B (7:36)

Hi, this is the Yavapai County Attorney's office. I am calling regarding scheduling a meeting with you and our chief deputy to discuss your mother's case. Whenever you have a moment, you can give me a return call. My direct line. It is 12:30 on December 31st. Just so you know, our office will be closed tomorrow January 1st, but we will be back open on Friday, January 2nd. I am in the office Monday through Friday, excluding the holiday from 7:30 to 4:30. Thank you so much and we'll wait to hear from you.

A (8:20)

125 days after I sent my first email, I finally got a meeting. Back in September, I was told the county attorney had requested an additional investigation. But after that, silence, I never heard anything else. In November, a reporter from the sun reached out to the county attorney for comment. They declined. It took weeks after that, weeks of follow ups before they finally called. And as soon as I listened to that voicemail, I called my aunt. I knew she'd want to be a part of that meeting. And that's when I learned something new. She had already spoken to this same county attorney back in 2023. She had had a zoom meeting. She's holding out on me. She gave them information to look into though, and I asked her what came of it. Nothing, she said. They never followed back up. They never called her back. Now we're heading into 2026 with a chart topping podcast behind this case and my aunt wants to wait until February 27th to drive to Prescott for that meeting. I'm going to admit I didn't want to wait. I wanted to rip this band aid off and just get it over with. Because if I'm being honest, I. I don't expect outcomes from this meeting. What I expect are explanations, excuses, and reasons why they felt justified in doing nothing for decades. But the later date might actually help us. In November, I had submitted another public records request for an updated case file and for the first time, my mom's crime scene photos. I know I've never wanted to see them, but I feel like I kind of have to at this point. When I contact Sedona County Records, they tell me that they're waiting on updated paperwork from the department or the detectives. I do appreciate that they're finally gathering a complete case file. But the clock is ticking and the February 27 date is getting closer. There is also something important you probably didn't know. Every single time I request case files, audios, videos or photos, I have to pay for them. And it's not cheap. When I requested the audio last spring for this podcast. Just the audio, no paperwork. The USB alone cost 200 bucks. I couldn't even afford it myself. My mom's friend Cheryl had to pay for it. Thank you, Cheryl. This time I requested a new batch of documents and all the crime scene photos, and I'm concerned about the cost. I told county records last week that I needed a quote before they proceed, but I. I'm still waiting to hear back. I hate asking for money, I really do. But I've started another GoFundMe to help cover the cost of the case file, the crime scene photos, and a one day car rental so my aunt and I can drive to Prescott for that meeting. If you're able to donate. Thank you. Truly. If not just being here matters, the link is in the show notes. Around the same time of me submitting for my mom's crime scene photos, I also made a new connection. Someone with background in media. He doesn't work in the industry anymore, but he knows exactly what gets a producer's attention and what makes journalists lean in. He said something that stuck with me. If there was a civil lawsuit, that's when people would chase. So he helped me put together a real organized civil case document. A full PDF and an accompanying email, and a carefully researched list of civil rights attorneys to send it to. He advised to wait until January. And so I did. On January 5, I sent out the first round of emails. A batch of civil rights attorneys, each receiving the full case packet. As of today, January 24th, I've heard back from roughly two, and both were denials. Which sucks. That part has been tough. My hope and my friend's hope was that at least some of these attorneys would