rick mims, peterson's long-time friend, admitted that he and peterson bought three blue plastic containers from a cable company where they both worked part-time in 2003, and provided photos of these containers to police. mims also sold his story to tabloid newspapers for an undisclosed sum of money. peterson's stepbrother, thomas morphey, who has a history of drug and alcohol addiction, attempted suicide two days after allegedly helping peterson carry a plastic container from peterson's bolingbrook home to his suv, fearing he may have helped dispose of stacy's body. neighbors reported seeing peterson and another man hauling a 55-gallon barrel, large enough to hold a person, out of the house shortly after the disappearance.