Lisa Stebic - Media Links Only Please, No Discussion

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http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...GIL_S2.article

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."


RELATED STORIES
• Vigil for missing mom: 'Our hearts are broken'
Lisa Stebic of Plainfield was reported missing May 1. The 37-year-old was last seen about 6 p.m. April 30 at her Red Star Drive home.
Her car is still at home. There has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since April 30. Police said Wednesday there is still no sign of foul play, no suspects in her disappearance and no leads on her whereabouts.

 

[CW]

http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/local_story_130073345.html

May 10, 2007 6:08 am US/Central

Friends: Missing Woman's Marriage Was Troubled
One Friend Says Lisa Stebic's Husband Threatened Her Several Times
FEATURED SLIDESHOW: It's In To Be Out: Openly Gay Celebrities
FEATURED SLIDESHOW: Mother's Day, Celebrity Style
Get breaking news alerts
(CBS) PLAINFIELD, Ill. 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.

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.

 

[CW]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271074,00.html

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

E-MAIL STORY PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
FNC



This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," May 8, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/379674,6_1_NA10_MISSING_S2.article

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.

 

[CW]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../10/ng.01.html

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."

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/380379,4_1_JO10_SEARCH_S1.article

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.

 

[CW]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_131114624.html

May 11, 2007 5:48 pm US/Central

Divers Scour Ponds In Search For Lisa Stebic
Plainfield Mother Of 2 Has Been Missing Since April 30
FEATURED SLIDESHOW: See This Week's News In Photos
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FEATURED SLIDESHOW: Celebrity Mothers And Their Kids
(CBS) PLAINFIELD, Ill. 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.

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.

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

 

[CW]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_130073345.html

Friends: Missing Woman's Marriage Was Troubled
One Friend Says Lisa Stebic's Husband Threatened Her Several Times
FEATURED SLIDESHOW: It's In To Be Out: Openly Gay Celebrities
FEATURED SLIDESHOW: Mother's Day, Celebrity Style
Get breaking news alerts
(CBS) PLAINFIELD, Ill. 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.

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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/382526,4_1_JO12_MISSING_S1.article

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.

» Click to enlarge image

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)

RELATED STORIES
• Photos: Missing mom
• Web site: Find Lisa Stebic
• Quick Poll
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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/384445,6_1_NA14_MISSING_S1.article


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.

» Click to enlarge image

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

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.
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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/384445,6_1_NA14_MISSING_S1.article

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.

» Click to enlarge image

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

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.
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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/385591,6_1_NA15_MISSING_S2.article

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.

» Click to enlarge image

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

RELATED STORIES
• Video: Find Lisa Stebic
• Family plans more events

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.

 

[CW]

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/459985.php?contentType=4&contentId=502825

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

 

[CW]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/14/ng.01.html

(NEWSBREAK)Nancy Grace

DIMOND: 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 30. He said that she normally would leave in the evening to go do exercise, come back 10:30 or 11:00. She was never seen again. Her cell phone, her credit cards, they haven`t been used since that April 30th date.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIMOND: Welcome back. I`m Diane Dimond, in for Nancy Grace.

Well, Mother`s Day came and went. They were hoping for a miracle, some way, somehow, to find missing mom Lisa Stebic. She left home presumably for a jog, left her two children behind, and her soon-to-be ex- husband, and has not been seen since. No suspects, no evidence, no leads, a terrible tragedy for that entire community.

Michele Fiore is a local radio reporter there with WBBM Newsradio. Michele, I know you spoke to the chief of police today. Still, no leads, no suspects?

MICHELE FIORE, REPORTER: I did. I talked to Chief Don Bennett this afternoon, and he told me that today detectives spent time just trying to tie up some loose ends over here. The tips do keep coming in, he says, especially since Lisa`s story has gone nationwide. You may recall that divers took some time last week searching a couple of retention ponds near the Stebic home, but they found nothing.