see the merit in the case and respond. But for now, I'm still waiting. And responses take time. And patience isn't easy, that's for sure. Back In November of 2025, I was interviewed by my local paper. I've talked about it a lot. I read the article in the last episode and I knew it was going to run in the January edition. I just didn't know where. I had no idea it would be on the front page until just days before publication. I was at work when I saw it for the first time. A fellow teacher, she had checked her mail and she brought the paper out to the playground for the teachers to see. She told me she had a present for me and she wasn't kidding. That weekend I drove around to all the local spots hunting for copies of the paper. And by the end of it, I have found 46 copies. They are stacked in a very intentional pile behind me in the studio. And just this week I finally framed one of them and hung it up as part of the backdrop. I am definitely no Martha Stewart. It could be done a lot better, but it's the thought that counts. Because one day this studio is going to be covered in articles and media about my mom and we can watch my artistic talents evolve as I frame each and every one. I truly cannot thank my local paper, the Cave Creek Carefree, Independent enough. But switching gears from front page article to the book, the Poppy Killed Mommy book. A couple weeks ago, I had met with a marketing manager who was giving me tips on how to pursue more media opportunities. And she asked me a simple question. Is this a book yet? I said no. She said, it should be. You already have the backbone. And honestly, I'm fully invested in getting this book done. I've always wanted to write a book. It's always been my intention. It's always been my dream. I had even planned to, like, dedicate Christmas break to it. I had two full weeks off to really dig in. And I tried. I really did. I sat down with all the podcast episodes and chatgpt and we attempted to organize them into something coherent. And I just. I can't. I got like 36 pages into it and I'm not a writer. I've said this before, like, like my podcast and vlogging comes like straight from the heart. I. It's hard for me to sit down and put together a manuscript for a book. It feels chunky, floppy, disorganized. I'm not trained to do it. It's too much. Em. I've come to the realization that if I'm going to do this properly, it's going to take years, maybe even a decade. Kind of like Gone with the Wind. Did you know that Margaret Mitchell spent 10 years writing that book? I'll bet you didn't know that. And that's exactly how I feel about mine. I hadn't given much thought to a solution until recently. Someone reached out, offering to help ghostwrite it. I didn't commit, but what I did do was I made a TikTok, asking my followers what they thought. And that's when the marketing manager, my marketing manager that I Had met with just a few weeks prior, told me something huge. She was a ghostwriter, and she offered to show me her portfolio and everything. I know her and I trust her, and I believe this is the path that I am supposed to be on. This is all, like. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The only catch, though, is hiring a ghostwriter is definitely, you know, not in my monthly budget. So this is a bridge I haven't crossed yet. And it looks like in order to get the book completed and published in a timely fashion in the next year, I may need to crowdfund for it. Like, I've already decided. Like, before, when I was writing this episode, I was still contemplating it, but as I was making the other GoFundMe for the crime scene photos and the case file, I just went ahead and I made a second go fund. I am going to try to crowdfund for a writer, a proper writer, to help me get this manuscript out or I just feel like I'm never going to get to it. I'm not super excited about it. Like, let's be honest, I hate asking for money, but it's something that I want to be transparent about. And I feel like if you guys have been with me this far, then let's just push it over the finish line. If we're not going to get a documentary, then let's get the book done.

