Could remains be Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic?

An autopsy will be performed today on the badly decomposed human remains found by a cleanup crew working Wednesday afternoon on the Des Plaines River.

The key question: Is the body that of either the missing Stacy Peterson or Lisa Stebic? But authorities say there is no timetable for making a determination.

The remains reportedly mainly bones were found along the banks of the river near Channahon, just west of Interstate Highway 55, an area where searchers have looked for Peterson since she disappeared Oct. 28, 2007.

Speculation spread that the remains might also be those of Stebic, the Plainfield mother who disappeared in April 2007. Stacy Peterson's family was alerted to the discovery by state police.

Authorities would not discuss the condition of the remains, whether they were male or female, or if clothing was found on the body. Officials said there is no timetable as to when they will be able to make a positive identification.

WLS-Ch. 7 reported this morning that a plastic blue barrel was found by a resident within a mile of the remains, although authorities said there was no sign of one. Thomas Morphey, Drew Peterson's stepbrother, has told authorities that he helped Peterson carry a blue container out of the Peterson home the day she disappeared, and he believed the body of Stacy Peterson was inside it.

Drew Peterson is now in jail on murder charges in the 2004 death of his previous wife, Kathleen Savio. The former Bolingbrook police sergeant has pleaded not guilty. He has not been charged in connection with Stacy Peterson's disappearance, but has denied any responsibility there, too.

Investigators from many agencies remained at the riverbank late Wednesday searching for evidence.

The crew found the body around 2:30 p.m. in brush on the river shoreline, said the manager of Mugzy's Hideout, a bar in the Big Basin Marina.

"We've been called," said Pam Bosco, a spokeswoman for Stacy Peterson's family. "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."