The Cold Case of Stephanie Wasilishin: Sedona mother's murder remains unsolved 30 years later

1993 cold case in Sedona after a young mother's life was taken after a domestic dispute. Nearly 30 years later, no arrest has ever been made.

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Hello, Hello, my friends,welcome back my true crime Junkies. It's
been a while. I would liketo welcome everybody to today's episode. If
you are new, welcome to mypodcast. We hope that you stay and
subscribe for new upcoming episodes. Ijust wanna let everybody know that today's episode
will be the last one for twentytwenty three. I will be returning with

(00:31):
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(00:57):
So now let's begin today's episode.We will be discussing the cold case
of Stephanie was Ssian. This casegoes back to nineteen ninety three. Let's
begin telling me a little bit moreabout Stephanie. She was born in Chicago.

(01:18):
Not much is available online right nowabout her upgrading, her upgrade,
ringing in her childhood, her mother. Her mother's name is Bernice, and
she was raised by her stepfather,Reginald Evans. And Stephanie does have three
sisters and two brothers, which you'llhear more about them later on throughout the

(01:42):
episode. When this case happened,Stephanie was thirty two years old. She
has two daughters, Nicole Lee hernickname is Niki, and Christina Courtney.
Stephanie was a pastry chef in Sedona. In this case, the have a
lot going on right now, it'sstill an open case. Unfortunately, on

(02:05):
to today's date, it's still unresolved. So let's start and take a deep
look into the case. More ofthe details right now. We do know
that a medical examiner ruled her deatha homicide, but the county's attorney's office
declined to prosecute the suspect twice.We'll get more into that later on.

(02:31):
Let's give you a little bit moreabout her life. Stephanie lived in Sedona,
the home surrounded by beautiful lush trees, red rocks of Sedona in a
comfy to bedroom house on a coffeepot drive. That's the name of the
area and that's where it can befound. Stephanie worked as a pastry chef

(02:54):
at a restaurant named Pietros, whereshe heard her longtime boyfriend. At that
time, he was a chef thirtyone years old Russ Peterson. Together they
raised her family, her two daughters. At that time, Christina was three

(03:17):
years old, Nicki Nicole she wasten, but there are from her from
Stephanie's previous relationship. So in thiscase, Peterson stepped in as a as
their stepdad a time that was lockedaway and Nicholls Nicki's memories. She remembers

(03:39):
what exactly happened on this date ofJuly ninth of nineteen ninety three. And
I'm gonna quote a statement she gave. She stated, she was sitting on
the couch and went up behind herand I wrapped my arms around her.

(04:00):
I gave her a hug and akiss, and I told her good night.
And that was around eleven PM onJuly eighth of nineteen ninety three.
End quote. This is one ofNicki's statements. And just hours later and
nine one one number one was called. Peterson called nine one one. This

(04:20):
call was made around one forty amin the morning, nearly thirty minutes after
an alleged fight. Peterson tells thenine one one operator, quote, I
need help. There has been avery bad accident. Me and my wife
were in an argument and she hurt. She is hurt, very bad.

(04:41):
End quote. Proceed to tell Heproceeded to tell the operator she has been
shot. In the operator accident whoshot her? And Peterson responded, we
were I don't know who and quote, and the operator responded back to him,
you don't know who shot her.Peterson replies, I might have.

(05:04):
She might have shot herself end quote. Inside the couple's bedroom, Stephanie laid
on the floor, lifeless. Thegirls were asleep when the officers arrived minutes
later. Later that morning, Petersonis interviewed for the first time by authorities.
He said he returned home from workafter eleven that night, took a

(05:29):
shower, and shared a bottle ofwine with Stephanie on the couch. The
conversation in the living room evolved whenStephanie said she'd been on the phone earlier
with Nikki's father, her ex Themood became confrontational when they discussed Peterson's upcoming
trip to New York for a twoweek culinary training. She goes into the

(05:53):
bedroom and she comes back out.She has the gun in her hand and
she cocked it back and she goesRussell, I'm gonna shoot you and I
put my hands up and said,steph, what are we talking about here?
Peterson explained to the police. Andthen the gun was a Rugger Red

(06:13):
HOWK forty four magnum revolver, andaccording to the police report, Peterson claimed
Stephanie shot him, shot at himbut missed before he followed her into the
better bedroom for the final shot.And the investigator's accident, Where was the
gun when it went off? Inrelation to you? And here waist high,

