing when Lisa vanished.
Police have named Craig a "person of interest," but he has not been charged in connection with the case.
Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett said the case is still active, but that investigators have not received any new tips in some time.
"If anyone has any new information, they can call us and we'll follow up on it," Bennett said.
Vehicle magnets
Lisa's family is hoping area residents will help boost awareness of Lisa's case.
Her family has created vehicle magnets decorated with Lisa's photo, the police tip line, family Web site www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) and the $75,000 reward the family is offering for information on Lisa's whereabouts.
They are selling the magnets for $10, which covers the shipping and production costs.
Anyone interested in purchasing a magnet can e-mail the family at findlisastebic@gmail.com. Include your name, shipping address and contact phone number in the e-mail.
Family Spokeswoman Melanie Greenberg said someone contacted her recently to ask whether the family needed any help with the case.
"I didn't even know this person," Greenberg said. "That shows you how Lisa touched people and how they're still thinking about it."
Greenberg said Lisa's family plans to have a booth at the Spring Fest festival planned May 15-17 in Plainfield, and will have magnets available there.
While the case initially made national headlines, the media attention eventually died down.
The most recent national publicity for the case came in September, when Lisa's case was featured on an "America's Most Wanted" segment about bringing attention to missing person cases. The episode helped boost visits to the family Web site.
Anyone with information about Lisa Stebic's case is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1529357,4_1_JO16_STEBIC_S1.article

[sarahhod]

Lisa Stebic case: Authorities say they have uncovered new details in Plainfield mother's 2007 disappearance

Tribune staff report April 17, 2009


Investigators have in recent months uncovered new details in the 2007 disappearance of Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic, though nothing that will "crack the case," according to the Will County state's attorney's office.

"There continues to be new information that surfaces in the case," said state's attorney spokesman Chuck Pelkie. "Certainly it's not going to crack open the case, but [the new developments] have shed additional light on what happened to her. They offer another piece of the puzzle." Pelkie declined to elaborate on the developments.

Stebic was 37 and amid a divorce when she vanished April 30, 2007—the day she mailed her attorney a petition to have her husband, Craig, removed from their home. Police, who suspect foul play, have named him a "person of interest." He has denied any involvement.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic-17apr17,0,1418735.story

[annalyzer]

New Developments In Missing Illinois Woman's Case

Friday, Apr 17, 2009 @10:35am CST

(Plainfield, IL) -- Police in Plainfield, Illinois say they have new leads in the disappearance of Lisa Stebic.

The 38-year-old Stebic was last seen at her Plainfield home on the evening of April 30th, 2007.

All authorities will say is that the developments have, quote, "shed additional light on what happened to Lisa Stebic." Police still call Stebic's husband, Greg, a "person of interest" but have not charged him.

http://mystateline.com/content/fulltext/?cid=60481

[nanabillie]

http://www.wowowow.com/politics/new-developments-case-missing-illinois-mom-lisa-stebic-video-270339
Lisa Stebic Disappearance | 04/17/2009 1:00 pm



Renewed Hope? New Developments in Case of Missing Illinois Mom Lisa Stebic (Video)

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
http://www.wowowow.com/files/imagecache/300x/2009_0417_youtube_stebic.jpg YouTube

There may be some new developments in the Lisa Stebic case.
April 30 marks two years since the Plainfield, IL, mother of two went missing. Her husband, Craig Stebic, who says he was in the backyard when she disappeared, has been named a person of interest in the case, but was never named a suspect. His lawyer still denies any wrongdoing by his client. But now, reports say (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic-17apr17,0,1418735.story) there has been some development, although officials in charge of the case won’t give specifics.
"It’s still an active investigation. Law enforcement continues to pursue leads. There have been developments that have occurred. They are NOT going to cause a resolve in the case, but give a clearer picture of what happened to Lisa," Charles Pelkie, spokesman for the Will County State Attorney’s Office, told local ABC affiliate WLS. (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6764014)
Lisa’s cousin and her family’s spokeswoman, Melanie Greenberg, told MSNBC this morning that the family is hopeful (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1529357,4_1_JO16_STEBIC_S1.article)even the smallest lead will turn up more clues.
"For Lisa’s family, it’s very encouraging to know this is not a cold case," Greenberg said. The family has offered a $75,000 reward for information leading to Lisa and is selling magnets to boost awareness of her case on findlisastebic.com. (http://www.findlisastebic.com./)
Lisa’s family has never been convinced of Craig Stebic’s innocence. They said he never came to vigils held for her after the 38-year-old went missing in the summer of 2007, they questioned why he refused to take a polygraph (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270657,00.html) and were especially concerned because the couple was in the process of filing for divorce when Lisa went missing. He has custody of the Stebics’ two children, ages 13 and 12.
"We always wondered why Craig never came to a single search, never came to the vigils we held for Lisa. It would make anyone wonder," Greenberg said Friday. The children have "gone two years without their mother … they don’t have answers the same way Lisa’s family doesn’t have answers."
Here’s one of the many video tributes made for Lisa by her family. Anyone with any information on her case is encouraged to call 815-267-7217.



Read more about: Craig Stebic (http://www.wowowow.com/category/craig-stebic), crime (http://www.wowowow.com/category/crime), Illinois (http://www.wowowow.com/category/illinois), Lisa Stebic (http://www.wowowow.com/category/lisa-stebic), Missing Mom (http://www.wowowow.com/category/missing-mom), News (http://www.wowowow.com/category/news), Plainfield (http://www.wowowow.com/category/plainfield), U.S. (http://www.wowowow.com/category/us), Video (http://www.wowowow.com/category/video)

[Roamer]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/21/grace.coldcase.stebic/index.html

By Rupa Mikkilineni
Nancy Grace (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/nancy.grace/) Producer


NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two years ago this month, Lisa Stebic disappeared in the middle of a contentious marital separation, leaving two children behind.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/CRIME/04/21/grace.coldcase.stebic/art.lisa.jpg Lisa Stebic went to court to evict her estranged husband on the day she disappeared.


