Stephanie "Stacy" Wasilishin was a mother of two young daughters, working as a pastry chef, when she was shot and killed in her Sedona, Arizona home on July 9, 1993. More than 30 years later, no one has ever been charged.
On the night of July 9, 1993, Stephanie and her boyfriend, Russell Peterson, shared a bottle of wine together in their living room while their children slept. At 1:40 a.m., Peterson called 911, saying the two had argued and that Stephanie had been shot, though he claimed not to know who fired the gun. Sedona Police found her body in the bedroom of the home. There were no signs of forced entry, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Stephanie's mother told police her daughter was "deathly afraid of firearms," and her former stepfather said Stephanie "lived for her daughters" and was making plans to leave Peterson at the time of her death. Family members have said consistently that they never believed she would have taken her own life. Peterson was initially named a suspect in the investigation; that designation was later changed to a witness with information, and no charges have ever been filed against him or anyone else.
Stephanie's daughter Nikki was a young child when her mother died. As an adult, she began investigating her mother's case and created the podcast "Papi Killed Mommy" to share what she's learned and push for renewed attention. She has built an audience of more than 220,000 followers across social media following her mother's story, and has organized a petition calling on authorities to bring the case before a grand jury for a complete homicide investigation.
Stephanie's family has waited more than three decades for real accountability in her case.
How to report a tip:
Sedona Police Department: 928-282-3100