(06:38):
hot head high in between you?Were you close together or far apart?
So Peterson responds back to your investigator, No, we were not far
apart. We were close together.I can't give you an exacts on that.
It all happen so fast. Idon't know. I mean, we

(06:59):
were there, there was a struggle. Next thing I know, there was
a pop and she dropped end quote. This is a statement to be investigators.
The next morning after the in thes the accident. Now, the
interview reveals Peterson's didn't call nine oneone until after deciding where to place the

(07:19):
gun. I didn't know what todo, and I didn't want to be
accused of murder of anything like that. So he picked up the gun and
he stated, I put it inthe holster. I put it back in
the closet. I brought it backdown and s I s and said,
no, that's stupid. It's happened. There's nothing you can do about about

(07:42):
it at this point. And Iset it back there on the ground,
and you guys came, Peterson explainedto the investigator and quote, so right
now. Reports say that her daughter, Nikole Nicki, had no idea what
her mom was said at that momentuntil her sister shout it to her.
Quote, she kept saying, Poppykilled mommy. Poppy killed mommy, and

(08:07):
kept repeating it, Nikki stated ina statement. Police say the three year
old admitted that although she saw hermother on the floor, she did not
win the shooting. So who actuallypulled the trigger during this heated struggle and
what caused Dephnitie to grab a gunshe had never used? Peterson stated during

(08:28):
an interview, we had a goodand a semi bad relationship, just as
relationships goal. After the first time, the gun was never grabbed before end
quote. The investigation goes deeper thanit runs into some problems. At times.
He was referred as a suspect inothers. Reports he was referred to

(08:52):
us in investigated lead that this isbased on the Sedona Police Sergeant Laura Leon
who is now on the case,looking for new information and hoping to speak
to Peterson. Almost thirty years later, and she is working at the moment
on the case. She's trying toget this case resolved and hopefully something some

(09:18):
sort of justice. The medical whoperformed Stephanie's autopsy ruled the manner of death
a homicide, and his name isdoctor Philip Keane with Maricopa County. Back
in ninety three, the investigators didrefer to Peterson as a suspect, submitting
the case to the Davapai County Attorney'soffice twice, but the prosecutors declined to

(09:43):
foul charges due to insufficient evidence.It is only, of course, Peterson's
side that they had on hand,so that didn't make it difficult, stated
Sergeant Leon. She this hasn't beena complicated case because without evidence, it's

(10:03):
hard for them to prosecute. Investigatorsask Stephanie's sister Wendy, if she ever
first threatened to kill him, thenkill herself for her two kids in the
house, So this is what theinvestigators are asking Wendy if she's ever heard
Stephanie mention anything threatening like this,and she replied no. She loved her

(10:28):
kids, she was a perfect mom. She decorated all the time, She
spent a lot of time with hergirls. End quote. So she has
no records, no history of threateningher kids or herself. She was stable,
mentally stable. She loved her family, she loved being a mom.

(10:54):
Sergeant Leon said in joining the interview, She's the big question is did she
commit suicide or did she or didPearson participated in her dying that night?
End quote. The medical examiner didmake a key observation about Stephanie and the
gun residue on her hand. Sofor Nicole Nikki, nothing matters more than

(11:20):
finding out what exactly happened inside theirhome on July ninth. I have been
personally in touch with her discussing.She's been assisting me and giving me authorization
to share this case, bring awarenessto this case, hopefully to put more
pressure on authorities to pursue pursue theperson that's being seen right now as a

(11:48):
suspect. We are hoping that I'mgonna work on a second part of this
and I will schedule and continue talkingto Nicki about this, and I will
bring her on for hopefully for aninterview, and I will keep everybody posted
on this and make sure you keepan eye on that. I'm gonna read

(12:11):
to you a statement and call gaveto authorities. And this is a quote
when that she stated, when Ihave people tell me that it's a suicide
or an accident or whatever you wantto say, I know it's just a
latant lie. My mom will nevertouch a gun. Her two children were

(12:31):
sleeping just feet away, Nikki said, end quote. And according to the
medical examiner's report, the bullet enteredthrough the left side of Stephanie's neck.
Doctor Philip Keene told police he wascalling the manner of death a homicide after
learning Stephanie was right handed. Herright handed dominance, so the report shows