There was little doubt of the growing trouble in Lisa and Craig Stebic's marriage according to friends, family and court documents. They weren't speaking, but were living under the same roof.
On the day Lisa Stebic went missing, April 30, 2007, she petitioned the court to have her husband evicted from their home in Plainfield, Illinois.
As the second anniversary of Stebic's disappearance (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/missing_persons) approaches, police consider her husband the prime suspect, but are far from solving the case. Craig Stebic has said he's innocent of wrongdoing.
Craig Stebic told police he was working in the back yard when Lisa left their home at 6 p.m., taking only her cell phone and purse.
Lisa Stebic frequently went jogging at a nearby track at that time in the evening, however no one saw her at the track on April 30. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gif"We weren't able to triangulate her cell phone to locate her when she went missing," said Chief Donald E. Bennett of the Plainfield Police Department.
"Her husband was very controlling and restrictive," said Bennett. "He only allowed her to have a pre-paid cell phone with a small number of minutes per month."
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_TL.gif



For weeks afterward police and search teams scoured the area, hoping to find the missing 37-year-old.
FBI and divers searched bodies of water near the Stebics' home, but found nothing.
Police executed a search warrant at the Stebic home in mid-May 2007 which included examination of the family computer and two vehicles. Investigators are not releasing results of the forensic evidence gathered.
But police said they found more than 15 guns at the home, all registered to Craig Stebic. While some were clearly hunting guns, others were not.
Police characterize Stebic as being uncooperative with investigators. He also refused to take a polygraph test, they said.


In recent months, police were able to rule out other persons of interest. They have narrowed the pool of suspects to just one: Craig Stebic.
"I don't understand why the police have named my client a suspect. He has told police everything he knows about the day his wife disappeared," said his attorney, Dion Davi.
Investigators have said they believe Lisa Stebic was the victim of foul play. Her family and friends insist she would never go off on her own and leave her children.
The afternoon Stebic vanished she was at home with her husband and children. But Craig Stebic sent the children to a neighborhood candy store that afternoon. When they returned, their mother was gone.
Not long after Lisa Stebic disappeared, her estranged husband filed for sole custody of their children. The request was denied by the court.
Police also continue to search a large estate near the Michigan-Wisconsin border belonging to Craig Stebic's family. The estate is a six-hour drive from the Stebics' home in Plainfield, but the area is dotted with abandoned mines that could easily conceal a body.
"Our search up in that area didn't even begin to scratch the surface," Chief Bennett said.
Lisa Stebic's family and the Plainfield Police Department ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lisa Stebic to please call their tip line at 815-267-7217.


They are offering a $75,000 reward

[sarahhod]

Mom finds strength in search for Lisa Stebic

April 26, 2009
By HILARY DECENT For The Sun


Many people's lives changed forever April 30, 2007. That was the day Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic disappeared. The event changed the life of her husband, Craig, who is still considered a "person of interest" by the police. It changed the lives of her two children, who are growing up without a mother. And it changed the life of stay-at-home mom Melanie Greenberg, who was catapulted into the media spotlight.
"They say diamonds are made under pressure," Melanie told me bashfully from her Naperville home last week. "It has changed me dramatically. I had been doing a lot of volunteer work while being a stay-at-home mom. But how would I know I would be the kind of person who wouldn't get nervous talking on TV? It's been a very bizarre two years. I have learnt a lot about myself and grown a lot."

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA26_HILARY_P1_scn_feed_20090425_18_27_04_7259-162-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/lifestyles/1544261,NA26_HILARY_P1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))

Stay-at-home mom Melanie Greenberg of Naperville says the disappearance of Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic changed her life along with many others. Greenberg, who has three sons of her own, is the person you see representing the family on TV whenever the Stebic case is being discussed. Submitted by Hilary Decent



Melanie, who has three sons of her own, is the person you see representing the family on TV whenever the Stebic case is being discussed. She's been interviewed by all the leading TV stations, and just recently, was interviewed again when police found a little more information about what had happened during the day of Lisa's disappearance.
"We first heard about Lisa two days after she disappeared," Melanie said. "My husband, Mark, is her first cousin; his mother and Lisa's father were brother and sister. We live (close) geographically, and we saw her several times a year on holidays and at family get-togethers."
As news of the case broke, Greenberg stepped in to handle the media. She said Lisa's sisters were far too emotional to deal with them. Internet friend Leigh Harris worked as a TV producer in Phoenix, Ariz., and she told Greenberg what she needed to do.
"I had no idea what I was leaping into," she said. "The family was frozen, so I felt it was up to me to act. What if I held a press conference and nobody came? But that first time all the local TV stations and local papers turned up and that started everything. A little bit of distance helped me to deal with it. Once I gave out my number, the phone rang off the hook, and it snowballed from there."
Greenberg learned she had to keep Lisa Stebic's name in the public eye if the mystery is ever to be solved. She organized a search, which attracted 700 volunteers, events on Mother's Day, Lisa's birthday and the anniversary of her disappearance to get the media's attention and stop the case from going cold. Her campaign was featured on America's Most Wanted as an example of what families should do if they lost loved ones. She's also given advice to the family of Stacy Peterson, who disappeared from her Bolingbrook home six months later.
Greenberg remembers Lisa as being a very devoted fun-loving mom with an infectious laugh. She earned a degree in culinary school, then became a lunch lady at a middle school so she could be home for her children after school.
So what does she think happened on that fateful day when the children came home from buying candy at Walgreens to find their mom gone?
"I don't know exactly what's happened to Lisa, but the way Craig's acted by not attending searches and prayer vigils anyone would wonder," Greenberg said. "It's frustrating that with all the searching, we haven't been able to find her. We know she is dead and the victim of foul play."
Friends and family will mark the second anniversary Thursday with a prayer vigil outside the Stebics' Plainfield home. They are offering a $75,000 reward for information.
"Maybe someone knows something," Melanie said. "You never know when they'll be a new tip or information."

