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.

Stacy Wasilishin was found dead from a gunshot wound inside her Sedona, Arizona home on July 9, 1993. Credit: Nikki Wasilishin/Handout

'Papi killed Mommy'

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."

Nikki questions how investigators handled the key witness

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.

Nikki said her mom was "beautiful," "vibrant," and worked as a pastry chef. Credit: Nikki Wasilishin/Handout

Mother had spent her final hours making plans for the future

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.

No charges were ever filed

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.

Authorities ruled Stacy's death a homicide, but no one was ever charged. Credit: Nikki Wasilishin/Handout

Family remembers Stacy as a devoted mother

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.

Podcast aims to find answers

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

Featured image credit: Nikki Wasilishin/Handout

A Florida mother was captured reacting in real-time to the verdict that found her guilty of killing her young daughter—after her own son took the stand and said he watched it happen.

Amanda Lewis was convicted in February 2008 of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of her daughter, Adrianna Elaine Hutto. The little girl had been found unresponsive in the backyard pool at the family home and was later pronounced dead at Bay Medical Hospital.

Initially believed to be a tragic accident, the case took a shocking turn when Lewis’ son, AJ Hutto, came forward with what he said really happened.

In a recorded police interview, AJ said he saw his sister get "dunked" into the pool by their mother after she misbehaved.

Despite being just seven years old, AJ testified in court, struggling through tears as he recounted what he said he witnessed. Seventeen years later, AJ would reflect on that moment, saying he simply told the court what he saw “word for word.”

In court, AJ was asked if his sister was really dead. When he hesitated, the lawyer pressed him to answer “yes or no.” He was also asked how she died. He responded, “momma killed his sister,” and submitted a drawing that showed stick figures by a pool, with one figure forcing another’s head underwater.

"That's my mama," he said. "Killing my sister."

As the verdict was read out, Lewis appeared tense, watching the judge as he asked the jury foreperson for their decision. When she was found "guilty as charged" on both counts, her head dropped. She began breathing heavily, then broke into tears. Several people behind her in the gallery were also seen crying.

Lewis was sentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years for the child abuse charge, according to the Daily Record.

Even years after her conviction, Lewis has continued to claim she’s innocent. Speaking in the 2016 series Killer Women, she said she wanted to prove “what he [AJ] said I didn’t do.

Lewis told The Independent: “I love him no matter what, I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened.”

AJ, now 24 and living under a different name, recently told the Daily Mail that he was never pressured or influenced. “I just told them exactly what I saw word for word,” he said.

“It was heartbreaking. You know, she's my mother,” he added. “But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end.”

He also opened up about the years before his mother’s arrest, describing his childhood as “just darkness, trauma. A lot of abuse. Physically abused, both Adrianna and I were hit.”

Talking about life with his adoptive family, AJ said, “The difference between the two families was night and day.”

Featured image credit: Florida Department Of Corrections

The case of Amanda Lewis - a Florida mother sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her daughter - has resurfaced after her son, who was the key witness in her 2008 trial, spoke publicly for the first time in nearly two decades.

AJ Hutto, now 24, has shared his thoughts about testifying against his mother when he was just seven years old, telling the Daily Mail he stands by everything he said in court.

"I just told them exactly what I saw word for word. It was heartbreaking. You know, she's my mother," AJ recalled. "But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end."

What happened to Adrianna Hutto?

The tragic events unfolded on August 8, 2007, in the small rural town of Esto, Florida, just near the Alabama state line. That day, seven-year-old Adrianna Elaine Hutto was found unresponsive in the family's backyard pool, per CourtTV.

Amanda Lewis, who had reportedly just returned home after a night shift, told authorities that Adrianna had accidentally fallen into the water while trying to clean bugs from the pool’s surface.

At first, her explanation was accepted, and investigators treated the incident as a tragic accident.

But the case took a shocking turn when her son AJ came forward with a very different version of events.

“She throwed her in the pool”

In a video-recorded interview, AJ told investigators: “She done some stuff that she ain't supposed to, so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool.”