Today, they went out. I should say that the visibility was reported as zero, but that police did a very thorough search despite that difficulty. Chief Bennett says, though, that they have no plans to be back out in the water. When I talked to him today, he also spoke about the children, the 10- and 12-year-old children of the Stebics, and he tells me that police have not had contact with those kids since the day that Lisa went missing.

Now, at that time, the children were reporting that they did see their mom after school, as was typical for them. Mom would get home first from work. Dad got home later. And that`s it. Police do still want to talk to the kids again.

However, now that Craig Stebic is using an attorney in all this, everything police do has to go through Craig Stebic`s attorney. So Chief Bennett told me they did put in a request to have the children go over to the Will County advocacy center. Police say that they actually made that request several days ago, and even at that time were offering dates at which the kids could go there to be interviewed by somebody other than the Plainfield police. But Chief Bennett said that, so far, Craig Stebic`s attorney has not given the go-ahead on this issue.

DIMOND: Now, see, this is bizarre to me, to Michelle Fiore, of WBBM radio, because he`s a divorce lawyer. He`s not a criminal lawyer.

FIORE: Yes.

DIMOND: This seems just so strange.

Let`s bring in Melanie Greenberg. She is a cousin of the missing woman and has been very active in the search for her.

Thanks a lot for being with us, Ms. Greenberg. Now, there was a huge search this weekend. I want to talk to you about that. But first, I really want to talk about the children. Have you seen them? Do you think they might know more than they`ve been able to tell police?

MELANIE GREENBERG, LISA STEBIC`S COUSIN: You know, I don`t know if they know anything more. I do understand that they did see their mom that Monday, April 30th, after school. I last saw Lisa`s daughter on Friday, and the children did spend a lot of time with Lisa`s family this weekend, with Mother`s Day. Because of the massive search on Saturday, it was thought best to get the children out of Plainfield for a while.

On Saturday, we had over 150 emergency personnel searching, as well as over 275 volunteer searchers fanning out all over Plainfield. And the family just want to express our profound gratitude to all of those volunteers that came out, to take time out of their Mother`s Day weekend to help search for Lisa.

DIMOND: And you know, Melanie, actually, we`re hearing reports that it may be as many as 400 people were there. Let`s go to the phones, lots of calls on this. We`ll try to get a couple in.

Michelle from New Mexico is calling. Hi, Michelle.

CALLER: Hi, how are you?

DIMOND: I`m great. And I`m from New Mexico, so I`m glad to hear from you.

CALLER: Oh, thank you.

DIMOND: What`s your question?

CALLER: I`m wondering if they searched the house. If he was the last one to see her, maybe she`s still in that house.

DIMOND: Oh, that`s a good question. Ed Miller is with "America`s Most Wanted." And he`s been on this case from the very beginning. He does lots of cases like this. Ed, what do you know about that? Have they searched inside that house?

ED MILLER, REPORTER, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": Well, they have searched inside the house, but my sources tell me that, as of now, this investigation is severely hindered because of the husband. In other words, they did a very quick search in the very beginning. They did speak to the children in the very beginning, as well as they did speak to the husband, Craig, in the very beginning.

But as you well know, in any investigation, they do follow-up questions. And the husband is not cooperating. Through his attorney, he says he is cooperating, but that`s not really the definition that police believe cooperation is.

In other words, if you really are looking for your wife, whether or not you`re getting divorced -- that is the mother of your children -- you would say, "Sure, come on in. What can I do to help? Ask me anything."

DIMOND: Absolutely.

MILLER: And, of course, he`s not doing that. He`s saying, well, let`s see when we can set up a date that`s mutually acceptable to all of us. The key thing here is -- and we investigated this last weekend, made it public -- that Dad gave the kids money to go buy candy at the store. So there was a time there when no one was in the house. The children were out of the house, and only Mom and Dad were home alone.

DIMOND: So there was opportunity.

MILLER: That`s right. The kids come back from the store, and Mom is gone. What happened to her, we don`t know.

