US7 min(s) read
Published 13:29 18 Jun 2026 GMT
A woman whose mother was killed in an unsolved homicide more than three decades ago has revealed the chilling three-word phrase her three-year-old sister repeatedly told investigators after the shooting.
Nicole "Nikki" Wasilishin was just 10 years old when her mother, Stacy Wasilishin, was found fatally shot inside the family's Sedona, Arizona home on July 9, 1993, following an alleged argument with her longtime boyfriend, Russell Peterson.
Now 43 and working as a pre-K teacher, Wasilishin has launched a true-crime podcast called Papi Killed Mommy in an effort to keep her mother's story alive and push for a new investigation.
The title comes from words that have haunted her for more than 30 years.
In an exclusive interview with VT.co, Wasilishin revealed her younger sister, Kristina, was just three years old when their mother died.
In the hours after the horrific shooting, the little girl repeatedly told adults and investigators: "Papi killed Mommy."
"According to police records, she made that statement numerous times during her interview and in conversations with adults following the shooting," Wasilishin said.
"In various forms, she repeatedly communicated the same basic idea: that Mommy was dead and that Papi had killed her."
Kristina's statements became part of the official record, but the pre-K teacher believes investigators failed to fully explore what the child may have witnessed.
"My belief is that Kristina was awakened by the events that occurred inside the home and witnessed something that no child should ever have to see," she explained.
"I cannot say with certainty exactly what she saw, but I do believe her repeated statements were meaningful and deserved careful consideration."
The podcast host told us that one of her biggest concerns is the way Kristina was interviewed after the shooting.
She argued that child interviewing standards in 1993 were very different from those used today.
Instead of being questioned by a specialist trained to work with young children, Kristina was allegedly asked to lie on the floor and show investigators how their mother had been positioned.
"She was essentially being asked to reenact aspects of a traumatic event at only three years old," Nikki said.
Even though investigators noted Kristina's statements, Wasilishin believes there was never an opportunity to look back on them using modern child forensic interviewing techniques.
As a result, she says many questions were left unanswered.
"I understand that memories can be complicated, especially when they involve very young children. However, what cannot be ignored is that a three-year-old repeatedly made statements identifying her father in connection with her mother’s death.
"Those statements became part of the official record," she said.
"More than thirty years later, I still believe Kristina’s words deserve to be taken seriously and examined within the totality of the evidence."
"Whether people agree with my conclusions or not, her voice is one of the most important voices in this case because she was the only eyewitness known to have been awake inside the home when my mother died," she added.
What makes the case even more troubling is what happened in the hours before her mother's death.
According to phone records, Stacy spent nearly two hours speaking with Nikki's father, Craig Daly, on the evening of July 8, 1993.
During the conversation, they reportedly discussed getting back together after years apart.
"My father has consistently stated that my mother sounded happy and hopeful," she said.
"He had a home available, and they made plans to get back together while Russell was away attending a culinary seminar."
The call ended shortly before 10PM, and less than four hours later, she was found lifeless.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner later ruled Stacy's death a homicide.
Despite the homicide ruling, nobody was ever charged with the crime.
Prosecutors later refused to pursue a case, saying there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wasilishin believes several investigative opportunities were missed, including how her little sister's interview was handled.
She also argues that evidence, phone records, and witness statements were not fully examined.
"As for who I believe is responsible, I can only speak for myself," she said.
"I believe Russell Peterson knows exactly what happened inside that home that night."
Nikki noted that Peterson was the only adult present when her mother was killed.
"He gave multiple statements to law enforcement, and many of those statements have raised questions that remain unanswered more than thirty years later," she added.
While the 43-year-old's fight for justice has become a mission spanning more than three decades, she says she wants people to remember who her mother was beyond the unsolved case.
"My mother, Stacy Wasilishin, was first and foremost a mom," Wasilishin said. "She never seemed interested in climbing a corporate ladder or building a career.
"What she wanted most was to have children and be involved in their lives.
"She started her family young and poured her energy into creating a loving home for us."
Wasilishin credits her mom, who was a pastry chef, with encouraging her lifelong love of storytelling and books.
"Many afternoons, I would come home from school to find a new book waiting on my bed," she said.
"She understood how much I loved stories and quietly encouraged that passion long before I ever became a storyteller myself."
Some of her fondest memories involve her mom's efforts to make her feel special, from finding outfits inspired by the TV show Clarissa Explains It All to making Halloween costumes by hand.
"She was present. She was involved. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with her children," she said.
"When people ask what I remember most, I remember a mother who loved being a mom. I remember laughter, books, baking, holidays, and feeling loved."
Those memories are one reason why Wasilishin has struggled to accept suggestions that her mom may have taken her own life.
"The woman I knew was deeply devoted to her children.
"She had spent the evening making plans for the future and talking with family members.
"She was not someone who would intentionally leave her children behind while they slept just feet away," she said.
Papi Killed Mommy was launched in July 2025 to coincide with the anniversary of Stacy's death.
The podcast includes police reports, witness statements, court documents, interviews, and Wasilishin's own memories of growing up without her mother.
"My mother was 32 years old when she was killed," Nikki said.
"She was a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a friend. The fact that thirty-three years have passed does not make her life any less valuable, nor does it lessen the obligation to pursue the truth."
Despite the decades that have passed, Nikki remains convinced the case can still be solved.
"Most importantly, I refuse to believe that justice has an expiration date," she said.
"As long as evidence exists, as long as people are alive who may have information, and as long as there are investigators willing to look at the case with fresh eyes, I believe my mother’s homicide can still be solved."
"That belief is what keeps me fighting, and it is one of the reasons I created the podcast in the first place," she added.
You can listen to Wasilishin's Papi Killed Mommy podcast here.
You can also follow her on Instagram
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