Crime Junkie Podcast Summary

Episode: MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: The Day-Stewart Family
Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Ashley Flowers, with Brit Prawat
Production: Audiochuck

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat examine the tragic deaths of the Day-Stewart family in a 2023 Chicago house fire that killed Summer Day and her three children. The fire, ruled as a non-criminal "undetermined" event, is complicated by allegations of prior domestic abuse, a contentious investigation, unsettling physical evidence, and the revelation that Summer was planning to leave her husband—Chicago firefighter, Walter "Shawn" Stewart—at the time of her death. Ashley and her team dig into official reports, interviews with family and friends, expert analysis, and their own investigative work to challenge whether this was simply a horrific accident or something more sinister.

The episode subverts the narrative of a grieving firefighter husband, raising troubling questions about missed investigative opportunities and a possible conflict of interest by law enforcement and the fire department.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Night of the Fire

• Timeline of Events:

  • 9:09pm, March 7, 2023: 911 call for a house fire at 2554 N. Rutherford Ave.
  • The house belonged to firefighter Shawn Stewart, on duty that night.
  • Firefighters found Shawn’s wife, Summer, and their three children unconscious inside—the family dog also perished.
  • All victims succumbed to smoke inhalation; no one survived to explain what happened.
  • Ashley describes the harrowing chaos:

    "He watched as fellow firefighters came out of the house one by one, carrying all of his children and laying them on the lawn..." (05:35)

• Initial Investigation:

  • Fire appeared to start in the kitchen, with a stove left on and a pot containing oil.
  • Summer was found with a blood alcohol content of 0.312, nearly four times the legal limit.
  • Two-year-old Emery had traces of lorazepam (a sedative) in his system, with no explanation.

2. The House Fire Investigation

• Cause of Fire:

  • Focused on the kitchen’s stove and a melted extension cord, with a water cooler plugged in.
  • The only lab test was on a can near the stove, which was ruled irrelevant.
  • The deaths were classified as undetermined/suspended by CFD, non-criminal by CPD. No further investigation unless new evidence arises.

• Missed Opportunities:

  • Minimal interviews: Police only spoke to Shawn and his co-workers.
  • No collection of phone records, canvassing for witnesses, neighborhood security footage, or attempt to build a timeline using digital evidence.

3. The Troubled Family Background

• Allegations of Domestic Abuse:

  • Ashley's team uncovers extensive documentation from Summer:

    • Texts, photos of bruises, and videos revealing a cycle of violence and apology, including incidents involving the children.
    • Summer obtained a protective order after Shawn was arrested for domestic battery in January 2022.

    "I wish I could videotape this. Oh wait, I can." – Summer, in a 2013 video documenting Shawn's promises never to hurt her again (16:44)

    "He took my neck and pushed it down onto the bed, and it ... now my neck is sore." – Daughter Autumn, describing an incident involving her father (20:08)

  • Despite this, local media portrayed Shawn as a tragic, grieving figure; the abuse history was left out.

4. Motive and Opportunity

• Summer's Plans to Leave:

  • Summer was set to leave Shawn and drive her kids to Oregon on March 8, a plan she shared with family and friends.

  • She told Shawn it would be temporary (to care for a friend with cancer), but confided in others it was to escape her abusive marriage.

    "It turns out Summer was planning on taking the kids to and leaving her firefighter husband Sean on March 8. But she never got the chance..." (15:00)

• Timeline and Alcohol Consumption:

  • A friend, Cleo, spoke to Summer 60–90 minutes before the fire started; Summer sounded fine and not intoxicated.

  • Summer messaged Cleo, "can you call me back?" at around the likely start time of the fire. Cleo was unable to reach her, and at that point, the fire may already have begun.

    "A half hour later, which would have been 8, 8:30, right about the time the fire would have started, Cleo told us that a Facebook message popped up from Summer, and it read, can you call me back?" (44:25)

5. Expert Analysis and the Pot of Oil

• Independent Fire Expert:

  • Ashley’s team hired Dale Ryson, an experienced arson investigator, who suggested the fire likely began with oil on the stove, possibly intentionally left to overheat and ignite.

    "If you wanted to make a fire look like an accident, a pot of oil is one of the best ways to do it. You just set the oil on high heat and walk away." – Dale Ryson (33:07)

• Questionable Smoke Alarms:

  • Shawn sued the manufacturer for alleged alarm failure.