DIMOND: And not only that, Ed, but this man, you know, the whereabouts of his wife is unknown, and he is going along with his defense attorney to, a, not do a polygraph test, and, b, go into court and claim full custody when his wife may be lying -- soon-to-be ex-wife may be lying hurt or even worse somewhere.

His attorney is Dion Davi, and he put forth a statement to us today. "All courses of action that I have taken have been in the best interest of my client and his children. We have in no way intended or hampered the investigation that the police are conducting," he says. "With the exception of the polygraph, all requests made by the Plainfield Police Department have been met or in the process of being met. We intend to fully cooperate and assist in any way possible with the investigation."

Melanie Greenberg, does your family think he is being upfront here? Do you all suspect him?

GREENBERG: Well, you know, I don`t want to speculate on anything that`s going to impede the police investigation. But Lisa`s family -- you know, I just don`t know if Craig is getting the very best legal advice. As you pointed out, this is a divorce attorney. And we would just urge Craig to take the polygraph, to answer any follow-up questions that the police department may have.

DIMOND: Because he`s not a suspect. He`s not been named as a person of interest. So why not cooperate? That`s what you`re saying.

GREENBERG: It`s been two weeks today. Today is two weeks that Lisa has gone missing. And I can`t imagine what is more urgent than that.

DIMOND: Right.

GREENBERG: You know, we would like -- you know, if there`s any further information that he might be able to give the Plainfield police that might assist them in their investigation.

DIMOND: Our hearts just go out to you, Melanie. I wish we had more time.

GREENBERG: Thank you.

DIMOND: Thirty seconds, Pat Brown, the FBI`s involved. What kind of perpetrator have they profiled, Pat?

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, I`m guessing they`re looking very heavily at that husband, because, who else is there to look at, at this point? You know, this man, if he were innocent, he would be not doing if he`s doing. If he was innocent, there would be no physical evidence in his house, no physical evidence in his car, no physical evidence anywhere near him. So what`s his problem?

DIMOND: So open the doors, and let the sunshine in.

BROWN: Absolutely.

DIMOND: That`s it for me tonight. I`m Diane Dimond, sitting in tonight for Nancy Grace. She`ll continue to watch the missing mother of two, day 14. How many more days? And we`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DIMOND: Well, Lisa Stebic, suburban Chicago housewife, still missing. I want to go to our guest, Andrea Macari. First of all, actually, let me go to Holly Hughes. Holly, you`re the prosecutor here. Is there any way to force access to her two children so police can question them? They may have crucial information.

HUGHES: Absolutely, there is a way to do it. I don`t understand why the husband wouldn`t just allow access. But if he is refusing access to those children, they can have a guardian ad litem appointed by the court who is going to operate in the best interests of the children, and that guardian can be there and be present while those children are, in fact, questioned.

DIMOND: Yes, I wonder actually why that hasn`t been done. It has been 14 days so far.

Now, to Andrea Macari, she is a clinical psychotherapist. Let me ask you, Andrea, these children, let`s hope for their sake that the worst has not happened here, but even if Mom does come home sometime, this is going to affect them for the rest of their lives.

MACARI: Absolutely. Oh, my gosh. Imagine the sense of betrayal and confusion and guilt they must be experiencing. And, you know, 10 million American kids each year are witnesses to domestic violence. We can only wonder what they might have seen before.

DIMOND: Oh, it just makes my heart hurt. Thanks a lot.

 

[CW]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...6,1,664739.story?track=rss&ctrack=2&cset=true


Plainfield house is searched

By Jo Napolitano, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporter Hal Dardick contributed to this report
Published May 16, 2007
Police spent 4 1/2 hours beginning late Monday night searching the house where a missing Plainfield woman lived with her husband, sparking complaints from his attorney that it was meant to intimidate his client.

Lisa Stebic, a mother of two, was last seen April 30 by her husband, Craig. The couple were getting a divorce but continued to share a spacious home in the 13200 block of Red Star Drive.


Police on Tuesday impounded Craig Stebic's two vehicles, a 2002 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck and a 2004 Saturn Ion, as part of the search. Attorney Dion Davi said police are trying to coerce a confession.

