Interview with her friend: Cheryl Mendel

Summary

Podcast Summary: Papi Killed Mommy

Episode: Interview with her friend Cheryl Mendel
Host: Nikki
Date: October 7, 2025
Total Length: ~56 minutes (not counting ads)

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Overview

This special bonus episode of "Papi Killed Mommy" centers on host Nikki’s in-depth conversation with Cheryl Mendel, one of the very few friends of Nikki’s murdered mother, Stacy, who has been willing to recount their shared history. Nikki uses these “bonus” interviews to add dimension and texture to her mother’s story, helping to shape Stacy’s identity beyond just "victim." Through memories, anecdotes, and honest reflection, Nikki and Cheryl traverse the loud, sun-soaked days of 1976-77 Downers Grove and Phoenix, as well as the decades-long reverberations of that formative friendship.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Importance of Bonus Episodes

(01:47-05:45)

• Nikki explains why interviews like this matter: They aren’t just “extra content.” These conversations with people who knew Stacy are Nikki’s way to feel close to her mom again, learning who she was through others’ eyes.
• Nikki laments that only two of her mother’s friends have come forward to be interviewed, expressing both immense gratitude and frustration at the silence of others:

“Making your trauma entertainment is a curse no one should bear... But I need to say this. If you knew my mom and you’re listening, I want to hear from you.”
– Nikki (03:51)

True Crime Community Connections

(05:45-11:35)

• Nikki tells Cheryl about realizing her podcast is gaining traction—coworkers and parents at Nikki’s school are recognizing her from the show.
• Cheryl and Nikki discuss their experiences at CrimeCon, celebrity podcasters, and how Nikki’s friend Melissa has become instrumental in both Nikki’s personal and podcasting life.

Stacy’s Mysterious Trip to Chicago: Rumors, Realities, and Resilience

(12:11-18:41)

• Cheryl recounts meeting Stacy at age 15 during the summer of 1976 in Downers Grove after Stacy arrived from Phoenix for “family problems.”
• Nikki, referencing family talk of an abusive pregnancy or abortion, asks if Cheryl ever saw signs of trauma or post-abortion distress.
  • Cheryl adamantly reports, multiple times, that Stacy seemed “totally normal,” showing neither distress nor recovery.

“She acted totally normal. If something happened to her, I would have expected something a little bit different from her. She wouldn’t have been so…”
– Cheryl (13:18, 14:16)

• Cheryl describes Stacy’s seamless integration into teenage life: parties, chores, friendships.

Classic Friendship and Wild Teenage Adventures

(19:28-30:11)

• Cheryl paints a vivid picture of the teen culture: nicknames, parties, crushes, and mischief.
• Memorable tales include:
  • Stacy’s impact on friend groups and teen romance triangles.
  • Joyriding in stolen cars, John Boy’s rock ballad karaoke, and houses where the front door was never used.

“John would sing Freebird... He was in love with Stacy and all the girls... he’d bring bags of Thai sticks out of the fucking wall, man!”
– Cheryl (20:41)

• The group participated in typical 1970s teen rebellion: drinking, riding in unsafe cars, wandering the neighborhood unsupervised.

Deeper Character: Stacy’s Heart and Friendship

(36:12-38:40; 43:16-44:01)

• Beyond the wild years, Cheryl describes Stacy as compassionate, heartfelt, and genuinely loving—especially in their one-on-one friendship.

“She was very heartfelt... like I always felt things came from her heart... There was no contentions with her, no arguing, no fighting, no competition, no nothing. Just pure friendship.”
– Cheryl (37:35)

• Nikki reflects on what this means for her, especially when learning that Stacy could laugh and thrive, whatever her past trauma.

Staying Connected Across the Years

(38:40-42:09)

• After their teenage years, Cheryl and Stacy kept in touch through late-night phone calls—often with Stacy intoxicated, expressing her love and gratitude for Cheryl’s friendship.
• Cheryl recounts learning about Stacy’s murder from Nikki’s Aunt Wendy, expressing lingering pain and describing how news of Stacy's death left her “blown away.”