(12:56):
positive findings of gunshot residue on herher left palm, not her right hand.
So if you're a right hand personand you're gonna shoot yourself, you
know, hold a gun, youwill use your dominant hand, not the
opposite. So that brings a lotof questions to the investigation. Now,

(13:18):
on September third of nineteen ninety three, less than two months after the shooting,
Peterson met with investigators for the lastinterview, and at this time his
story has changed. Quote he statedto the authorities, I don't think there
was a struggle. The struggle wasmy own struggle. I wanted to grab

(13:39):
her. Why did you shoot atme? Stop the madness? Why did
all this happen? You never gaveme the chance. I don't know what
happened. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened, he
kept repeating. I may know,it'll come to me. I never I
don't think I ever put my handson her, Peterson recalled. This time,

(14:03):
Peterson told police he saw Stephanie fallfrom distance. The month prior,
investigators simulated the shooting with a modelof a forty four mag number over.
They found a woman of similar sizeframed to attempt the same angle of the
bullet entry through the left side ofher neck. There was difficulties pulling the

(14:24):
trigger with a one handed double action. It finally worked with a simulation of
the struggle between two people. Sothe medical examiner also told investigators he believed
Stephanie was in a defensive posture whenshe was shot, based on gunpowder residue
on her left palm. We putthe evidence together and it's like the evidence

(14:50):
is showing that one she did notcommit suicide. There was no one else
present in the room, correct Adetective ax Peter. Near the end of
the interview, detective confronted Peterson abouthis lack of cooperation. A polygraph test
or reenactment with Peterson himself never happened. He did give consent for a search

(15:13):
of his house. In December ofnineteen ninety three, Sedona Peti learned the
Javapai County's Attorney's office did not seeenough sufficient evidence to present to the grand
jury. Despite the inconsistencies in thesuspect story, the original police report revealed

(15:33):
Stephanie told her mother more than fiftytimes that Peterson abused her physically and emotionally.
Wendy, her sister, said thatshe was planning on leaving him for
good. This is a statement shegave to her. I think this was
the end of the road for thatrelationship. She said she was thinking about

(15:58):
leaving him. My mother off ather home. End quote. Peterson did
n I the abuse in ninety three'snineteen ninety three interview, and he said
I never in six years ever raiseda hand to her, he claimed,
and Peterson's phone bill shows a callwas made to a location in Glendale at

(16:21):
around one thirty six in the morning, lasting about a minute, and at
one forty am that's when he callednine one one. So Leon's follow up
narrative on the case boils down toher saying I cannot find any further leads
on this case short or short ofa confession from Peterson making an admission end

(16:44):
quote. So unless he confesses tomurdering her, this is going to be
a hard case to close right nowat the moment. And as per Stephanie's
daughters, they are not giving upgetting just this and Nicole gave an interview
and stated, I Am not goingto give up on this anymore. I

(17:08):
will fight the system. I willnot let this go. My mother did
not commit suicide or have an argumentand or even try to shoot her boyfriend.
That is not what happened end quote. Peterson has refused to give interviews
to all reporters covering the case.Currently, the case continues open as an

(17:30):
active investigation per the Japappie County Attorney'sOffice, but unfortunately they are not giving
any comments or statements at the momentbecause it is an active investigation. So
right now, all we can dois continue to share and put pressure on

(17:52):
the attorney's office and other authorities sothey can push to get justice for Stephanie
and to close this case and justgive a little bit of some kind of
comfort to the family. And Iwill of course continue to follow up on
this case as more information comes up, and like I said, I will

(18:15):
be working on a second part ofthis investigation. I will be bringing in
Nicole for a quick interview and sharemore about this case. So stay tuned
cause that interview will be happening verysoon. And as you know, if
any more evidence happened to come upsooner, I will update and update everybody

(18:41):
very soon. So if anyone outthere does have information, know anything about
this case, please contact the localauthorities sin Sedona. You can reach out
to Nicki. She does. Sheis actively on social media spreading awareness to
this case, hoping that someone knowssomething, has you know, just something

(19:02):
about this case, and if theydo, please share it, contact the
authorities, reach out to Nicki andjust let's help this family. So well,
right now, this is all fortoday, My friends right now,
Please don't forget to subscribe or hitthe like button below the page. If

(19:26):
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(19:47):
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(20:11):
stay safe. Bye,