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/lifestyles/1544232,6_5_NA26_HILARY_S1.article

[nanabillie]

God bless her for being the advocate that Lisa and her family needed.

[nanabillie]

http://1440wrok.blogspot.com/
STEBIC CASE (http://1440wrok.blogspot.com/2009/04/stebic-case.html)


Will County officials say they have new leads in the investigation into the disappearance of, Lisa Stebic. The 38-year-old was last seen at her Plainfield home back in April of 2007. Police still call Stebic's husband, Craig, a person if interest in the case, but have not charged him with any crime. Authorities would not release further details on the information they've received, except to say it sheds new light on what happened to Stebic.

Posted by WROK News at 1:08 PM (http://1440wrok.blogspot.com/2009/04/stebic-case.html) http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_email.gif (http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=2234000579023406217&postID=6012423628871363264)http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif (http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2234000579023406217&postID=6012423628871363264)

[grammybears]

Now lets hope this information turns into finding Lisa or what happened to her. This has gone on too long for Lisa's family and children.

[annalyzer]

Lisa Stebic still missing two years later

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/stebic%201.jpg_20090429_22_02_22_137-116-165.imageContent
Lisa Stebic, of Plainfield, swims with her children, Zac and Lexi, before her 2007 disappearance. Stebic is still missing and police suspect she was the victim of foul play.

April 30, 2009

PLAINFIELD -- Lisa Stebic was last seen alive two years ago today.

On April 30, 2007, the Plainfield mom was working part-time as an elementary school lunch lady, a job friends say she took so she could be home with her two children after school.

By May 1, 2007, Lisa was gone.

No trace of her has ever been found. Police believe she was a victim of foul play.

Lisa's friends and family are planning to remember her with a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. tonight at a gazebo near the Stebic house, in the 13200 block of Red Star Drive.

"It's very frustrating for the family that two years have passed and we still don't have answers as to what happened to Lisa that day that she disappeared," said Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family. "We know it's not a cold case, but it's very difficult not knowing and not having resolution."

'Unnecessarily cruel'

The day she disappeared, Lisa mailed her lawyer a petition to temporarily evict her husband, Craig Stebic, from their house while the couple's divorce was pending.
Her petition states he was being "unnecessarily relentless, cruel, inconsiderate, domineering and verbally abusive." His behavior was "jeopardizing the mental well-being" of their children, she said.

She was reportedly last seen about 6 p.m. that day at her home.

Craig said he was working in the yard when he thought he heard Lisa leave for a nightly workout.

But Lisa's car was still parked in the driveway.

Their children, then ages 10 and 12, had just left for the store to buy candy with money from their father.

The next morning, Craig asked a neighbor if she had heard from Lisa. When Lisa didn't show up for work, the neighbor called police.

Evidence points to Craig

Plainfield police say their investigation has narrowed their focus to one person, who they believe knows more about what happened to Lisa than he lets on: her husband.
Craig has not been charged in connection with his wife's disappearance and maintains he had nothing to do with it.

"I still believe that they're not looking anywhere else, and I think that's a mistake," said George Lenard, Craig Stebic's attorney. "They have the cameras on his house, after all this time."

But Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett said none of the information investigators have gathered over the past two years suggests anyone else was involved.

"You look back at the last two years and all the opportunities Craig could have shown an interest in trying to find Lisa," Greenberg said. "He never attended a single search. He never (helped pass out) fliers. He came to one vigil, but that was it. I think that speaks volumes."

Did Craig make threats?

Lisa's parents and grandparents spent much of 2008 seeking a court agreement for visitation rights to the Stebic children.
They claimed Craig had prohibited contact with the children. Craig's attorney Dion Davi said Craig had offered visits, but that Lisa's family did not respond.

At one point during the court proceeding, Lisa's family asked Craig to confirm some things he may have said in front of his children, including an alleged threat to "cut Lisa Stebic into pieces and no one would ever find her," according to court documents.

Or the time he allegedly said Lisa's face "would be on the back of a milk carton someday."

Craig never had to answer the questions, as he and Davi offered to compromise on visits soon after the request was made.

The families reached a confidential visitation agreement in September.

Police need help

Now the police tip line is virtually silent. The file isn't closed, but investigators haven't had new information to go on for several months, Bennett said.
The case has been the focus of a Will County grand jury investigation.

A spokesman for the Office of the Will County State's Attorney said investigators recently uncovered new information that helps shed more light on what happened to Lisa.

He would not discuss the new information, but said it does not solve the case.

There are two things that could help crack it, Bennett said. One would be finding Lisa's body. The other would be credible information from someone who has firsthand knowledge of what happened to her.

"Sometimes there's just key pieces of information that would make the picture clearer or the testimony more effective, and we're missing some of that currently," Bennett said. "That's why it's so important that anyone who has information relative to the disappearance of Lisa they should contact police. That insignificant comment could be the key piece we're waiting for to put this case together."

Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's whereabouts is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1551148,4_1_JO30_STEBIC_S1.article

[sarahhod]

Lisa Stebic: Loved ones will mark 2 years since Plainfield mom vanished

Lisa Stebic case has by 'no means' gone cold, police say

By Erika Slife |Tribune reporter April 30, 2009


Lisa Stebic's name may have faded from headlines, but the investigation into her April 30, 2007, disappearance carries on, family and police said.