“I walked around and even to this day, Nicole, it just bothers me... It’s a story that’s very bothersome.”
– Cheryl (41:46)

Grief, Loneliness, and the Need for Connection

(48:21-50:19)

• Nikki candidly discusses the difficulties of her upbringing after losing her mother—her father Craig’s emotional distance and Wendy’s inability to remain present due to her own grief.

“Life was very hard with Craig. He's a good man, but he didn't know how to raise a child...”
– Nikki (48:31)

• Cheryl offers emotional support, affirming that Nikki can always reach out for a motherly connection.

The Legacy of Stacy: Invitations for More Stories

(54:00-55:23)

• Nikki issues a heartfelt invitation for anyone who knew her mother to reach out—every small memory is a thread that weaves together the fabric of Stacy’s life.

“Cheryl, thank you for loving my mother out loud, for protecting the parts that belong to friendship and gifting the parts that belong to history.”
– Nikki (54:29)

• Nikki highlights how these shared stories transform Stacy from a forensic file into a vibrant, three-dimensional person.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• "When I sit down to talk to people who knew my mom…I'm discovering pieces of her that I never got the chance to know as her daughter."
  — Nikki (02:21)

• "Chasing new memories of my mom is like chasing a drug. It’s this instant rush, this adrenaline high..."
  — Nikki (04:09)

• "She did not act like somebody who went through something emotionally and tragically... that is the farthest thing that I saw when I met her."
  — Cheryl (14:51)

• "Your mother just cracked me. Cheryl, baby, what the fuck?"
  — Cheryl (19:59)

• "That girl had chores. And we would just crack up because that girl had chores."
  — Cheryl (15:31)

• "John would sing Freebird... and he was in love with Stacy and all the girls."
  — Cheryl (20:41)

• "She was a heartbreaker... she was the love of his life."
  — Cheryl (19:48)

• "I am a cast member in this story. Like, really, I’m a cast member. Had she not come here, she would have nothing to do with Downers Grove."
  — Cheryl (29:48)

• "She had a hard exterior; she was a tough girl, but she was also very humbled by her heart."
  — Cheryl (37:35)

• "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"
  — Stacy, as remembered by Cheryl (39:25)

• "Every little memory is my small way to bring her back..."
  — Nikki (43:00)

• "She has been and will always be loved by me... I know that we would have been so... continue speaking to this day."
  — Cheryl (43:16)

• "Whatever God’s plan is for Russell... he’s got to answer for that."
  — Cheryl (44:01)

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Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 01:09-05:45 – Nikki’s introduction: why these interviews matter, call for more stories
• 05:45-11:35 – Nikki and Cheryl on podcast recognition, CrimeCon, meeting Melissa
• 12:11-18:41 – Cheryl recounts how she met Stacy; the mystery of Stacy’s Chicago stay and Cheryl’s absolute lack of any trauma signs
• 19:28-30:11 – Teenage wild stories: parties, nicknames, romances, car joyrides, and lessons
• 36:12-38:40 – Cheryl on Stacy’s genuine compassion and what made their friendship special
• 38:40-42:09 – Keeping in touch, late night calls, learning of Stacy’s death
• 48:21-50:19 – Nikki reflects on the loneliness following her mom’s murder; Cheryl offers ongoing support
• 54:00-55:23 – Nikki’s invitation for more people to share stories, summary of what Cheryl’s memories mean to her

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Episode Tone & Language

The tone toggles between raw grief, nostalgia, candid humor, and earnest longing. Nikki’s language is confessional and open; Cheryl’s is unfiltered, affectionate, and reflective—often laced with 1970s teen slang and plenty of swearing.

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Final Reflections

This episode stands out by transforming cold case podcasting into living memory work. Cheryl’s stories let Stacy emerge as more than a victim: a teenage girl with jokes, heartbreak, bad decisions, loving friendships, and an indelible spark that still draws people together decades later.

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If you knew Stacy, Nikki asks you to reach out—even the smallest recollection matters.
If you or anyone you know is in danger, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE.