"I think the strategy was to put as much stress on him and on his family as possible," Davi said. "I believe the investigation is such that they are not able to uncover any leads and are just grasping at straws."

Davi said the two children had to sleep outside in one of the family vehicles while the search was under way. The 10-year-old son was so traumatized he didn't attend school Tuesday, the attorney said.

Davi has asked police for a complete inventory of what was taken from the house and for an explanation of the "probable cause" necessary to obtain the warrant. He said the family now has no functional vehicle because a truck left behind doesn't work.

He said police keep telling Stebic he is not a suspect.

The Joliet Police Department's Special Operations Squad and the FBI Evidence Response Team assisted in the search, which began at 11:45 p.m. Charles Pelkie, a spokesman for Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow, said the warrant was under court seal.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/387248,4_1_JO16_MISSING_S1.article


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.

» Click to enlarge image

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)

RELATED STORIES
• Lisa memorial removed
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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.

 

[CW]

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


Lisa filed to evict husband

May 16, 2007
By JANET LUNDQUIST Staff Writer
» Click to enlarge image

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)

RELATED STORIES
• Police, FBI raid Stebic home
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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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/387119,6_1_NA16_MISSING_S2.article


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.

RELATED STORIES
• Post a comment: Potluck blog
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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.

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/379640,6_1_NA10_MISSING_S1.article


Friends: Lisa Stebic said husband threatened her
But family says he would never hurt his wife
By Paige Winfield and Kate R. Houlihan staff writers
More revelations of a deeply troubled and broken marriage emerged Wednesday as the bizarre case of a missing Plainfield mother of two entered its ninth day.

Lisa Stebic, 37, was four months into a bitter divorce with her husband, Craig, 41, when she disappeared April 30. She left her car behind in the garage with no trace of cell phone or credit card activity since, police said.

» Click to enlarge image

The family of Lisa Stebic (left) is planning to hold a vigil Saturday in honor of her birthday. Her husband, Craig, and son, Zac, are shown here at a vigil held last week.
(Kate Szrom / Staff photographer)

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• 'Never just get up and leave'
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Police say they have no leads and no suspects in her disappearance as of Wednesday.

But several friends have reported concern. They say Lisa told them Craig threatened on several occasions 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?"

 

[CW]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/387087,6_1_NA16_MISSING_S3.article


Memorial display trashing upsets Stebic supervisor

May 16, 2007
BY TIM WALDORFStaff Writer
The makeshift Lisa Stebic memorial in the Plainfield Park District gazebo behind her home is gone.

Kim Young, who supervised the missing 37-year-old mother of two in the lunchroom at Lincoln Elementary School, said Park District employees on Monday tried to trash it.

» Click to enlarge image

Police officers and FBI agents searched the Stebics' house and the vehicles about midnight.
(AP/Sun file photo)

» Click to enlarge image




RELATED STORIES
• Post a comment: Potluck blog
• Police obtain warrant, search Stebic's house
However, Plainfield Park District officials insist their maintenance workers had nothing to do with its disappearance.

"I can guarantee you the Park District isn't in that business," said Gene Goldwater, Plainfield Park District's superintendent of parks. "We just wouldn't do that."

Young, Stebic's supervisor at Sodexho, said that at 2:30 p.m. Monday she stopped by the park in Norman Greenway, just behind the Stebics' residence near the intersection of Blakely and Red Star drives and was shocked by what she saw.

"This man was piling up the little animals and the figurines into a trash bag and stuffing them down, and I'm like, 'What are you doing?'" Young said. "He's like, 'My boss! My boss! My boss tell me to clean up! Clean everything up!' And I go, 'This is a memorial.' He said, 'No, this is trash. You need to clear out the trash.'"

The man told Young he worked for the Plainfield Park District and he was wearing a Park District uniform and driving a Park District truck, she said.

"Oh yeah, he was in a marked truck and everything," she said. "I said, 'Who is your boss?' and he wouldn't tell me."

Goldwater said his crews have driven by the memorial site