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Fiancee Leaves Drew Peterson After 'Nightline' Story

Suspected murderer tells ABC News a "Nightline" story ended his relationship.

ByABC News
January 28, 2009, 3:44 PM

Jan. 30, 2009— -- Drew Peterson told ABC News today that his fiancee dumped him as they watched his interview Thursday on "Nightline." Peterson told anchor Martin Bashir that his fiancee called him a liar, packed her bags, and left. Peterson told Bashir, "The engagement is over because of your interviews."

On Thursday night, Glenn Selig, the former police officer's publicist, called the "Nightline" story fair. Joel Brodsky, Peterson's lawyer, said he believed his client came across as "forthcoming."

ABC News spoke to Ernie Raines, Christina Raines' father, who also watched Thursday's "Nightline" interview. He said it was an accurate portrayal of Peterson and says it definitely contributed to his daughter's decision.

"How dare Drew say he will just get tired of my daughter and then move on!" Ernie Raines said. "Who does he think he is? He's nobody!"

Earlier today Ernie Raines called the Bolingbrook Police Department from outside of Peterson's Illinois home. According to Lt. Ken Teppel, he went to Peterson's house this morning to help his daughter move out. Teppel said Peterson refused to let Ernie Raines inside at which point the father called the police. The officers arrived and began removing Christina Raines' property in plastic bags.

During Thursday night's "Nightline" interview, Peterson said he understood why his future fifth wife's loved ones are concerned for her safety. But Peterson, who is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife Stacy and the death of his third wife Kathleen Savio in their Bolingbrook, Ill., home, said that "I'm a good guy."

Peterson's first two wives have complained about him being very controlling and, before her disappearance, Stacy allegedly told her minister that Peterson confessed to killing Savio.

"All of which didn't happen," Peterson told "Nightline" in his first interview since his engagement. "But I will acknowledge that I would have concerns if I was the friends and family of this young girl.

"She likes me. She likes me a lot," he said of his fiancée Christina Raines, 23. "I'm good to her and I treat her better than she's ever been treated."

Despite still being legally married to Stacy, Peterson, 55, said during the interview that says he is OK with getting remarried and is deeply in love. The couple hadn't set a date at the time of the interview, but Peterson had said they would wed this year. In the state of Illinois, Peterson can be granted a divorce on the basis of abandonment and is free to remarry if Stacy Peterson doesn't respond to a court submission within 30 days.

"I like being married," he said. "I like having a family. ... I enjoy belonging to somebody."

But Peterson acknowledged that, while he liked the early romantic stages of each relationship, he eventually lost interest when "there was no excitement in the marriage anymore."

"I'm basically attracted to young, beautiful women with good personalities," he said. "That's what I'm attracted to."

While Raines, who is 32 years younger than Peterson, is reluctant to speak publicly, Peterson has been proclaiming his innocence for more than a year to anyone who will listen. He has not been charged in either case.

"It's pretty terrifying," Peterson said of all the negative attention. "You know, you're in your house and you're under suspicion for horrendous activity and next thing you know, you've got every news crew get in your face all over America."

But some people believe that Peterson enjoys the attention, joking with the media and the public and holding impromptu news conferences.

"I think dealing with them, in such a manner of humor, was the way I was able to cope with it all," he admitted. "It's kind of comical. I have fun with it. I'll go out somewhere and I'll be recognized and it's just like, I think my, my personality's gone from sinister to celebrity."

But Illinois state prosecutors aren't laughing, and they say they expect to resolve their investigation soon.