No one was ever charged in a mother’s 1993 homicide, but what a toddler repeatedly told investigators has haunted the case for 33 years

A daughter is pushing to reopen a cold case involving her mother’s 1993 homicide, centering her efforts on a haunting phrase uttered by her then three-year-old sister. According to VT, Nicole Wasilishin, who was 10 years old when her mother Stacy Wasilishin was found fatally shot in their Sedona, Arizona home, has launched a podcast titled Papi Killed Mommy to bring fresh attention to the unsolved mystery.

The title of the podcast stems from the specific words her younger sister, Kristina, repeatedly told adults and investigators in the hours following the July 9, 1993, shooting. According to police records, the toddler communicated the same message multiple times. Nikki, now 43 and working as a pre-K teacher, believes her sister was awakened by the events that night and saw something no child should witness.

She argues that while these statements were part of the official record, they were never fully explored or analyzed using modern forensic techniques. Nikki holds deep concerns regarding how investigators handled her sister back in 1993. Instead of being interviewed by a trained child specialist, she says her sister was asked to lie on the floor to demonstrate how their mother had been positioned. She finds this approach unacceptable, especially because the child was being asked to reenact a traumatic event.

Why Nikki Wants the Case Reexamined

The case remains officially unsolved, as prosecutors previously determined there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. The circumstances surrounding the night of the death are particularly frustrating for the family. Phone records show that Stacy spent nearly two hours on the evening of July 8, 1993, talking to Nikki’s father, Craig Daly.

During this call, which ended shortly before 10 PM, they discussed plans to reconcile while Stacy’s longtime boyfriend, Russell Peterson, was away at a culinary seminar. Less than four hours later, Stacy was found lifeless. Nikki notes that Peterson was the only adult present in the home when her mother died and that his multiple statements to law enforcement have left many questions unanswered for over three decades.

Despite the passage of time, Nikki is working to ensure her mother is remembered as more than just a case file. She describes Stacy as a devoted mother and a talented pastry chef who prioritized her children above all else. Nikki recalls a childhood filled with books, handmade Halloween costumes, and a mother who was deeply involved in her daily life.

These memories make it impossible for her to accept any suggestion that her mother might have taken her own life. She emphasizes that her mother was happy, hopeful, and actively planning for a future with her children just hours before the shooting. The podcast, which launched in July 2025, incorporates police reports, court documents, and witness statements to reexamine the evidence.

For Nikki, the goal is clear. She believes that justice does not have an expiration date and that the case can still be solved if investigators look at the evidence with fresh eyes. This effort to uncover the truth of a long-standing mystery parallels other high-profile family tragedies, including cases where childhood testimony later brought hidden details to light. She maintains that as long as there are people alive with information and documents available, the truth remains within reach.

By sharing these details, she hopes to keep her mother’s story alive and eventually find the answers that have been missing for 33 years.