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Transcript

[Jeff Bridges]

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[Dana]

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[Dana]

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[Cheryl]

Nice.

[Dana]

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[Cheryl]

You heard them.

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[Cheryl]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.

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[Dana]

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[Nikki]

Hi.

[Narrator/Host]

My name is Nikki and I'm the daughter of a murdered woman. Welcome back to this special bonus episode of Poppy Killed Mommy. I just want to tell you before I even get into my prepared remarks here, how excited I am to bring you this episode because this was a big learning curve for me. This was the first time I was able to conduct a virtual interview through another like third party website app. That being Riverside, I was really intimidated when I first started podcasting six months ago. I didn't want to even mess with that until I was more comfortable with the whole system. And since, you know, since then. I finally got the courage yesterday to do it. And I did it.

[Nikki]

And it turned.

[Narrator/Host]

After a couple audio glitches, it turned out pretty good. And that's what you're going to hear next. So in this episode, I want to share with you why these bonus episodes matter so much to me. And why they should matter to you too. Because they aren't just extra content. They're not just the side stories. They are in many ways the heart of this podcast. When I sit down to talk to people who knew my mom, friends who laughed with her or cried with her, I'm not just telling who she was. I'm learning too. I'm discovering pieces of her that I never got the chance to know as her daughter. I'm seeing her through the eyes of People who loved her, who remember her, and who paint her in colors brighter and deeper than my memories alone ever could. For me, these conversations are the closest I can to touching her again. Every story shared is like reaching across time, pulling her just a little bit closer, bringing her back to life in a way that feels almost tangible. And if I could, I'd have every single person who ever knew my mother on the show to tell me their story of her. Every single one. But the truth is, only two of her friends have been willing to come on mic and speak with me. And while I am grateful beyond words for the two of them, it's also disheartening that so many others have chosen silence. I haven't been able to sit down with my Aunt Wendy yet, even though her voice is so important. My Aunt Patty is busy, and when it comes to sharing memories, she keeps it to text messages. My mom's co workers at Pietro's in Sedona, people who I've spoken to over the years, have fallen quiet since I started this podcast. This has been hard for me to accept, but I know that putting your memories in your life out in public for strangers to hear and dissect isn't for everyone. Making your trauma entertainment is a curse no one should bear. Still, I need to say this. If you knew my mom and you're listening to this, I want to hear from you. You can do it right from your couch. All you need is your phone. I just want your memories of her. Every little piece of her. Because every little piece of her that someone gives back to me is another moment. I get to feel her alive again. Chasing new memories of my mom is like chasing a drug. It's this instant rush, this adrenaline high. And it hits the second I hear something about her that I've never heard before. In that moment, she's not gone. She's right here with me. I can almost see her standing in front of me. I can hear her laugh echoing in my ear, sharp and warm, the kind of laugh that fills a room. My laugh. I could smell her perfume drifting by, sweet and familiar, like she just brushed past me. For those few seconds, she's alive again. She's tangible, and she's mine. But it never lasts. It fades as quickly as it comes, like sugar dissolving on your tongue. And when it's gone, I feel that emptiness again. And I find myself desperate, chasing after the next one, hoping someone else will tell me another story, another detail, another memory that brings her back just for a heartbeat. And that's what it's like living with the loss of her. I'm constantly searching, constantly chasing. Because those fleeting moments, those borrowed seconds when she feels alive again, they're worth everything. They're the closest thing I have to touching her, to knowing her and to keeping her with me. And no matter how short they last, I'll keep chasing them. Always. Today I'm honored to sit down with Cheryl, one of the few people willing to remember out loud and hand me back my mother in first person. Through her stories, you won't just learn who Stacy was. I will too. Together, we'll bring her back. Not as a victim, but as the woman she truly was. Up next is my conversation with Cheryl. I keep these interviews as intact as possible, but at Sheryl's request, a few private moments have been edited out. What follows is a 45 minute trip to 1976, when life was loud, sun soaked and full of bad ideas and big laughs. These bonus episodes are my favorite to make. Come with me and meet my mom the way her friends knew her. A fun, loving teenager, alive and in color.

