10. "A Small Podcast, Notwithstanding"

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 looks like when a family—not the system—drags a case forward.

Quick links

• ✍️ Sign the petition: Petition · DEMAND a complete Homicide investigation for the murder of Stephanie Marie Wasilishin - Sedona, United States · Change.org
  
  

• Yavapai County Attorney's Office — request an active review of Stephanie Marie Wasilishin (Case #930004944) and direct coordination with Sedona PD. (928) 771-3344 · ycao@yavapaiaz.gov

• Sedona Police Department — move the case from inactive to active, release the complete file to the family, and pursue new leads. (928) 282-3100 · sfoley@sedonaaz.gov

• Sedona Red Rock News (Editor) — cover the family's perspective with appropriate domestic-violence context. (928) 282-7795 · editor@larsonnewspapers.com

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.

Audio notes: The dad interview is converted body-cam audio. I kept it essentially edit-free. The only cuts are moments where my sister's name is spoken; those are muted for privacy. Expect a few spots that sound "chunky" due to redactions and the source format. I cleaned levels without altering content.

The receipts: Email chain with Red Rock News

• We walk through the August 10–11, 2025 exchange with the managing editor, including the line: "A small podcast notwithstanding…"
  
  

• We unpack why that's inaccurate on the numbers and harmful in practice:
  
  

• This show has surpassed 160,000+ total downloads and has charted in Apple's Top 200 (twice), placing it in the top 5–10% of podcasts.
  
  

• Independent shows are public pressure: coverage → tips → action.
  
  

• Pull quote: "Words matter. Using 'notwithstanding' here says 'you don't matter.' The audience—and my mom's name—say otherwise."
  
  

Dad's 2023 interview: what changes

• Plan to leave: He says my mom called the night of July 8–9, 1993, saying she was leaving and heading to his home the next morning.
  
  

• Surveillance angle: He reports she told him there was a phone-recording device in the house because of suspected infidelity.
  
  

• Gun mechanics: He challenges the plausibility of a left-hand, one-handed shot with a .44 Magnum by someone he says disliked guns.
  
  

• The new shocker (to me): He admits they were still sleeping together while she was with Russell—information he had never told me.
  
  

• Tone matters: He's confident, unhesitating, and calls me a "pest." Hearing that off-mic hurt, but it also underlines the truth: it took public pressure to get this interview at all.
  
  

My sister's call

• What it is: A recorded call between my sister and Sgt. Leon discovered in a folder labeled "Calls with Sgt. Leon."
  
  

• Why now: It's a public record; anyone could request it. You're hearing it with context, from family—not as a sensational headline.
  
  

• What's in it:
  
  

• Health status and urgency; offers of cell numbers, addresses, hospital info.
  
  

• A push from the investigator for a confrontation call (and possibly an in-person wired attempt).
  
  

• Ex-wives & leads: Names to contact; alleged statements Russell made over the years.
  
  

• My take: Asking a victim's daughter to be "the key" is heavy and risky. It signals gaps that should be closed by investigators—not placed on family.
  
  

New workplace tip

Following national coverage, a listener recognized Russell from a former workplace and described a long pattern: uncomfortable comments to young women, a snap temper, and frequent statements that "his girlfriend shot herself." One memory is not a case; a pattern can be. If you heard similar statements—or anything about that night—please reach out.

Tip line options:
• 📧 papikilledmommy@gmail.com (confidential; I'll pass to PD if you prefer)
• ☎️ / ✉️ Sedona PD (contacts in show notes)

Key takeaways

• Media ≠ noise. It's the channel that finally forced movement in a case left to gather dust.
  
  

• Dad's interview adds stakes: plan to leave, possible surveillance, mechanics that challenge the suicide framing, and a relationship detail I never knew.
  
  

• The burden shift is real: My sister was asked to carry investigative weight. Families shouldn't have to do that—but we will if we must.
  
  

• Patterns matter: Third-party statements, workplace behavior, and repeated narratives can build corroboration.
  
  

How you can help (today)

• ✍️ Sign the petition (link in show notes). 60 seconds. Real pressure.
  
  

• ☎️/✉️ Contact Sedona PD & Yavapai County Attorney (numbers/emails in show notes). Be respectful, be firm: ask for renewed interviews, follow-through on ex-spouses, and full review of new/old leads.
  
  

• 📰 Email or call the Red Rock News (contacts in show notes). Ask for family-POV coverage. Remind them: media is public pressure.
  
  

• 📣 Share the episode. Visibility brings tips. Tips bring action.
  
  

Credits & gratitude

• Host/Writer: Nikki — "the daughter of a murdered woman."
  
  

• Production: Independent—no network safety net, just stubborn love and receipts.
  
  

• Special thanks: Everyone who's sent tips, shared episodes, and stood up when it was easier to look away. And to those who bought Dickie Birdie goodies (nose cream, yellow ducky, AirTag case)—you made our week. His wishlist is still active if you want to send a little love. 🐥💛Amazon.com
  
  

Next on Papi Killed Mommy

The turning point: the viral spark, the rumor mill, the found sibling, and why I built my own platform when the "official" ones wouldn't listen. If schedules align, Texas attorney Mike Hansen joins me to break down the file and why this case grabbed him.

Shareable blurb

A local editor called this show "a small podcast notwithstanding." In EP10, we answer with receipts: the emails, my dad's first in-person interview in 32 years, and a newly uncovered ~16-minute call where police ask my sister to consider a confrontation call. This is what it looks like when a family refuses to let a case go cold. Links in show notes to sign, call, and write. #PapiKilledMommy

Follow & Share

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Email: papikilledmommy@gmail.com