On Thursday, loved ones of the Plainfield mom will mark the second anniversary of her disappearance with a candlelight vigil at the gazebo behind her home, at the end of the 13000 block of Red Star Drive.

It will be a painful milestone for a family that has had to learn to live with lingering questions.

"I haven't completely lost hope that it will be solved, but it has been very discouraging that it's been two years," said Melanie Greenberg, Stebic's cousin.

In recent months, authorities have said they've uncovered new details in the investigation, though nothing that will "crack the case." But Plainfield Police Detective Sgt. Troy Kivisto said the investigation has by "no means" gone cold.

"We certainly want a resolution for the family and for her," Kivisto said. "We've been working this for two years straight, non-stop."

Stebic was 37 when she was last seen by her husband, Craig. The couple had begun divorce proceedings, and on the day she disappeared, she had mailed her lawyer a petition to have her husband evicted from their home. Police, who suspect foul play, have named him a "person of interest" in the case. He has denied involvement.

"Certainly the longer that time's gone by, the more we can reasonably conclude that she didn't just disappear on her own, obviously," Kivisto said. "I think time pretty much solidifies that. Two years have gone by."

There is a $75,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. If the money is never claimed, it will be transferred into a college fund for her children, ages 12 and 14.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-stebic-anniversary-30apr30,0,3925596.story

[sarahhod]

'I tell them she isn't lost'

April 30, 2009

By JAMIE BOUMA Lisa Stebic's sister
My 7½-year-old son tells me quite frequently that he misses his Aunt Lisa.
I give him a big hug and tell him, "I know you do. I do, too."
Several years ago Lisa took him to Build-A-Bear Workshop for his birthday. He still has this bear and I told him that he should save it forever, so he started sleeping with it every night.
He tells me frequently that my pumpkin muffins aren't as good as Aunt Lisa's. She was a terrific cook!
I was hugging my 4-year-old son before he went to sleep recently and he said to me, "Let's talk about Lisa." I asked him what he would like to talk about and he told me, "I love Lisa, and God is with her."
My 4-year-old daughter, who was just 2 when Lisa vanished from her home, talks about her Aunt Lisa often.
She says she misses Lisa so much. My daughter said, "When I go to Heaven, I will hold hands with Lisa."
A 4-year-old saying this? How do you not break down?
One day I was playing a CD in the car. I looked in my review mirror and my 4-year-old daughter was crying, so I pulled the car over to find out what was wrong.
I didn't even realize that the song was talking about heaven, and it reminded her of Lisa. It just breaks my heart that my children are going through this.
All three of my kids ask me frequently if the police are looking for Aunt Lisa. They ask, "If she is lost, then why can't they find her?"
I tell them she isn't lost, because adults know where they are going. I also tell them she would never have left Lexi and Zac, her children.
They wonder why they aren't able to see their cousins like they used to. These smart, innocent kids with all of these questions -- what am I supposed to tell my three children?
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my sister and how much I miss the bond that we had. I look at her picture hoping that I will talk to her, put my arms around her, but knowing that is not realistic.
She was such a positive influence in all of our lives. She definitely was in my children's lives, and they miss her so much! I tell my children that Aunt Lisa watches over them, to keep them safe, and protect them.
I watch them as they soak up all of this information, trying to figure out what could have happened to their Aunt Lisa.
I feel so bad for what my children are going through and I can't imagine what Lexi and Zac are feeling. If only Lexi and Zac could have their mother back.
Last May 19, 2008, for Lisa's 39th birthday, my children and I wrote a message to her, attached it to balloons and watched as it went up into the air.
My children asked if we can do it again. Of course, I tell them. May 19 would have been Lisa's 40th birthday, and this special day has been taken away from her.
As we watch the balloon rise up into the air, we close our eyes and continue to pray for you day and night, pray that you get the justice you deserve, pray for your children Lexi and Zac. We love you!
Love,
your sister Jamie

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1551021,4_1_JO30_STEBIC_S2.article

[sarahhod]

'We are all changed forever'

April 30, 2009


By DEBBIE RUTTENBERG Lisa Stebic's sister
Lisa was taken from us and we love and miss her deeply -- at every moment of every day.
We are all changed forever and we all miss Lisa terribly. Sadly, it just keeps getting more difficult as time goes on.

How can I deal with such a tremendous gaping hole in my life?
My daily life is so very hard without Lisa as a part of it. I miss her so much!
I am full of pain and know it will never ever go away. Lisa left an intense impact on me, but one with a lasting impression of hope and celebration.
Lisa always looked toward a positive resolution, even with all of the intense struggles she encountered.
I can only try to manage this constant feeling of emptiness by doing my best to think positively and really enjoy each and every day. I celebrate Lisa's life by trying to emulate the sweet, good, giving and fun person she was.
My grandma tells our family frequently, "Living in the past is a reference for learning -- and living for the future takes you away from today."
We don't know how long we will be privileged to be on this earth, but living for today as a good person and positive impact to our world is the only way I can be.
Lisa was also living this same truth. Thank you, sister, for also helping to teach me this, your energy and strength will always inspire me.
May 19, 2009. Lisa would have been turning 40 years old.
My anger and sadness somehow become a smile when I think about this day.
We would have been celebrating with Lisa on her special day. She would have loved a big party.
The really special part of my fantasy of this day is that I can see her bright smile and feel her amazing energy! This is so much of what I miss about Lisa.
She would have talked with everyone that attended -- and to each person, especially children. She focused on the moment and really listened. Lisa gave whatever she could of herself to others always, and even at her own party.
She and I would have been together, loving each moment and bonding as sisters. We would have had so much fun laughing hysterically ... and I would be able to see her nose crinkle up again! We all would have an amazing set of memories of this day in pure celebration of Lisa's life.
Happy birthday, sister! My glass is full as I raise it toward you. You are my inspiration every day.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1551022,4_1_JO30_STEBIC_S3.article

[AmandaReckonwith]

Lisa pictures:

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Lisa%20Stebic/

[annalyzer]

http://a.abclocal.go.com/images/wls/cms_exf_2007/news/local/5992606_600x338.jpg
This photo provided by the family shows Lisa Stebic on March 24, 2007 with her sister.