[Nikki]

I gotta tell you a wild story before we get started. So I'm headed out of work. Not it was yesterday. Yeah, I'm headed out of work. I just clocked in and my principal's out there and she's with mother, this little kid's mother. And she was, I was like, hi, how are you? And I know she works at the Spur Cross campus. So I make a point to talk to her when I see her, not just because she's a student's mom, but because she's a coworker. So she was like, hi. She said something to the effect of you're the one with the podcast. And usually most people like to talk to me about the social media because I run the school social media. So I was like, yeah, I run the school social media too. She's like, oh, well, I didn't know that. I just know she rounded back to the podcast. She was like, I just know about your podcast. And I listened to it before I even know who I knew who you were.

[Cheryl]

Wow, that's. I know.

[Nikki]

That's the first time somebody has told me that. And the fact that she's a like a coworker just blew my mind that she had listened. And somebody else too, one of our students moms that she's friends with. She's like, yeah, me and so, and so's mom. We figured out that it was you and we were just, we were blown away. So I just had to tell you that it's starting to go around.

[Cheryl]

You never know how what forms things come into your life. They come in all different avenues, you know.

[Nikki]

Right. Yeah, that was. That was really neat. I thought you'd like that. I told my boyfriend, too.

[Cheryl]

I like that a lot. That's very cool. Very cool. I noticed at CrimeCon there's a few folks that I recognize that I've listened to their podcast.

[Nikki]

Really? That is so cool.

[Cheryl]

I follow several court cases and I know Lori Valo's son. What's his name?

[Nikki]

You're. Melissa talked about him too. I couldn't tell you, but yeah.

[Cheryl]

Colby. Colby.

[Nikki]

There you go.

[Cheryl]

Colby Ryan. Colby Ryan and I. He was there and there was somebody, because I follow his mother's case that, you know. You're familiar with the Chad Daybell Lori Valley.

[Nikki]

Of course. Who isn't?

[Cheryl]

Oh, my God. There was somebody else there that I recognized. I should have wrote it down because, you know, things come and go pretty quickly. Wow. I know that. Not personally, but, like, I'm aware of this one and this one and this one.

[Nikki]

For me, the big people, like, I. I recognize Vinny Politano and stuff, but I, I didn't know who the podcasters were because I was. I'm mover and shaker in the true crime community until recently. Luckily, I had Melissa there who could navigate and who was pointing out all the people. She's like, that's so. And so Derek and Stephanie with True Crime Weekly. And there is the prosecutors. She was, oh, my God, like, starstruck when she found out. We were seated next to the prosecutors, who. I have no idea who they are, but whenever I chart, I go through and see where I am on the charts. And the prosecutors are always on the charts. So they're a huge podcast.

[Cheryl]

Oh, that was the other one, the prosecutor.

[Nikki]

I figured.

[Cheryl]

I figured because I watch court cases. So I was familiar with the, with the prosecutors and the attorneys. I. Cause I. I listened to them.

[Nikki]

Melissa was tickled pink to be seated next to them. And Whereas, like, Alice was really nice, like the whole time. Brett, like, the first day, like, needed to sweep by us and like, Melissa and I thought he was kind of rude at first because he had like an adoring fan base at his table and he had to get to it and he was like, excuse me and brush bias really quick. But after we sat with him for a few days and like, we got to chit chatting with him. He's actually. They're really cool people.

[Cheryl]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. What an experience you went through. Like, how did you meet Melissa.

[Nikki]

Oh, Melissa is amazing. She's actually a coworker of mine at QI Montessori. She was hired about five days before myself. So we were new on the playground in July of last year. I didn't know who to talk to except for the kids. She's the same way. And she awkwardly approached me and she's like, hi, I'm Melissa. And I go, hi, I'm Nikki. And we shook hands and we both realized we were new and we clung to each other like a lifesaver, like, for the rest, for the whole time we've been there because we were new and we know nobody. We knew every. Didn't know anybody else. And it's a small school and it's very clicky, and if you. You basically. If you don't make it the first year, you're not really embraced, you know, it's one of those.

