( CNN ) -- The remains found last week on the bank of an Illinois river and near a blue barrel are not those of Stacy Peterson , Illinois state police said Wednesday . Partial skeletal remains were found on the south bank of the Des Plaines River near Channahon , Illinois . Many people speculated that the remains , found near the Des Plaines River less than 30 miles from the homes of Peterson and another missing woman , Lisa Stebic , meant one of their disappearances would be solved . But testing done on the remains showed they belonged to a male , police said . Officials had to conduct further testing on the `` partial skeletal remains , '' consisting of a rib cage , spinal column and partial left and right femur , after a preliminary autopsy did not reveal any identifying information . A marine cleanup crew discovered the remains in Channahon , Illinois , last week along with shreds of blue jeans and a small amount of money . Stacy Peterson , 23 when she was last seen in October 2007 , was former police officer Drew Peterson 's fourth wife . They lived in Bolingbrook , Illinois , 20 miles from where the remains were discovered . Her husband has been named a suspect in her disappearance , but he has maintained his innocence , saying she left him for another man . The ex-officer 's stepbrother told police he helped Drew Peterson move a heavy blue barrel shortly after his wife 's disappearance . Police uncover skeletal remains » . So when news came that a few days before the remains were discovered a woman named Michelle Williams found a blue barrel in the same area , many people expected Stacy Peterson had been found . Though her case still remains a mystery , her family remains hopeful there will be a solution . Drew Peterson was indicted May 7 on charges he killed his third wife , Kathleen Savio . Savio died while the two were in the midst of a nasty divorce . The death was originally deemed an accident , but authorities took a second look at the case after Stacy Peterson 's disappearance . Drew Peterson has pleaded not guilty . Others had suspected the remains could be those of Lisa Stebic . Channahon is 15 miles from Plainfield , Illinois , where Stebic was last seen in April 2007 . On the day she disappeared , she petitioned a court to have her husband , Craig , evicted from their Plainfield home . Craig Stebic told police he was working in the backyard when his 37-year-old wife left home about 6 p.m. , taking her cell phone and purse . Authorities have said they believe that Lisa Stebic was the victim of foul play and have named Craig Stebic a suspect .
Male : Testing reveals remains belong to a male , police say . Rib cage , spinal column and partial left femur are among body parts found . Remains found on south bank of Des Moines River . Area is near homes of Stacy Smith , Lisa Stebic .