  • Investigators’ photos show Kidda-brand smoke detector batteries on the floor, oddly unburned, suggesting batteries were removed pre-fire.

    "If the fire was hot enough to melt the plastic of the smoke alarm, then it was also hot enough to melt the batteries...they just look like they have been sitting there." (39:08)

6. Three Theories Explored

• 1) Summer’s Responsibility (Filicide, Suicide, or Accident):
  • Possible, given her emotional state, injury, struggles with alcohol, and hints at depression, but undermined by her plans to leave, conversations with friends, and the timing of her final message.
• 2) An Unknown Intruder/Third Party:
  • Not ruled out, but there was a lack of police effort to check for visitors, alibis, or security footage.
• 3) Shawn Stewart:

  • Despite being on duty, the possibility he (or someone acting on his behalf) might have set the stage for the fire is considered.

  • His alibi is supported by firehouse staff and shopping receipts, but family lawyer noted an insurance investigator believed Shawn visited a grocery store at night (not proven).

  • The investigation was handled by Shawn’s own department and fellow first responders, despite clear conflicts of interest that should have triggered state or federal oversight.

    "According to Illinois's own policy, the city of Chicago should have called in a state fire marshal to do this investigation right away. Because it checked not one, not two, but three boxes on the response criteria..." (58:28)

7. Institutional Failure & Call for Re-Investigation

• Conflict of Interest:

  • State guidelines require an outside agency when the local department is involved, yet both fire and police handled the case personally.
  • Precedent for institutional cover-up exists; a 2020 incident at Sean’s prior firehouse involved similar collusion among firefighters.

• Lack of Subpoenas or Forensic Analysis:

  • No attempt was made to subpoena phone or Facebook records, or to collect fingerprint evidence from the smoke alarm batteries.

    "If there was a fingerprint left on the batteries, that the smoke would have actually preserved the fingerprint...So we potentially, yeah, lost a crucial piece of evidence here." (51:04)

• Official Responses:

  • No comment from the fire department or police; Shawn gave a written statement declining to address specifics but emphasizing his regret and pain.

    "If opening up the case and reinvestigating gives them that opportunity, then it is worth it. I miss my family every day...This whole situation is bad. I wish I had the power to change it." – Shawn Stewart (63:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pattern of Abuse:

  "The cycle of abuse is textbook: violence, apology, violence again." – Ashley (19:26)

• On the Investigation:

  "This case is a closed case. The city of Chicago couldn't tell us how the fire started, so we hired our own arson expert to take a look." – Ashley (27:09)

• On Lack of Rigor:

  "They never canvassed the neighborhood. They never collected any phone records. They never mapped out a timeline..." – Ashley (50:41)

• On the Family's Legacy:

  "No matter what actually happened the night of the fire, this family deserved more...It breaks my heart that just as Summer was about to do the hardest thing imaginable...her house, her life, and her children’s lives, their futures all went up in smoke." – Ashley (64:21)

• Maria, Summer’s Mom:

  "God saw everything and God can read the heart. I believe I will see Summer and the kids again in the Resurrection...But in the meantime, I miss them so much. Too much. There are days when I cannot function..." (66:47)

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• The Fire and Rescue Scene — 00:34–07:12
• Autopsy & Investigation Limitations — 10:43–12:30
• Discovery of Summer’s Plans & Family Abuse History — 15:00–27:09
• Fire Pattern Analysis (with expert Dale Ryson) — 29:00–33:54
• Smoke Alarm Investigation & Kidda Lawsuit — 35:54–40:08
• Theories Explored (Who Did It?) — 43:12–53:12
• Conflict of Interest & Precedent — 58:27–61:41
• Final Thoughts and Plea for Justice — 62:57–end (67:09)

Conclusion & Takeaways

The episode presents a chilling portrait of a family failed by those meant to protect them, raising the question: Was this an accident, a suicide, a murder, or a cover-up? The hosts meticulously highlight holes in the investigation, the overlooked abuse, the mishandling (or possible deliberate neglect) of evidence, and a transparent need for outside review. Ashley’s plea for a new, unbiased investigation is clear—this case, and these victims, deserve answers.

If you have information about this case, contact crimejunkie.com or tipsaudiochuck.com.

Tone: Gritty, empathetic, driven by skepticism and advocacy for victims.