[Cheryl]

Yeah.

[Nikki]

Small school.

[Cheryl]

One of those. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, now I get it. Yeah. I'm so glad you have her. I really. She was. She was a. She was sent to you, Nicole.

[Nikki]

She was a lifeline Cheryl. I couldn't have done that trip on my own. I couldn't even. I didn't even drive. I drove two hours to Flagstaff, and then she drove the rest of the way to Denver, the reroute, and then the whole way home. She's a monster on the road.

[Cheryl]

What a trooper. Kudos to Melissa. Shout out to Melissa.

[Nikki]

Right? I love Melissa.

[Cheryl]

Like, so impressive. I'm so glad you found each other.

[Nikki]

She.

[Cheryl]

She.

[Nikki]

I mean, right away with the true crime, we knew that we were buddies with the true crime. And then we talked about crime con and we had the plan, like six months out. And then at Crimecon, through the whole thing, she was just my lifeline and my rock. And then it was on the third day, we're sitting there and she was. I remember when it just hit me like lightning. She was standing and I was sitting and I was looking at her and she was greeting people and she was just working the booth. And I looked at her and I was like, how do you feel about doing season two with me? Like, it was just an aha moment. And she looked back at me and she didn't even hesitate. She's like, that sounds like fun. Let's do it. Like, just that quick. So we weren't sure if. Sorry, I know we've got a little bit of delay. So we're talking over each other, just a pinch.

[Cheryl]

I. She's such a. She's a godsent gift to you. She really was.

[Nikki]

Yeah. So we don't. We didn't know at first if we were going to record at her house and then like remotely. But that's a little bit more than I can handle. So I think I've talked her into squeezing her ass in here. We're going to put her back here. I'm going to make dad build her a desk like opposite. And we're going to mic her in to the computer and we're just going to have to sit back to back, but we'll be in here into the same computer to make it easy.

[Cheryl]

And she'll be your co host for.

[Nikki]

Season two until we can figure out something else for the future anyway.

[Cheryl]

Exactly.

[Nikki]

But I know that you have been in my mom's life for God. She was about 15 or 16.

[Cheryl]

We were 15 because I graduated when I was 18 and when I was a freshman I was 15. So Stacy. And that was the summer of 76. So we were 15. But we knew each other into being 16. Is that back when I met your mother? The real party started.

[Nikki]

So she was sent to Chicago because of family problems is what you heard. I've heard through Wendy. Right. I've heard through Wendy and Swifty that there was some kind of baby. The father, you know, it's all hearsay. We don't know who it is. There's been speculation. There's been also speculation through Wendy and Swifty on if the baby was actually full term. Swifty Con is swears by it. Wendy says that mom went there for an abortion. And after talking to you for the last year, it kind of sounds like she had the abortion because you were. You were neither here nor there aware of a child at all. Right.

[Cheryl]

Not only that, Nikki, she did not represent herself to. To me that she just went through anything. Like she acted totally normal. Like if. If I. I am completely unaware of any such incident happening. When I met her in Downers Grove, she did not appear at all. Like she was recovering from some emotional trauma. She was always just ready to party and let's go. Like if something happened to her, I would have expected something a little bit different from her. She wouldn't have been so. And maybe that was just your personality, but I just never got the impression something was wrong with her. Like she just went through something major like that, you know.

[Nikki]

Wow.

[Cheryl]

I just never got that impression from her.

[Nikki]

I guess she was really good at hiding it and she just kept going. I don't know.

[Cheryl]

And Wende and Swifty both attest to that.

[Nikki]

Mm. Yeah. The difference on their stories is one is convinced that the child was term, the other is not. And after talking to you, it sounds like she went there and had an abortion because you never saw a baby. And, you know, she went right to school after arriving there. From what I was under the impression, it's not like she was, you know, put somewhere for nine months and held up in a room.

