Media Pressure
Papi Killed Mommy
Hey weirdos — I’m Nikki, daughter of Stephanie Marie Wasilishin. If you found this show through Morbid, welcome. Thank you for giving space in your day to my mom’s story and to a new podcast that’s still building its voice. Content note: This episode discusses domestic violence and homicide. The man discussed is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. What this episode is about This is the chapter where I stop waiting for the system and start pushing it. After the Red Rock News coverage and my first email from Sedona Police (Nov 2020), I filed a public-records...
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Crime Con
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text In this special bonus episode of Papi Killed Mommy, I share my very first CrimeCon experience — a three-day whirlwind in Denver that was emotional, overwhelming, and unforgettable. The journey started on the road: 900 miles, 14 hours, my best friend Melissa by my side, and my emotional support pup, Dickie Birdie, curled up in the backseat. Between reroutes, pouring rain, thick fog, and deer threatening to dart across the road, the drive was intense. We kept each other laughing ...
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The Red Rock News
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text In this episode of Papi Killed Mommy, for the first time, I read three articles about my mom’s death: the original piece from 1993, and two follow-ups nearly three decades later in July 2020 by the Sedona Red Rock News. These articles shaped how the public saw my mom’s case. The 1993 article framed my mom’s murder as a “domestic fight,” erasing her identity and repeating Russell Peterson’s account uncritically through police statements. There was no context about domestic ...
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"Mommy Killed Herself"
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text 📍 Hi, I’m Nikki — the daughter of a murdered woman. Welcome back. This week, I take you back to 1993, when my mom’s case stalled—but my Aunt Wendy never stopped fighting. Together with Grandma Bea, they held on to hope, and now I carry their legacy as the third generation of Wasilishin women demanding justice for my mother Stacy Wasilishin. This cycle must stop— You’ll hear the story of my sister’s unsettling shift from “Papi killed Mommy” to “Mommy killed herself,”
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Interview with her friend: Laurie Swift
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text 📍 Bonus Episode: Laurie Swift Remembers Stacy I’m Nikki—daughter of a murdered woman. This bonus episode features longtime friend Swifty sharing candid memories of my mom, Stacy, that bring her to life beyond the headlines. Recorded back in May, these clips are raw, unscripted, and mostly unreleased. Through Swifty's voice you’ll see a young Stacy who thrifted, cleaned obsessively, and lived through music like Aerosmith and Foghat. We’re halfway through this journey—six episod..
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Interview with my father: Craig Daley
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text 📍 Hi, my name is Nikki and I’m the daughter of a murdered woman. Welcome to a special bonus episode of Papi Killed Mommy. ⚠️ Before we begin, a quick trigger warning: this podcast contains discussions of domestic violence, homicide, and other potentially distressing topics. Listener discretion is advised. One of the questions I get asked most often is: What about your dad? What does he remember from that night? What does he think really happened? How does he feel all these year...
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The Final Interview
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text It was three weeks before my 11th birthday, when my mother, Stacy Wasilishin, was killed. For weeks now, I’ve taken you back to July of 1993 — to the night she died, the hours after, and the painful days that followed. In this episode, we reach a turning point: the final interview Russell Peterson ever gave to police about my mother’s death. On September 3, 1993, detectives sat down with Russell for over 30 minutes. This was his fourth version of events, and by then his story h...
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The Day They Told Me
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text Sunday, July 11, 1993. The day I learned my mother was dead. In this episode, I take you into the moment that shattered my childhood. That morning, my foster family drove me and my little sister to the Sedona Police Department. Inside a room filled with silver folding chairs and scattered toys, I sat frozen — until the only familiar face in the room, my mother’s boyfriend Russell Peterson, broke the news. “Your mom is gone.” He was the one who told me. Not a police officer. Not...
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The Day After
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text In the previous episodes, I walked you through my mother’s final day, the chaotic hours after her death, and Russell Peterson’s first interview. But the story didn’t stop there. In this episode of Papi Killed Mommy, I take you deeper into July 10, 1993—the day after my mother’s murder—and into Russell’s second police interview, where his story starts to unravel. This was the interview where Russell’s narrative began to shift. In his own words, you’ll hear him pivot from blam
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The Hours After
Papi Killed Mommy
Send us a text Episode 3: In the Hours After In this episode, I take you into the hours immediately following my mother’s murder—hours I’ve spent my entire life trying to piece together. From the moment I was pulled from my bed and placed in a squad car beside my three-year-old sister, to the moment Russell Peterson, my mother’s boyfriend and the father of my sister, was inexplicably placed in the same squad car with us, covered in blood. Today, Ill read you my sister’s interview from just th...
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Hi, my name is Nikki. I’m the daughter of a murdered woman, and welcome back to Papi Killed Mommy.
In this bonus episode, I’m reading a letter I wrote to my mom, Stacy Wasilishin Writing it was healing. Reading it out loud was harder than I expected. I cried multiple times during the recording, and I seriously considered re-recording it to make it cleaner, easier to listen to, more “together.” But the truth is, I wasn’t together. I’m not. And in the end, I realized that starting over would’ve meant hiding the real emotion — and I’ve spent enough of my life doing that.
So what you’ll hear is raw. The end especially is rough — you can hear my voice breaking, and my tears. I ask you to bear with me, and if you can, listen all the way through. This letter means everything to me. It’s the beginning of a conversation I’ve waited 32 years to have.
My mom was murdered on July 9th, 1993, by her boyfriend, Russell Peterson — the father of my younger sister. She had just gotten off the phone with my dad, Craig Daly, after making plans to leave Russell for good. Just a few hours later, she was shot and killed. I was ten years old. My little sister was three. That night was the last time I ever saw my mother alive. And to this day, no one has ever been arrested for her murder.
This podcast is my way of changing that.
I’ve spent the last few years fighting for justice — contacting police, speaking with attorneys, getting our story on the news, and building a community of people who believe in my mom, who believe she deserves answers. In December 2021, I started sharing her story on TikTok. Two years later, a video of me saying “I am the daughter of a murdered woman” went viral, reaching over 13 million views. Since then, more than 200,000 people have joined me on this journey. People are learning her name, saying it out loud, and helping me demand what’s long overdue: justice.
If you're new here, thank you for listening. And if you've been with me from the beginning — I appreciate you more than you know. This podcast premieres on July 8th at 11 PM — the exact time I said goodnight to my mother for the very last time. It’s taken me months to prepare, and every step has pushed me far outside my comfort zone. I built a home studio with my dad. I learned how to record and edit. I’ve made mistakes and started over and cried in front of the mic more times than I can count. But I’ve kept going — because she deserves to be remembered. Not just as a victim. But as a woman. A mother. A fighter.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please reach out.
📞 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
💻 thehotline.org
If you have any information that could lead to the arrest of Russell Bennett Peterson or anyone involved in Stacy Wasilishin’s murder, please contact:
📞 Sedona Police Department: (928) 282-3100
🐾✈️ Traveling to CrimeCon with my best friend, Dickie Birdie, comes with some unexpected expenses — his recent vet visit alone was $827. If you’d like to help make sure he’s safe and comfy on this trip, I’ve put together a small Amazon Wishlist with his travel essentials (like a stroller, pop‑up kennel, and car seat). Every bit of support means the world. 💙
🛒 Click here to check out Dickie Birdie’s Wishlist
🔗 Follow our journey and stay connected:
TikTok: @nicolewasilishin
Instagram: @nicolewasilishin
Petition for justice: change.org/justiceforstacy