Vigil held for missing Plainfield mother

Thursday, April 30, 2009 | 6:02 PM

Friends and relatives of missing Plainfield mother Lisa Stebic will hold a candlelight vigil for her on Thursday evening.

Stebic disappeared without a trace two years ago. Investigators have called her husband, Craig, a person of interest in the case. He has denied involvement. The couple was going through a divorce when she disappeared.

Two weeks ago the Will County state's attorney said there were new developments in the case but refused to give details.

"It's very frustrating that two years have gone by that Lisa's family still has no resolution. We still don't know exactly what happened to Lisa," said Melanie Greenburg, family spokesperson.

The state's attorney says the new information will not crack the case but may shed light on what happened.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6789974

[sarahhod]

Vigil promises Stebic won't be forgotten

May 1, 2009

By JANET LUNDQUIST jlundquist@scn1.com


PLAINFIELD -- Family and friends of a missing Plainfield mom lit candles in her memory Thursday night, two years to the day since she was last seen alive.
Lisa Stebic has been missing since April 30, 2007. No trace of her has been found.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/stebic.jpg_20090430_22_46_04_153-116-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1553399,img_JO01_stebic-vigil-alt_p3.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage%27,%20%27toolb ar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar =no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,height=65 0%27%29)
Barb Scheff and Marie Petges hug each other Thursday as letters from Lisa Stebic’s sisters are read during a vigil in Plainfield for Stebic, who disappeared two years ago.
(John Patsch/Staff Photographer)


http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/jo01_stebic_2.jpg_20090430_21_13_12_110-122-165.imageContent (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1553366,4_1_JO01_VIGIL_S1.article#)


She was reportedly last seen by her husband, Craig Stebic, at her home on the 13200 block of Red Star Drive.
Police have called Craig Stebic the sole "person of interest" in Lisa's disappearance.
Stebic has not been charged in connection with the case and has denied any wrongdoing.
'Something for us'
About 7 p.m. Thursday, a crowd gathered at a park near the Stebic house to remember the then-37-year-old mother of two.Stebic and his children, ages 12 and 14, did not attend the candlelight vigil. No one answered the door at Stebic's house Thursday night.
Laurrie Bingenheimer, Lisa's friend and neighbor, organized the gathering with some of Lisa's friends.
"It was just something for us, because there's still no closure for us," said Bingenheimer, who has said she believes Craig is responsible for Lisa's disappearance. "I don't want Craig to think we've forgotten about her. We don't want him to get away with it."
The group said prayers and listened while several people shared memories of Lisa's life.
"This is a very difficult day. Two years ago today ... she vanished out of our lives, out of her children's lives," said Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family. "But she did not vanish out of our hearts."
Kindred spirits
Pamela Bosco, who has been a spokeswoman for missing Bolingbrook mom Stacy Peterson's family, attended the vigil with Stacy's sister Cassandra Cales."We just wanted them to know we understand what they're going through," Bosco said. "We offer them our support and sympathy."
Find Lisa magnets
Authorities say Lisa's case remains open, but that the police tip line has been virtually silent.In an attempt to keep Lisa's name and face in the public eye, her family has created vehicle magnets decorated with Lisa's photo, the tip line number, the www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) address and the $75,000 reward the family is offering for information on her whereabouts.
They are selling the magnets for $10, which covers the shipping and production costs.
Lisa's family will sell the magnets at a booth May 15-17 at Plainfield's Spring Fest.
Anyone interested in purchasing a magnet can e-mail the family at findlisastebic@gmail.com.
Include your name, shipping address and contact phone number in the e-mail.
Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's whereabouts is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1553366,4_1_JO01_VIGIL_S1.article

[nanabillie]

My heart just aches for this family. I pray that they will soon have all the answers and may have some peace in their hearts.

[sarahhod]

Vigil promises Stebic won't be forgotten

May 8, 2009

By JANET LUNDQUIST jlundquist@scn1.com
PLAINFIELD--Family and friends of a missing Plainfield mom lit candles in her memory last Thursday, two years to the day since she was last seen alive.
She was reportedly last seen by her husband, Craig Stebic, at her home on the 13200 block of Red Star Drive.
Police have called Craig Stebic the sole "person of interest" in Lisa's disappearance.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/NA08_STEBIC_P1_scn_feed_20090506_12_27_13_89-168-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1560800,NA08_STEBIC_P1.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimag e%27,%20%27toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,s tatus=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,wid th=650,height=650%27%29)
Karen Janhke holds a candle in memory of Lisa Stebic. John Patsch/Staff Photographer


Stebic has not been charged in connection with the case and has denied any wrongdoing.
'Something for us'
About 7 p.m. last Thursday, a crowd gathered at a park near the Stebic house to remember the then-37-year-old mother of two.Stebic and his children, ages 12 and 14, did not attend the candlelight vigil. No one answered the door at Stebic's house.
Laurrie Bingenheimer, Lisa's friend and neighbor, organized the gathering with some of Lisa's friends.
"It was just something for us, because there's still no closure for us," said Bingenheimer, who has said she believes Craig is responsible for Lisa's disappearance. "I don't want Craig to think we've forgotten about her. We don't want him to get away with it."
The group said prayers and listened while several people shared memories of Lisa's life.
"This is a very difficult day. Two years ago today ... she vanished out of our lives, out of her children's lives," said Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family. "But she did not vanish out of our hearts."

