Papi Killed Mommy

Thirty-three years ago, on the night our mother was murdered, my little sister was only three years old. As police officers placed us in the back of a patrol car, she kept repeating the same heartbreaking words: "Papi killed Mommy." For the past year, you've followed me as I've fought to keep our mother's story alive. Together, we've uncovered evidence, shared long-forgotten interviews, spoken wit...

Episode 18: Live with Crime Weekly Three weeks ago, I was exhausted. After years of telling the same story, asking the same questions, and fighting the same battles, I was ready to walk away. I was frustrated, discouraged, and wondering whether anyone was really listening. Then CrimeCon happened. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my journey to Las Vegas for CrimeCon 2026, where I ha...

It's been 36 days since the last episode of Papi Killed Mommy. Lots to fill you in on.  In this episode, I sit down and talk openly about burnout, obsession, grief, media attention, CrimeCon Vegas, and the emotional reality of spending five years living inside my mother's homicide case every single day. Over the last few months, my mom's case has received major media attention, including front-pag...

In this episode of Papi Killed Mommy , Nikki shares a major turning point in her mother Stephanie Wasilishin's case — from national media recognition… to a shift in strategy… to one of the most personal decisions she's made in 33 years. After being told there is no legal path forward without a confession, Nikki opens up about what the last month has actually looked like behind the scenes — the fru...

Every time I sat down to write the script about what has happened in the last 30 days in my mom's case, I got stuck. Angry. Frustrated. Completely overwhelmed. So this episode isn't really written. Instead, I walked into the studio, turned on the microphone, and treated this the same way I treat my morning TikTok videos — like a vlog. Just sitting down and talking through everything that has happe...

In this episode of Papi Killed Mommy , Nikki shares jaw‑dropping real‑time developments in her mother Stephanie Wasilishin's cold case — from viral TikTok traction, to national recognition, to major media momentum and strategic advocacy work that's finally putting this case in front of the right eyes. This episode covers everything that's happened in the last 35 days: documentary‑style updates, pe...

⚠️ Trigger Warning This episode discusses domestic violence, homicide, trauma, panic attacks, and systemic failures in law enforcement and media. Listener discretion is advised. 🎧 Bonus Episode: Unraveling It's been one week since I hit publish on Episode Twelve. One week since I said, "Season One is over." And in that week — I've unraveled. I thought finishing would feel like relief. Like releas...

Bonus: "Make Noise" — Melissa joins the mic In this special bonus episode, Nikki introduces Melissa —a fellow teacher, friend, and the new co-host helping carry Stacy's story forward. Together, they lay out exactly how you can help: get the case in front of media, apply public pressure, sign the petition, contact officials, and send tips or cases for Season 2. What's inside Why media pressure matt...

  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 thre...

  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 throu...

   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...

  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."...

  Hello, I'm Nikki, daughter of a woman whose life was tragically cut short. Welcome back to Papi Killed Mommy . These bonus episodes share letters from my mom's closest friends — a way to meet the woman I never fully knew. She was taken when I was ten. These letters bring her memory alive and reveal parts of her story missing from Episode 1, which premieres July 8 at 11 PM MST — the moment I last...

  Bonus: Cheryl remembers Stacy (Downers Grove '76–'77) In this bonus episode, I sit down with Cheryl—one of the few friends willing to remember my mom out loud. For 45 minutes we go back to 1976–77: unincorporated Downers Grove summers, the black-lagoon pool in Phoenix, eighth-row Kansas tickets worth getting fired for, bedroom-window entrances, "Free Bird" on a battered karaoke box, and the late...

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses domestic violence, homicide, trauma, and systemic failures in law enforcement. Listener discretion is advised. Seven hours. Twelve episodes. Three decades. And one promise: I would tell you everything. 32 years ago, my mother, Stacy Marie Wasilishin , was murdered inside our home in Sedona, Arizona. Her death was ruled a homicide. No one was ever charged. I...

Episode 11 — Contracts, Clauses, and Zero Coverage Content warning: This episode discusses domestic violence and homicide. The man mentioned is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion advised. What this episode is about Nikki picks up the timeline after last week's pushback to "small podcast notwithstanding." We hear how viral moments (Dec 2023) briefly opened doors—the...

EP10 • "Small podcast, notwithstanding" Thirty-two years after Stacy's death, a local editor calls this show "a small podcast notwithstanding." In this episode, we put that attitude on trial. You'll hear the emails, my dad's 2023 body-cam interview (largely unedited), and a newly discovered ~16-minute call where the investigator asks my sister to consider a confrontation call. This is what it look...

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...

  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 acco...

   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...

  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...

  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...

  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 Ru...

  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 c...