His chilling account suggested that his mother, angry over Adrianna’s behavior, had intentionally drowned her. AJ even submitted drawings to the court showing what he said he had witnessed—his mother holding his sister underwater as punishment.

At trial in February 2008, AJ, then just seven, wore a collared shirt and vest as he took the stand. His testimony became the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.

Amanda Lewis found guilty despite her denials

After four days of testimony, the jury convicted Amanda Lewis of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In a 2016 prison interview with Piers Morgan on Killer Women, Lewis continued to deny responsibility for her daughter’s death and shared her version of what happened.

"We had went outside. The kids were playing. [I] had to step back inside. Somewhere along the point she had pulled the wagon by the pool. Somewhere along the line she fell in," she said.

"Adrianna was playing in the pool. I looked out the back door and that's when I can barely see her floating in the pool."

Despite the differences in their stories, Lewis made it clear she still cared deeply for her son.

"I love him no matter what, I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened."

“I don’t believe I was coached”: AJ maintains his version of events

Now an adult, AJ has reaffirmed the testimony he gave as a child, insisting he was never manipulated by prosecutors.

“I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that,” he said. “I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”

AJ also reflected on the emotional difficulty of seeing his mother in court.

"It was heartbreaking. She's my mother. But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end."

“I’ve wanted to keep it that way”: No contact since the trial

Since Amanda Lewis's conviction, AJ has had no contact with her. Adopted by another family, he now lives under a different name and identity for his own safety and peace of mind.

“It’s court-appointed that we cannot see each other,” AJ said. “And I've wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing's getting brought back up… all the feelings, emotions, and traumas coming back into light."

Featured image credit: ITV

Trigger warning: This article contains graphic details.

A convicted murderer who was executed yesterday remained defiant in his stance before he was put to death.

Duane Eugene Owen was arrested after he fatally stabbed a Delray Beach babysitter and beat a single Boca Raton mom to death approximately 40 years ago.

The first incident saw Karen Slattery brutally raped and bludgeoned to death with a hammer while she was babysitting the two daughters of the Helm family. When the parents got home just after midnight, they noticed that their house was dark and quiet, which was unusual so they started looking around the rooms for Slattery.

They were shocked to see a pool of blood on the floor with a hammer laying next to it in the living room.

They then entered the master bedroom where they discovered the teenager's body which had been violated and stabbed a total of 18 times.

Slattery was only 14 at the time.

Law & Crime reported that Owen confessed to the teen’s murder and even detailed his plan in an audio transcript.

The 62-year-old told detectives that he broke into the home through the bedroom window earlier in the night and spotted Slattery braiding the young girls’ hair. He then decided to leave, have a few drinks, then go back to attack her.

Upon returning to the home, he grabbed a hammer that he had found in the bedroom closet, attacked the babysitter while she was watching TV before confessing that he "dragged" her upstairs and "just raped her."

Then just five days later, a similar incident saw Georgianna Worden brutally attacked inside her home in Florida.

Just like Slattery, Worden was killed and then sexually assaulted. The 38-year-old's children found her dead body the next morning while they were getting ready for school.

Owen was arrested and detained after DNA evidence linked him to the case. The killer confessed to both murders and was placed on trial in 1985 for Slattery's murder and then in 1986 for Worden's.

Both juries found the man guilty and he was sentenced to death.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Ron DeSantis initially delayed Owens' death sentence so he could be examined by three psychiatrists.

However, on June 15, the execution went ahead and the 62-year-old died at approximately 6:14 PM via a lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford.

Owens appeared to lack remorse until the very end. When asked if he had any last words minutes before his lethal injection, he reportedly said "no" - seemingly in an act of defiance.

Though he did leave a final statement with authorities shortly after he woke up on his final day.

Insisting that he would "live on", he claimed in his final statement, per Palm Beach Post: "I have transcended space and time, I have see the visions of the Crow. My energy and particles will transform ad infinitum, I will live on. I am Tula. 13."

Owens had been on death row for 38 years before he was executed.

Featured Image Credit: Mike Simons/Getty