B (16:22)

You know.

A (16:24)

It'S definitely a thought. That link will also be in the show notes. And I know that's a huge amount. It's like a couple thousand. But if you can, you can. If not, Margaret Mitchell took 10 years. And I'll, by golly, I'll take a decade, two if I have to. But this has all just happened in January of 2026, and I wanted to keep you in the loop. This book is going to happen. It just might cost a little bit of money and it might cost a little bit of time. A lot of time. We'll see how it plays out. Okay. I know that was a lot to take in. It's only been, what, 35 days? I don't just sit idle. You guys think I just play on TikTok all day and play with the kids, right? No, seriously, I am a dog with a bone. When I get an idea, I run with it. If it's possible, I'm going. And that brings us to the newest big update. January 23rd. Yesterday, Friday, I was getting ready for work, coffee in hand, doing my usual morning routine. And every once in a while, I asked ChatGPT to check the Internet for any new media coverage of the podcast, Reddit threads, news mentions, anything of that nature. So I asked that question and chatgpt surprised me. He comes back with, yes, Nikki, there is new media. I couldn't believe it. I clicked the link and it took me straight to an A N E article. And here's the kicker. I knew the article existed, but I had no idea it had actually been published. And get this. Mikey, the person the article is about from Making a True Crimer. He didn't even know it had gone live yet. Mikey and I, we had actually met back in 2023 through TikTok. He agreed to cover my mom's story in what ended up being a pretty long, almost 10 minute TikTok, and he even posted about it on his YouTube channel. He's one of the first true crime content creators, you know, YouTube content creators to cover my mom's case. And he was featured in that viral podcast that covered my mom's case in in 2023 video. Honestly, I can't thank him enough for helping me get my mom's story out there. Seeing my mom's name in that A and E article hit me in a way I wasn't expecting. Because for years I imagined moments like this when watching Cold Case Files or American justice with Bill Curtis, growing up, silently hoping, wishing that someone would care enough about my mom's story. And now there it is. Actual recognition. Not just a passing mention, but a legitimate acknowledgment from one of the biggest true crime platforms I had ever known. The article was actually released in November of 2025 and the title is the five cold cases true Crime Influencer Mikey Briati Most Wants to See Solved. I know I'm saying his last name wrong. I apologize, Mikey. My mom's case is number four on his list of five. But here goes. I'm going to read you the article that A and E wrote about Mikey and my mom's case. Mikey shares stories of unsolved murders, disappearances and deaths on his Making a true crimer TikTok and YouTube channel. But he finds this batch particularly perplexing before becoming a true crime influencer. With 3 million TikTok followers and more than 70,000 YouTube subscribers, Mikey grew up a true crime fan. I was obsessed with Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack, Mikey tells AE Crime and investigation. I would watch that show every day because usually I would be home by myself after school and I would be equal parts totally interested and terrified beyond anything unsolved mysteries is what I really grew up with, which then turned into Forensic Files. That made me really interested in the science aspect of true crime. But one show in particular inspired him to set up his online platform, Making a True Crimer, which now spotlights multiple lesser known investigations and cold cases. Mikey credits the 2015 docuseries about the alleged crimes of Steven Avery with relaunching the true crime genre. I've been obsessed with that case ever since I watched that show, mikey says. There's wrongful convictions, there's the science aspect, he said, she said, and potential corruption. It's really fascinating and that's why I started my TikTok page, because I knew it was a popular field to talk about. And also you have the potential of actually helping somebody. Today, Mikey says he focuses on unsolved or missing person cases more than anything because I feel like those ones you can actually make a potential difference on. Mikey shares the top five cold cases he'd like to see solved and how he hopes the online community of true crime lovers can help Stephanie wassolichsen's death Mikey learned about the case of Stephanie Wassolichen through her daughter Nikki, who was 10 at the time of Wassalition's death in Sedona, Arizona in July of 1993. Nikki now runs the TikTok page and podcast called Poppy Killed Mommy, devoted to getting justice for her mom. Nikki has a younger sister who was also present the night of their mom's death. Essentially what happened was that Stephanie was on the phone with her ex, who was the father of Nikki, and she was talking about leaving her boyfriend, Russell Peterson, to go back to her ex. Mikey says. They talked on the phone for about two hours, and around 10pm Nikki says goodnight to her mom. A couple of hours later, one of the kids hears a gunshot. At the time, Peterson claimed to authorities that Wasolician shot at him but missed before he followed her into the bedroom where the fatal shot was fired. On the 911 call, he says, I may have shot her or she may have shot herself. He's trying to make it sound like they got into a fight over the gun and it just went off. Where she was shot would have been really difficult for her to have pulled the trigger. When Nikki and her sister were put into the cop car, the little sister kept telling Nikki, Papi killed Mommy. Papi killed Mommy. Papi killed Mommy. She is literally saying that Russell, her dad killed mom. It sounds