[Cheryl]

Not at all. She. Like I said, I don't question Lori or question Wendy. What I question is she did not act like somebody went through something emotionally and tragically is that that is the farthest thing that I saw when I met her. Like, wow, that couldn't have. That. That couldn't have been. I don't know, Nikki. I. I didn't see any signs of trauma. I didn't see signs of emotional breakdowns, tears, none of that. None of that.

[Nikki]

So it was just a good old time. You guys just had fun. Tell me about it.

[Cheryl]

Then we had fun. Nikki, you know, she was cousin Joe. She was Joe Pluta's cousin from Phoenix. And she came in and. I'll be honest with you, Nikki, I never got the impression that something was wrong. Nothing. That's why I. I find it very. And I don't doubt what they're saying, but it's just what strikes me is I didn't see any signs of emotional tragic anything. Nothing. Like. I don't know, I just. I have to. I mean, she alls we did was hang out with the neighborhood people every day. She acted as normal and crazy as the rest of us and she fit in quite well. She had an instant group of friends. Like instant huge group of friends instantly, which I was part of. But I can't tell you that there was something emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Now, again, if she talked about Phoenix, she probably did. But I would have remembered different things she would have said to me that would have stood out, that probably I would remember. But I gotta say that there was nothing like, nothing that I would say. This girl was through anything when I met her. And, and. And that was. She was with us about a year in Downers Grove. And I just know maybe it was soft. Yeah, it was because we were going the summer of 76, so we were going into our sophomore year. So we. We're 15, turning 16. Okay. Yes. But this girl did not appear to me that she went through anything of any sort other. Happy to be in Downers, obeying the rules with Aunt Lily Pad and Uncle Baby. We laugh. We laugh because she had a man. If she had to spend another fucking day picking those weeds, Nicole. And we would laugh because she's like, cheryl, maybe I can't come out until I pick the weeds. And I can't. And we would just crack up because that girl had chores. And I'm telling you, it was hysterical. Just hysterical. But I would never, ever. And I'm pretty good at reading people, I have to say, but I never picked up on anything other than we had just a ball. And. And if there was something that happened, then you're right. Then she hid it so well that I. It. I never picked up on anything.

[Nikki]

Yeah, well, I'm glad to know that it didn't affect her. So, like, in my mind, it was, like, so devastating to hear that this happened to my mom. And, you know, the world ended and she was raped by her stepdad and blah, blah, blah, and had a baby. But, you know, knowing now that she was either able to hide it very well or either brush it off or took it very well is very comforting to know that she was able to go on with her adolescence.

[Cheryl]

Absolute. There. Absolutely. We. I mean, there's a lot of stories that I'm not going to share with you, I think, from the privacy. Well, you know. You know, Nikki, there's a lot of stories, and I know there's other people with their stories, but I figured probably some of them should just remain with me because.

[Narrator/Host]

Fair enough.

[Cheryl]

They're party stories and they're crazy stories, and we hung out with crazy people and we did have a lot of fun, but I think maybe I should just keep some of those things to myself.

[Nikki]

Fair enough. I love these. I love these stories. It is. I love you're able to bring her back to life for me, though. So anything you're willing to share is.

[Cheryl]

Oh, absolutely. Well, oh, so amazing. Okay. So there was a guy in the neighborhood, John. John Boy, we called him. Everybody had a nickname. John Boy. He lived at the. He lived in the hood. It was Downers Grove, unincorporated, but it was the hood. And Stacy was the love of his life.

[Nikki]

Oh, she's a heartbreaker.

[Cheryl]

She was a heartbreaker. Do you. Oh, I gotta tell you. Well, if you got a few minutes, I'll tell you.

[Nikki]

I got all the time for you, mama. Keep talking.

[Cheryl]

Oh, this is so fucking funny. So, you know, Stacy, Marty and I were the. With. There were the other girls that I mentioned when I wrote the letter, but it was primarily Stacy, Cheryl, and Marty was the. The threesome. We just. Marty was a handful on her own. Okay. We. Stacy and I took care of Her a lot. But. So which story am I going to. Okay, hold on. And you know, your mother just cracked me. Cheryl, baby, what the fuck? We. And John would sing Freebird on the. Like the. What do you call that karaoke machine with the microphone.