Kindred spirits
Pamela Bosco, who has been a spokeswoman for missing Bolingbrook mom Stacy Peterson's family, attended the vigil with Stacy's sister Cassandra Cales."We just wanted them to know we understand what they're going through," Bosco said. "We offer them our support and sympathy."

'Find Lisa' magnets
Authorities say Lisa's case remains open, but that the police tip line has been virtually silent.In an attempt to keep Lisa's name and face in the public eye, her family has created vehicle magnets decorated with Lisa's photo, the tip line number, the www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com) address and the $75,000 reward the family is offering for information on her whereabouts.
They are selling the magnets for $10, which covers the shipping and production costs.
Lisa's family will sell the magnets at a booth May 15-17 at Plainfield's Spring Fest.
Anyone interested in purchasing a magnet can e-mail the family at findlisastebic@gmail.com.
Include your name, shipping address and contact phone number in the e-mail.
Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's whereabouts is asked to call the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1560778,6_1_NA08_STEBIC_S1.article

[sarahhod]

Peterson arrest thrills Lisa Stebic's family

May 9, 2009

By JANET LUNDQUIST jlundquist@scn1.com


PLAINFIELD — Drew Peterson's arrest was good news for more than just the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson.
It also gave the family of Lisa Stebic, a Plainfield woman who has been missing for more than two years, renewed hope.

http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/petersoncourt2.jpg_20090508_14_41_10_30-118-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/news/1564875,img_peterson-court-jo050809.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage%27,%20%27too lbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menub ar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,height= 650%27%29)
Drew Peterson is led into the Will County Courthouse in Joliet for his first court appearance on murder charges Friday.
(Rich Hein / Chicago Sun-Times)


http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/jo15_stebic-p1.jpg_20080929_11_23_16_34-113-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/news/1191091,stebic.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage%27,%20 %27toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no ,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,h eight=650%27%29)
Lisa and Craig Stebic


"At this moment of accountability, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson as the time for justice is now within sight," said Lisa's family in a written statement. "We, too, steadfastly await our moment of justice for Lisa Ruttenberg Stebic."
Lisa Stebic, then 37, has been missing since April 30, 2007. No trace of her has been found.
She was reportedly last seen by her husband, Craig Stebic, at her home on the 13200 block of Red Star Drive.
Police have called Craig Stebic the sole "person of interest" in Lisa's disappearance.
Stebic has not been charged in connection with the case and has denied any wrongdoing.
Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisa's family, pointed out that Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said the newly passed state hearsay law would play a role in the Peterson case.
The law allows a judge to decide whether statements made by a murder victim could be admitted as trial evidence if prosecutors prove the defendant is responsible for the witness being killed so they would not testify.
"That law would apply for our case as well," Greenberg said. "There may be a court challenge. But this definitely will be a test case of that new law, and that will have direct bearing on our case as well."
Lisa's friend and neighbor, Laurrie Bingenheimer, said Lisa once told her that Craig threatened to kill her. She also said Lisa asked if she could send her children to the Bingenheimers' house if anything happened at her home.
In court documents, Lisa's family said they believe the Stebic children may have heard Craig allegedly say he would "cut Lisa Stebic into pieces and no one would ever find her" and that Lisa's face "would be on the back of a milk carton someday."
While Peterson's case will be a test of the new law — Peterson's lawyers have said the law is "outrageous" and that they plan to attack it — Glasgow has said he plans to use it "aggressively."
"I think especially our family can understand the pain and the anguish (the Savios) have felt, watching the man they felt killed their relative walk free," Greenberg said.
Next weekend Lisa's sisters, Jamie Bouma and Debbie Ruttenberg, have a booth at Springfest, an annual event planned on Lockport Street in Plainfield.
They plan to sell vehicle magnets printed with Lisa's information.
For more information, visit www.findlisastebic.com (http://www.findlisastebic.com).
Anyone with information on Lisa Stebic's whereabouts is asked to contact the Plainfield Police Department at 815-267-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/news/1564866,peterson-stebic-jo050809.article



(http://www.pluck.com/)

[Nut44x4]

Woman's body found by river near Channahon
May 20, 2009 7:11 PM
Authorities were working this afternoon to identify the badly decomposed body of a woman found by the Des Plaines River near Channahon.

Meanwhile, as investigators worked at the Big Basin Marina, where the body was discovered, the families of two missing suburban women were waiting for word on whether the discovery might yield some resolution in their relatives' disappearances.
"We've been called," said Pam Bosco, a spokeswoman for the family of Stacy Peterson, who disappeared from Bolingbrook in October 2007. "We're in contact by phone. We're just waiting to hear more information. For confirmation though, they said it's going to be a little bit of time. Obviously we're anticipating that it could be anyone - you know, Lisa Stebic is missing too -- but we just want an answer of who this woman is."

Stebic's family also was aware of the grisly discovery and was waiting for word from Illinois State Police officials, who are conducting the investigation.

"We haven't heard anything from Illinois State Police -- yet," said Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Stebic's family. "But it could be anybody; there are several missing women. But the location is just south, not very far away. [If it is her], the overwhelming feeling would be relief that we found her and that there is resolution. And we'd finally be able to put her to rest."

According to Roy Taylor, who has been leading the water searches for Peterson's body in the area, a crew cleaning up the river found the body on the shore sometime this afternoon.

The manager of nearby Mugzy's Bar said the body was discovered about 3 p.m. by the Living Lands and Waters clean-up crew, which the bar had hired to clean part of the river.

"We saw the trooper flying into the parking lot, and the Living Lands and Waters boat was coming down the river and the trooper jumped in their boat," said Ben, who asked that his last name not be used.

