Papi Killed Mommy

The Independent Takes Notice

It's been 36 days since the last episode of Papi Killed Mommy. Lots to fill you in on. In this episode, I sit down and talk openly about burnout, obsession, grief, media attention, CrimeCon Vegas, and the emotional reality of spending five years living inside my mother's homicide case every single day. Over the last few months, my mom's case has received major media attention, including front-page local coverage, a national article from A&E, and now a brand-new feature from The Independent [https://www.independent.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/cold-case-murder-stephanie-wasilishin-tiktok-b2968369.html [https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/cold-case-murder-stephanie-wasilishin-tiktok-b2968369.html] after a journalist discovered me through the CrimeCon Facebook community. We talk about what that coverage means to me, why media pressure has always been the goal, and how surreal it feels preparing to walk onto a stage with Crime Weekly at CrimeCon 2026 after starting this journey alone on TikTok years ago. But this episode also goes somewhere I never expected… I talk honestly about hitting a wall with true crime. I don't see my self going forward with other cases. After years of reading police reports, autopsy reports, case files, and reliving trauma publicly online, I've started questioning whether I can continue existing solely inside this world emotionally and creatively. And somehow… that led to the accidental launch of an entirely different podcast. Introducing: Nanny Nikki's Imagination Station https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nanny-nikkis-imagination-station/id1896688793 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nanny-nikkis-imagination-station/id1896688793] — where turning the page is just the beginning. A brand-new children's storytelling podcast inspired by my work with kids, imagination, storytelling, voices, characters, and creativity. Episode two, Dickie Birdie Has Two Names [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KHghZp8yzzpS3g6rcwnfp?si=TYcJWscPTjalZMNqzaPnig&utm_source=chatgpt.com], is an original story inspired by my tiny senior chihuahua, Dickie Birdie — and honestly, creating it may have been the happiest I've felt creatively in years. For the first time in a long time, I created something joyful instead of painful. In this episode we also somehow spiral into: • kidnapped classroom hermit crabs. I'm a Crabnapper • why the hermit crab trade is heartbreaking. • senior rescue dogs • Arizona heat • TikTok violations • emotional exhaustion • media pressure • CrimeCon prep chaos • and whether I'm literally just waiting for a deathbed confession at this point So basically… a normal week in my life. If you're coming to CrimeCon Vegas, come say hi. I'll be at my booth with merch, framed articles, giveaway signed front page articles, and Dickie Birdie riding around in his tiny red stroller. 🐾 Support Nikk's zoo of rescue animals, senior pets, and apparently now hermit crabs: Amazon Wishlist [https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/49E74TM4J5D8?ref_=wl_share&utm_source=chatgpt.com] Thank you for continuing to keep my mom's name alive after all these years. I'll see you at CrimeCon… or I'll see you right back here after.