[Nikki]

Karaoke machine.

[Cheryl]

Yeah, but the old school, you know. And we'd party all the time. And he was in love with Stacy and all the girls. He was also one of the major drug dealers back in the day.

[Nikki]

Oh yeah.

[Cheryl]

The school called my mother up to tell my mother that their house, the Comerford house, was under surveillance. Nicole, man, we'd be sitting over there. He'd bring bags of tie sticks out of the fucking wall, man. I mean, bags of tie sticks. Bags.

[Nikki]

And this kid was in high school.

[Cheryl]

This is in high school. This is Stacy. Marty, Cheryl, Robert. They were all crazy. They're all nuts. And, and. And all the girls love John. Now John had a girlfriend. Now keep this in mind. John had a girlfriend, Beth Batten. Okay. Beth and her family, they also lived in the unincorporated section. But they were like a good, wholesome Catholic family. Okay.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Cheryl]

But then you had the other part of the hood that they were. I could tell you Mr. Green used to pay the girls in the neighborhood to come over and pose for pictures. I mean, it was all fucked up. It was. We had the Presley household. That was a whole nother story. But anyway, back to John. So John dated Beth forever and. But he cheated on her all the time because all the chicks would come over and everybody used to pretty much enter through the bedroom window because you couldn't come through the front because the fucking dogs are. Mr. C was in the basement working on the coffin. And we're up there and his parents, he. He. He got kicked out of high school or dropped out. One of the two. They all did. And so when he met Stacy, that's when he was turning his attention. And all the other girls were getting put aside because of Stacy.

[Nikki]

Oh, really?

[Cheryl]

And then there was the twin boys, Larry and Jerry Warren. Good looking guys back in high school. Typical 70s dudes. And the one. So when Beth and John broke up, Beth was dating one of the Warren brothers. And then that Warren brother dumped Beth again to date Stephen. Stacy. Oh, sh. So John had Beth, he dated Stacy. I forgot it was Larry or Jerry Warren. They were dating Beth. John's old girlfriend dumped her for Stacy. So your mother says to me one day, she says, girl, baby, I date all the Beth that she dates. They all come to Stacy. I go, how about it, girl? And so they. They didn't like her at all, you know, and. And we just, we. I don't know. Stacy, Marty and I were, were in our own world. We just didn't give a fuck. We just didn't care. I was the. And not to say this against myself, but Marty and Stacy were very, very good looking girls. I was the ugly duckling of the group. I didn't get the guys like that. But guys would always approach me to get to know them.

[Nikki]

Oh, yeah.

[Cheryl]

Cheryl baby. That's boyfriend. I need them all. I'm like, I know. Because they. Stacy is a very. Look at her. That picture that you hold up in a photo booth of your mom, that's smart. I told you that. That's Marty. Oh, do you still talk to her black and white?

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Cheryl]

Oh, Nicole. No, Nicole. Oh, no, that's. Oh, listen.

[Nikki]

Oh, no. Oh.

[Cheryl]

In high school, even Stacy's like, Marty, what the fuck is wrong? Marty was one of the worst alcoholics I've ever seen in my entire life. So we'd hang out at Marty's house a lot because her parents basically never locked the house. They were like social golfers, socialites, drinkers all day long, blah, blah, blah. So Stacy, Marty and I'd be, you know, and, and then Marty's sister Jerry, we'd all be in and out of the house because the doors were unlocked and we all be hitting the bottles, drinking their alcohol and filling all the bottles up with water. And we didn't know we were all doing that. So we're at the house one day and Marty's like, let's do take the mav. Maverick was one of their cars back in the 70s. And Marty's like, let's take the car out for a spin. And I'm like, oh, I don't know about that. And Stacy's like, oh, Marty, come on. We'll just go around the block. Parents are out with company. They won't be back for a while. And I've done a lot of stupid shit, but this one day I did not. And I said, no, I'm not going to go out. So Stacy ends up going with Marty, takes the car out and goes cruising in the Maverick. And before they get back, here comes Marty's parents and their company.