Ben said the crew, which is based out of Moline, came about four days ago and he briefed them that searchers had been sifting through the waters, apparently looking for Stacy Peterson's body.

"I told them that we had a flood last September, it was the worst flood ever, it was knee-deep in the parking lot. I told them if you're going to find anything, it's probably going to be onshore, because of the flood," he said. "They'd be a big help and get some closure to this case if they came across something. I knew it was a long shot."

The body was not in the water, but was found in the brush on the shore, according to a state police source. Other bodies had been found in the area in the past, the source said, including the remains of the Vaughn family, which were found in a car on a frontage road near the Stevenson in Channahon Township in 2007.

Stebic was last seen in Plainfield in April 2007. Plainfield police investigators are in contact with state police investigators, said public information officer Jim Caliendo.

"We're just letting them do their thing -- at this point we're not sure if it's even connected with our case or not," he said. "If we do get that information, we'll send an investigator out."

"I found out through a friend. We're just hopeful, I'm so hopeful and I'm ecstatic," said Stacy Peterson's aunt, Candace Aikin, who lives near Los Angeles. "I'm hoping that it is Stacy. Our family really wants closure. Then we'll at least know what happened. We have so many unanswered questions and no closure is really hard.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/05/channahon-des-plaines-river-body-recovery-illinois-state-police.html


DNA needed to identify woman's body

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1583226,Body-found-in-river_JO052009.article

[sarahhod]

Decomposed body found along Des Plaines River: 'It could be Lisa, it could be Stacy'

May 21, 2009

BY DAN ROZEK (drozek@suntimes.com) AND JOE HOSEY Staff Reporters


A cleanup crew working along the Des Plaines River discovered a decayed body near Channahon, but police late Wednesday couldn't determine if the remains might be those of Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic.
"They're unidentified human remains," said State Police Master Sgt. Tom Burek, after the body, found on the riverbank, was transferred to a Will County coroner's van.

http://media1.suntimes.com/multimedia/052109body_cst_feed_20090521_02_09_30_5200-116-165.imageContent (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:dc_popup_win%28%27http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1585053,052109body.fullimage%27,%20%27fullimage%27 ,%20%27toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,statu s=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=6 50,height=650%27%29)
Will County officials transfer a body found along the Des Plaines River to an ambulance Wednesday.
(Michael R. Schmidt/Sun-Times Ne

It appeared to be that of a woman, a law enforcement source said.
An autopsy will be done today, but a source said further forensic tests likely will be necessary to determine the identity of the body.
Relatives of Peterson and Stebic, who vanished in 2007, said they don't expect to immediately learn the identity of the body.
"We're just being patient right now. We're waiting," said Pam Bosco, a spokeswoman for relatives of Stacy Peterson, 23, of Bolingbrook, who vanished Oct. 28, 2007.
Meanwhile, Channahon resident Michelle Williams said she notified local police about a blue barrel she saw on the riverbank three days before the remains washed up. Police had no comment. A witness has said he helped Drew Peterson carry a heavy blue barrel, which he thinks contained Stacy Peterson, hours before she was reported missing.
Drew Peterson was charged this month with the 2004 murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, but not in Stacy's disappearance.
Lisa Stebic disappeared from her Plainfield home April 30, 2007. A relative said family members just hope the body can be identified.
"It could be Lisa, it could be Stacy, it could be someone different," said Melanie Greenberg, a cousin.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1584936,CST-NWS-body21.article

[Amusedtdth]

CHANNAHON, ILL. — A cleaning crew in suburban Chicago found a badly decomposed human body on the shores of the Des Plaines River on Wednesday, prompting speculation the remains were related to one of a couple of long-running, high-profile missing persons cases in the area.


Illinois State Police Sgt. Tom Burek confirmed the remains were human, but declined to say if the body was male or female. The Will County coroner will perform an autopsy on Thursday morning.
Burek said he would not speculate about whether the remains belong to Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic, two missing Will County women who disappeared in 2007 and whose cases have garnered national attention.
Peterson's husband, Drew Peterson, is scheduled to appear in court Thursday on charges he killed his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2004.
Savio's death, originally ruled an accidental drowning, was reclassified as a homicide after her body was exhumed and an autopsy conducted following Stacy Peterson's disappearance in October 2007.
Drew Peterson, being held at the Will County Jail on $20 million bail, has maintained he believes Stacy Peterson left him for another man and is most likely living outside Illinois.
Stebic, a mother of two, was last seen in Plainfield in April 2007. Authorities have named Stebic's husband Craig a "person of interest" in her disappearance but he is not charged with any crime. He has denied any involvement.
http://www.app.com/article/20090521/NEWS/90521006/Human+remains+found+along+river+in+Illinois

[Faith]

I just heard on HLN that no details are being given out but of course Lisa & Stacy's name was mentioned. They also found a blue barrel.

My prayers are with all the families of missing persona in the area.

[Nut44x4]

Coroner: Autopsy on human remains inconclusive

Associated Press - May 21, 2009 4:44 PM ET

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) - The Will County coroner says results are inconclusive from an autopsy performed on human remains found along the Des Plaines River.

Coroner Patrick O'Neil said in a news release Thursday that his office is unable to conclude the identity, race or sex of the skeletal remains. O'Neil says an expedited DNA analysis by the Illinois State Police Forensic Crime Laboratory will likely take about two weeks.

Members of a cleanup crew found the remains Wednesday afternoon. The discovery prompted speculation the remains were related to the local long-running, high-profile missing persons cases of Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic.

The coroner says shreds of blue jeans and a small amount of U.S. currency were found along with the remains.

http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10405060

[Faith]

The human remains was identified as being male.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 | 11:09 PM

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6835148

[Faith]

Help Us Find Lisa (http://www.findlisastebic.com/index)

New Car Magnets Available


http://www.findlisastebic.com/index/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/lisa-ruttenberg-stebic-car-magnet-300x110.jpg (http://www.findlisastebic.com/index/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/lisa-ruttenberg-stebic-car-magnet.jpg)



Bumper sticker sized Car Magnets now available for $10 (which covers cost and shipping). Please email findlisastebic@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a magnet.

