9. Media Pressure

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 request. The case file landed in my inbox mid-Jan 2021—and I couldn’t open it for nine months. When I finally did, it was with a student filmmaker filming in my living room while the printer spit the pages out backwards: autopsy first. I learned I’d received 176 pages of what Red Rock once reported was nearly 400; key autopsy pages were missing. That night the flashbacks came, and something in me shifted from waiting to fighting.

I started posting on Facebook, then a local ABC reporter reached out. A friend reminded me I knew Sarah Turney from years back; Sarah said, “Start with TikTok.” I did. Within weeks my aunt Wendy—who never stopped pushing in the background—found me online. She had pages I didn’t (including four autopsy pages). Together, we tried the “proper channels,” up to an FBI contact who asked Sedona PD if they’d accept help. They declined.

Shout-Out: Sarah Turney & Voices for Justice

Sarah Turney has been a mentor and friend since our TGI Friday’s days—she’s the blueprint for family-led advocacy in true crime and has had my back from day one. Follow her and check out her show:

• Sarah on Instagram: @saraheturney Voices for Justice
• Voices for Justice (website): voicesforjusticepodcast.com

In March 2022 we received a letter from Sedona PD labeling my mom’s homicide “inactive,” shifting responsibility to prosecutors, citing “old technology,” and warning our family about “harassment.” I read that letter verbatim in this episode and break down why the language is hostile and not trauma-informed.

Then media pressure kicked in. FOX 10’s Justin Lum pushed for interviews; suddenly a zip drive appeared with the 911 call and Russell’s interviews—the first time my family heard them in 29 years. We filmed in Sedona; my aunt cried in front of the house. Justin’s two-part special, “Insufficient” (June 11, 2022), put facts in front of the public. Unsolved in Sedona: Decades later, family members frustrated at lack of progress in cold case | FOX 10 Phoenix

We expected movement. We got silence. So I launched a petition Petition · DEMAND a complete Homicide investigation for the murder of Stephanie Marie Wasilishin - Sedona, United States · Change.org and began pitching podcasts. 

Huge thank you to The Mombies for being the first true-crime podcast to cover my mom’s case back in September 2022. If you want to support them for amplifying Stephanie’s story, follow and listen here:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mombies/id1621473706 Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mombieshorror/ (they announced Episode 19: “Stephanie Wasilishin”)

In Jan 2023 the Vice Mayor helped facilitate a meeting with police. There was finger-pointing, and a lead I provided was labeled “hearsay.” But one thing finally changed: after thirty years, investigators agreed to record an interview with my dad—the person who was on the phone with my mom for hours the night she planned to leave Russell.

Next episode: you’ll hear that January 2023 interview, start to finish. No summaries. Listen with me and decide what it means.

Why you heard ads (and what’s next)

You may hear short ads now. I’ve moved hosts to make the show sustainable—to cover records fees, transcripts, travel, and production. To my 16 Buzzsprout supporters: you are the backbone. Listener Support on Buzzsprout is closed to new sign-ups; existing payments stay there until you cancel. I may add Patreon or an ad-free option later; I’ll announce it here first. Season Two will elevate other domestic-violence cases alongside my mom’s. To submit a case: [e-mail].

How to help today

• Yavapai County Attorney’s Office — request an active review of Stephanie Marie Wasilishin (Case #930004944) and direct coordination with Sedona PD. [phone] · [e-mail]

• Sedona Police Department — move the case from inactive to active, release the complete file to the family, and pursue new leads. [phone] · [e-mail]

• Sedona Red Rock News (Editor) — cover the family’s perspective with appropriate domestic-violence context. [phone] · [e-mail]

Copy/paste email subject: Justice for Stephanie Marie Wasilishin — Case #930004944
Be respectful, be firm, and let them know you’re watching.

Copy-and-paste email (short)

Subject: Justice for Stephanie Marie Wasilishin — Case #930004944
Body:
Hello,
I’m writing in support of the family of Stephanie Marie Wasilishin (Case #930004944). Please take the steps necessary to ensure an active, victim-centered review of this homicide and transparent communication with the family. The community is watching and asking for accountability, a complete case file, and renewed investigative effort.
Thank you for your time.

 

Follow & Share 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nicolewasilishin?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolewasilishin
Email: [e-mail]

Thank you for listening—and for standing with my family as we fight for justice for my mother.