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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The call begins with “9‑1‑1, what’s your emergency?”
Moments later, the man on the other end admits he might have killed my mother. Yet 32 years have passed without a single charge, trial, or ounce of justice.
My name is Nikki—daughter of a bright, funny, fiercely loved woman whose death was ruled a homicide and then quietly shelved. I was ten when I kissed her good‑night for the last time. Today I’m done staying quiet.
“Papi Killed Mommy” is the podcast I wish I never had to make: part investigation, part memoir, part battle cry. In this premiere trailer you’ll hear the real 9‑1‑1 audio, the confession hidden in plain sight, and the silence that followed when the county attorney said there “wasn’t enough evidence.”
What to expect in the series
- Episode 1 (July 9, 11:00 PM MST): A minute‑by‑minute retelling of that final night and the childhood it destroyed.
- Future episodes: Interviews with family, and friends; documents; analyses; and new leads crowdsourced from listeners determined to break a 32‑year stalemate.
- Bonus content: Letters from my mom’s closest friends
Why listen?
Because behind every cold case is a family still burning for answers. Because “insufficient evidence” should never be the end of the story. Because you—yes, you—might hold the tip, resource, or amplification that finally pushes this case across the finish line.
How you can help
- Subscribe & share this trailer so the algorithm can’t bury it.
- Sign the petition demanding a full homicide investigation: https://www.change.org/p/demand-a-complete-homicide-investigation-for-the-murder-of-stephanie-marie-wasilishin
- Support the show monthly—even $3 keeps interviews, FOIA requests, and forensic reviews moving forward. Look for the “Support the Show” link in these notes.
- Have information? Contact the Sedona Police Department at (928) 282‑3100 or email [email protected].
Trigger & content warnings
This series contains discussions of domestic violence, murder, and trauma. If you or someone you love needs help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1‑800‑799‑7233 or visit thehotline.org for 24/7 confidential support.
Disclaimer
All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Statements made in this podcast are based on public records, personal recollections, and ongoing research.
Stay connected
- TikTok & Instagram: @nicolewasilishin
- YouTube: Daughter of a Murdered Woman
- Website for updates & transcripts: daughterofamurderedwoman.com
Thank you for pressing play, for believing that forgotten cases deserve a voice, and for standing with me as I fight for the justice my mother never received. Full launch July 9. Hit follow now—because if the system won’t fight for her, we will.