[Faith]

Prayer Support and Messages of Hope (http://www.findlisastebic.com/index/prayers-messages/)

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb319/findlisastebic/2.jpg




Please keep the candles burning for Lisa.
http://www.gratefulness.org (http://www.gratefulness.org/)
Group name: LISA

[Faith]

Divers called after angler snags bone


September 2, 2009

BOLINGBROOK -- Divers searched Whalon Lake on Tuesday morning after a fisherman snagged what he thought was the skeletal remains of a human arm.
With two northern Will County women -- Lisa Stebic of Plainfield and Stacy Peterson of Bolingbrook -- still missing, police weren't going to take the report lightly.
"In today's day and age, you can't just let a report of a human arm go without a look," said Bob Murphy, chief of the Will County Forest Preserve District police. "As fate would have it, it turned out to be an animal."
Murphy said the partial skeleton appeared to be the remains of a bird.
"He (the fisherman) probably hooked it right where the wing joins the body and it looked to him like a hand," Murphy said.
The fisherman was on the lake around 7:45 p.m. Monday. Divers waited for daylight Tuesday to search the lake. The fisherman took them to the spot he thought he had found a body. The lake is owned by the Will County Forest Preserve District and is located off Royce Road.
Bones are found on forest preserve land now and then and they're usually taken to the coroner's office for identification, Murphy said. But this is the first time his department has had to call for divers to search a forest preserve district lake. The divers came from Wilmington's Emergency Services and Disaster Agency.
Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas said his evidence unit was on alert Tuesday morning in case the skeleton turned out to be human.
"You've got to take it serious," Kaupas said.
Stebic, a mother of two, vanished in April 2007. Peterson, also a mother of two, has been missing since October 2007.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/news/1747936,4_1_JO02_BONE_S1-090902.article

[nomadpatti]

<snipped from above>

"In today's day and age, you can't just let a report of a human arm go without a look," said Bob Murphy, chief of the Will County Forest Preserve District police.

:shock: ~In what day and age would you not look into a possible human bone found?
Just semantics on my part!

[AmandaReckonwith]

Craig Stebic was arrested yesterday, but unfortunately not for Lisa's disappearance. Assault involving a neighbor.




http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1846718,Stebic-charged-with-assault_jo102609.article

October 26, 2009

By STEWART WARREN swarren@scn1.com/swarren@scn1.com

PLAINFIELD — Craig Stebic was arrested Sunday.

"He was arrested for assault on a matter that is not related to the disappearance of his wife," Plainfield police Cmdr. Ken Ruggles said Monday afternoon.

The incident involving Stebic, 43, happened at 1:37 p.m. in front of his home, 13244 Red Star Drive, Ruggles said.

"He was arrested for the charge of assault after he made a threatening statement to a neighbor," Ruggles said, although he wouldn't elaborate.

The police went to the neighborhood after receiving a complaint about fireworks, Ruggles said.

"Beyond that, I can't comment on who was directly involved at this point," Ruggles said.

2007 disappearance

On April 30, 2007, Lisa Stebic, 37, disappeared. The mother of two was last seen by her husband at their home in the Nature's Crossing subdivision.

Stebic told police she simply walked away, her purse and cell phone in hand.

The couple had a longtime marriage but were divorcing. Stebic didn't report her missing. A neighbor notified the authorities the next day.

Plainfield police began searching for Lisa, and family, friends, neighbors, complete strangers and the FBI soon joined them. More than two years later, she hasn't been found.

In July 2007, Plainfield police dubbed Stebic a person of interest in the case, but he hasn't been charged with any crime.

'Neighbor started' it

During the investigation into Lisa Stebic's disappearance, police seized vehicles and guns from the Stebic home. Represented by Joliet attorney George Lenard, Stebic eventually got everything back.

Lenard, who still represents Stebic, had little to say Monday about his client's arrest on assault charges.

"It is my understanding that his neighbor started some type of dispute and the police were called," Lenard said. "I won't know more until I find out if a police report was prepared regarding the incident."



Pics from Lisa's case:
http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Lisa%20Stebic/

[AmandaReckonwith]

Just to update since I forgot...

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/stebic/1914636,Stebic-neighbors-still-feeling-unnerved_jo120109.article

December 2, 2009

By STEWART WARREN swarren@scn1.com
JOLIET — Although the Plainfield police arrested Craig Stebic more than a month ago, he isn't in any trouble.

Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow decided not to approve the assault charge, so the case won't proceed through the court system after all.

The news emerged Tuesday afternoon when Stebic appeared in Will County Judge Marzell Richardson's courtroom. Accompanied by George Lenard, his lawyer, Stebic was in front of the judge for no more than a minute or two. Although it was difficult to hear anyone speak, Will County Assistant State's Attorney Erin Krone seemed to explain to the judge that the complaint had been dismissed. Lenard then asked Richardson to order the police to preserve any reports and audio or video recordings linked to Stebic's Oct. 25 arrest, and the judge agreed. When Lenard mentioned the possibility of recordings, he was referring to the surveillance equipment that has been trained on Stebic's home since his wife Lisa disappeared more than two years ago.

Then lawyer and client left the building.

Lenard didn't seem surprised by the turn of events.

"Since the day Mr. Stebic was arrested, I always felt that when the state's attorney's office reviewed the audio and video recordings, they would decide that no charges should be filed," he said later on Tuesday. "I just wonder if an arrest was made just because it was Craig Stebic — I hope that wasn't the case."