16. A&E Delivered

In this episode of Papi Killed Mommy, Nikki shares a major turning point in her mother Stephanie Wasilishin's case — from national media recognition… to a shift in strategy… to one of the most personal decisions she's made in 33 years. After being told there is no legal path forward without a confession, Nikki opens up about what the last month has actually looked like behind the scenes — the frustration, the burnout, and the moment everything changed. Because this episode marks something important: Momentum. 🎙️ Episode Highlights 📰 A&E Delivers — National Feature Released On April 9, 2026, A&E published a national article on Stephanie Wasilishin's case — bringing long-overdue visibility to a story that has largely gone unheard for decades. 📰 Read the article here: https://www.aetv.com/articles/stephanie-wasilishin [https://www.aetv.com/articles/stephanie-wasilishin] This moment represents more than just coverage — it's validation, visibility, and the beginning of something bigger. 🎧 The Last 33 Days — What Changed This episode walks through: * Being told the case cannot move forward without a confession * The emotional aftermath of that reality * Taking a step back — and what that looked like * The realization that this case needs bigger media, bigger platforms, and more pressure * Why television and national exposure are key to movement in cold cases 🎤 CrimeCon 2026 — Next Steps With CrimeCon approaching, Nikki is preparing to take this story directly to creators, networks, and anyone willing to listen. This is no longer just about telling the story. It's about getting it in front of the right people. 📱 Follow Nikki in Real Time For updates, behind-the-scenes advocacy, and ongoing developments: 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@nicolewasilishin [https://www.tiktok.com/@nicolewasilishin] ✊ Sign the Petition — Justice for Stephanie Wasilishin 👉 https://www.change.org/justiceforstacy [https://www.change.org/justiceforstacy] Every signature helps increase visibility and keeps pressure on this case. 🐾 Dickie Birdie & Senior Dog + Kitty Wishlist I'm not asking for support for myself. But I will ask for my animals. They are my babies — my dogs and my cats — and right now, they're all getting older at the same time. Living in Arizona, the extreme heat makes it really hard to keep them comfortable and safe through the summer. This wishlist includes things like cooling mats, food, and basic items to help them get through the heat — especially for dogs like Jake who struggle the most in the warmer months. I also have my 16-year-old cat, Manny, whose kidneys are starting to go. He has a prescription for kidney care food that I have not been able to fill yet, and that's something I'm really trying to get for him as soon as possible. If you're in a position to help at all — even something small — it truly means more than you know. And if not, just being here and listening is everything. 👉 https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/49E74TM4J5D8 [https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/49E74TM4J5D8] 📣 If You Have Information If you have any information related to this case — no matter how small — or if you know Russell Bennett Peterson or have ever crossed paths with him, please come forward. 📧 papikilledmommy@gmail.com [papikilledmommy@gmail.com] Sedona Police Department: 📞 (928) 282-3100 Please only reach out if you have legitimate information that could help move this case forward. And then… there's this. For the first time in 33 years… Nikki is no longer waiting. After being told that a confession is the only way forward, she made the decision to stop sitting on the sidelines — and step directly into the space she's been kept out of for decades. A message was sent. To Russell Bennett Peterson. Requesting a conversation. Face to face. On camera. An opportunity to speak. To explain. To tell the truth. The message has been read. There has been no response. Yet. This episode is not the end of anything. It's the beginning of the next phase. And this time… it's personal.

15. Defeated

Every time I sat down to write the script about what has happened in the last 30 days in my mom's case, I got stuck. Angry. Frustrated. Completely overwhelmed. So this episode isn't really written. Instead, I walked into the studio, turned on the microphone, and treated this the same way I treat my morning TikTok videos — like a vlog. Just sitting down and talking through everything that has happened. Because a lot has happened. In early February, true crime creator Stephanie Harlowe released a two-part deep dive into my mother's case, focusing on the interrogations of Russell Peterson. Between the two videos, Stephanie spent more than four and a half hours analyzing the evidence, timelines, and statements in this case. If you haven't seen those yet, you can watch them here: Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-OckJoNghk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-OckJoNghk] Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqvB1j2cGI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqvB1j2cGI] Watching someone dissect the story that has defined my life since I was ten years old was overwhelming, but also incredibly validating. Tens of thousands of people listened to those interrogation recordings and heard the same things my family has been saying for decades. For a moment, it gave me hope. Shortly after that, I finally received something I had been requesting for months — the updated case file from Yavapai County, including crime scene photographs from the night my mom was killed that I had never seen before. Seeing my childhood home frozen in time like that was surreal. Some things I remembered immediately — the blanket on the couch, my mom's plants, the telescope she bought me because I loved space. Other things felt completely unfamiliar, like I was looking at the house through someone else's eyes. But one photo stopped me in my tracks. In the kitchen, on the bar counter, there was a children's canvas craft with crayons and markers scattered around it — something my sister and I had been coloring while my mom helped us. Because when people look at my mom's case, I want them to see what I see: a loving mother who spent her time doing crafts with her kids. Not the story that was written about her after she died. This episode also covers the long-awaited meeting my family had with the Yavapai County Attorney's Office on February 27th — a meeting I had been pushing for since launching this podcast. After months of emails, media pressure, and requests, we finally sat down with them. And within minutes, I realized something devastating. They weren't there to move the case forward. They were there to explain why they wouldn't. According to the county attorney, the only way this case can move forward now would be with a confession or a confrontation call. After more than thirty years… the system is essentially asking the family to solve the case ourselves. That moment left me feeling something I didn't expect after fighting this hard for this long: Defeated. But even in the middle of that feeling, there are still things moving forward. In this episode I also share some unexpected updates, including: • Signing my contract to attend CrimeCon 2026 in Las Vegas • Returning to Creator's Row with a booth for Papi Killed Mommy • And being invited to appear on stage with Stephanie Harlowe and Derrick Levasseur for a live Crime Weekly show I also recently sat down for an interview with A&E Digital, and they will be releasing an article about my mom's case next month. Right now, I don't know exactly what the next step in this fight will be. But I do know this: This isn't the end. You can follow my daily updates on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@nicolewasilishin If you want to support efforts to reopen my mom's case, you can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/demand-a-complete-homicide-investigation-for-the-murder-of-stephanie-marie-wasilishin [https://www.change.org/p/demand-a-complete-homicide-investigation-for-the-murder-of-stephanie-marie-wasilishin] Contact the podcast: PapiKilledMommy@gmail.com If you have investigative skills, private investigator connections, or information that could help move this case forward, please reach out.