like she either witnessed it or she saw something that would make her say that. Although the coroner deemed Wasolution's death a homicide. The Sedona police have never treated it that way. Mikey says they just did not investigate it. Russell Peterson is still alive and he has never been arrested. Now Nikki has the evidence and the documents and she is seemingly fighting on her own to get justice for her mom. She wants him arrested, but more importantly, she wants to make sure that people know her mom did not shoot herself. Amen. You couldn't have ended that article any better. I want people to know that my mom, of course, did not shoot herself with her two children in the home three hours and 47 minutes after she had made plans to leave this man. The statistics say that the most dangerous time for a woman in a relationship is when they are leaving or just after they have left. 75% of domestic violence homicides occur in that two week window. My mom had just made plans and three hours and 47 minutes later, she is found deceased. I mean, it's just so open and shut. At least I think so. But according to the Yavapai county attorney, there was insufficient evidence to even present it before a grand jury of our peers. But I digress. I want to take a moment and break this A N E article down and why it's such a big deal. For me, growing up in the 90s, years after my mom's death, the only place to really consume true crime was on the news or A and E. I think it was channel 40 shows like Cold Case Files and American justice with Bill Curtis. They just, they ruled my daily routine. Every time I watched, I thought, wouldn't it be amazing if some detective cared enough or if my mom's case was important enough to be featured here? And that thought stayed with me for decades. It was a quiet hope. I carried this idea that my mom's story might someday be seen by people who could actually amplify it. So I wake up yesterday morning and I see that A and E has featured my mom in an article. Even if it's not a full piece yet. It felt like a full circle moment. Decades of imagining this and decades of hoping and here it is, finally recognized in the place that meant so much to me as a kid growing up. But it's not just about nostalgia. This is also about visibility and advocacy. Mikey, the subject of the article was amazing enough and he gave me the writer's email, which I hope isn't a faux pas. But you know, I'm desperate and will do anything to get a hold of these people. And yesterday I reached out. I. I am now waiting to hear Back hopefully by Monday to see if A and E will be willing to run a full story on my mom. Oh, my gosh. Just keep your fingers crossed. I know how tricky this can be for the media. And right now there are no charges, so legality is everything. Some outlets, like Fox News and my local Cave Creek Carefree Independent, they ran with the story. Others, like the sun and News Nation's Ashley Banfield, they shy away. They refuse to publish until they get some kind of quote or charges. Don't know exactly where A N E stands on running a full story about my mom, and maybe that will come later. But what matters to me right now is that they've actually acknowledged her. They already have acknowledged her. That her name is out there next to their logo. Gives me chills. After all these years, that is everything I could have hoped for. Yesterday, when I saw that, I felt something I really can't put into words, like a mix of hope and disbelief and a little bit of peace. That's why I wanted to sit down and record this episode today, to share that moment with you and to remind myself and all of you that even small steps forward can feel enormous when you've been waiting decades like I have. Anyway, moving on, my contract with the studio ends T minus, like days and counting. February 7th. That's just about two weeks from now. When that happens, I'll be free to take my mom's story anywhere, to share it with as many people as I can, you know, documentary style. And that's my goal. And just a few weeks after that, on February 27th, I'll be sitting down with the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. And I won't lie, I'm fucking nervous. I'm terrified. But I also feel ready for the first time ever. Because I've built the courage over the past year with your support and with every episode of this podcast and every person who has listened and cared and has emailed the Yavapai County Attorney telling them that my mom mattered. I want to walk into that meeting with every card in my hand. The crime scene photos, the updated case files, armed with the truth my family and I have gathered over decades. And I wish I could have an attorney there. But for so long, it's been just us. And we'll continue to fight, even if that means I have to go to law school myself. I'll do it. You know me. I'll do it. It'll be hard, but I'll do it. Looking back over the past 35 days, there's been a connection with Stephanie Harlow, the possibility of a book, a huge civil rights packet sent out to a whole bunch of attorneys, and the recognition from A and E. Oh, and let's not forget the front page of my local paper. That's a huge deal for me. These things may feel small on their own, but together they remind me that progress is happening. That every day I spend advocating, every call I make, every story I share, it matters. It all matters. It's not for nothing. My studio, my podcast, my work, it's all part of this fight. And I promise you there is more to come. The next big step is the meeting with the Yavapai county attorney on February 27th. That's where decades inaction will have to be explained. That's where we'll hear why my mom's case wasn't investigated thoroughly, why money seems to have dictated every step along the way. Justice shouldn't cost this much and it's just a shame that it does. Thank you for listening.