14. Front Page and A&E

In this episode of Papi Killed Mommy, Nikki shares jaw‑dropping real‑time developments in her mother Stephanie Wasilishin's cold case — from viral TikTok traction, to national recognition, to major media momentum and strategic advocacy work that's finally putting this case in front of the right eyes. This episode covers everything that's happened in the last 35 days: documentary‑style updates, personal reflections, and exactly what has shifted since the last episode — including acknowledgment from major creators and outlets who've helped amplify Stephanie's story. 🎙️ Episode Highlights ✨ Stephanie Harlowe True crime creator Stephanie Harlowe — YouTuber, podcaster, researcher, and co‑host of Crime Weekly — saw one of Nikki's TikToks and reached out. Stephanie has agreed to feature Stephanie Wasilishin's case on her YouTube channel, and she's currently reviewing case files and interrogation audio. This is a huge moment of visibility for a case that's stayed in the shadows for decades. * 📺 Stephanie Harlowe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephanieharlowe * 📱 Stephanie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanieharlowe 📰 A&E Recognition – Mikey Brieaddy Cold cases influencer Mikey Brieaddy included Stephanie Wasilishin's case in an A&E Crime + Investigation article highlighting the "5 Cold Cases True Crime Influencer Mike Brieaddy Most Wants to See Solved" — a nod that puts national spotlight on this long‑overlooked story. * 📰 Read the A&E article here: https://www.aetv.com/articles/the-5-cold-cases-true-crime-influencer-mike-brieaddy-most-wants-to-see-solved [https://www.aetv.com/articles/the-5-cold-cases-true-crime-influencer-mike-brieaddy-most-wants-to-see-solved?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * 📱 Mikey Brieaddy on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makingatruecrimerer?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc [https://www.tiktok.com/@makingatruecrimerer?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] * 📺 Mike's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@makingatruecrimerer 📂 Case Work & Advocacy This episode goes deep into the ongoing legal and investigative push: 🔹 Civil rights packet sent to attorneys — documents, timelines, and evidence packaged and mailed to civil rights lawyers, searching for someone who will take this case seriously. 🔹 UPDATED Records requests — new case files and crime scene photos requested, including a quote being obtained for these records. 🔹 Upcoming meeting with Yavapai County Attorney's Office — February 27, 2026 — Nikki and her aunt are driving to Prescott to confront the long silence and demand answers about why years of inaction and inconsistency went unexplained. 💰 Support the Investigation & Story Pushing for justice costs money. Your support directly helps with things like public records costs, travel, and storytelling infrastructure: 🔗 GoFundMe — Case files, crime scene photos & Prescott travel: https://gofund.me/7ad47648b [https://gofund.me/7ad47648b] 🔗 GoFundMe — Book ghostwriter fund: https://gofund.me/aa526e170 [https://gofund.me/aa526e170] Every contribution helps keep this work going. And even if you can't donate — sharing, following, and engaging matters. 📱 Follow Nikki in Real Time For the most up‑to‑date updates and behind‑the‑scenes advocacy: 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@nicolewasilishin?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc [https://www.tiktok.com/@nicolewasilishin?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] 📣 Call to Action If you believe this cold case deserves accountability — especially given the inconsistencies and unanswered questions — you can respectfully reach out to the office now handling the investigation: Yavapai County Attorney's Office 📍 Prescott, Arizona 📞 (928) 771‑3300 📧 county.attorney@yavapaiaz.gov

13. I'm Baaaack

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