[Nikki]

Oh, no, no. Are you still there? And you're still just chilling?

[Cheryl]

I'm upstairs with her sister Jerry, chilling. While they're out cruising in the Maverick, Mr. Lowe comes barging in the house. Where's our car?

[Nikki]

Oh, no.

[Cheryl]

And Mrs. Lowe, the first thing out of her mouth was, oh. And I suppose Cheryl was driving as usual. I took the raft for a lot of shit. Oh, no, Mom, Cheryl's here. So we all go outside, and there's Marty and Stacy. Dumbass. Marty's driving, so I'm going to say dumbass to Marty. Here they come cruising in front of the house, in front of the company, waving to us.

[Nikki]

Oh, my God. Keep going. What happened? Did she get in so much trouble?

[Cheryl]

No, she ended up trying to commit suicide that night.

[Nikki]

Oh, this. That's not a laughing matter at all.

[Cheryl]

Fucked up. But Stacy, God rest her soul, she could sit here and tell you all kinds of stories. Like for Marty. Marty was out of control. Nicole, Remember I reached out to an attorney. I. My brother's friend. I told you, in San Diego. Yeah, that's the guy I reached out to. He lives in El Cajon.

[Nikki]

Aunt Wendy used to live there. After mom died, I went to El Cajon to live or to stay with her for a summer. I remember that.

[Cheryl]

And I remember Aunt Wendy living in El Cajon for many years. Does she not live there anymore?

[Nikki]

No, Wendy lives here somewhere in. Locally, in Phoenix, but she's all over the place. She's always hopping. Last time she was in central Phoenix, but she's not there anymore. She's very hard to get ahold of these days.

[Cheryl]

Is she just. Is she not recovered from your mother?

[Narrator/Host]

This was the moment that the recording and the audio cut out. This interview was my first virtual attempt at an interview. I had a couple of issues, and this audio dropout was the first. I restarted the session and we talked for another 40 minutes before the audio dropped again. This whole podcasting thing is definitely work in progress, and I thank you guys for sticking with me throughout it all.

[Cheryl]

There. I can tell you one other story. So Bob Baliewski was in love with Marty, and John was in love with Stacy. So Bob used to work at the Arco station. So one night, and we were all fucked up as usual, and so we decided to go up to the Arco station while it was closed and take the tow truck out for a joy ride during the wintertime.

[Nikki]

Oh, lovely.

[Cheryl]

I see roads and snow. Nicole. Robert was driving. Marty, Stacy and Cheryl are in the front seat. John, boy in 20 degrees weather is out in the back with this big old shotgun, riding in the back with his big old rifle with no shirt on. And we're down Lamont Road taking the curves, while Roberts hanging out the door with his foot braced on the sideboard and leaning out, yahooing, driving with one hand. With him out the door. With the three of us inside.

[Nikki]

Oh, my God. You're so lucky you didn't die.

[Cheryl]

Oh, Nicole, please, if you're. Listen, your aunt, her aunt and uncle, if they knew the half of it. I don't know, it just. All kinds of crazy stories. He'd sit over at John's for hours. Party, smoke. They'd feed us drugs. You know, we'd be. We went to an indoor amusement car park. And Robert's car did not have a floor. So when you rode in the seat, you looked at the pavement.

[Nikki]

Oh, my God, I love it.

[Cheryl]

Just crazy stuff. It's just craziness. But we. We had a good time. For whatever reason, she was sent to my life as much as I was sent to hers. And I'm a cast member in this story. Like, really, I'm a cast member. Had she not come here, she would have nothing to do with Downers Grove.

[Nikki]

Why did she go back to Phoenix then? Why after a year? Why didn't she stay longer?

[Cheryl]

I don't know. I don't know. All I remember is, cheryl, baby, I got to go back to Phoenix. When you coming to fucking visit me? As the first thing out of her.

[Nikki]

Mouth, Was she excited to go home or does she want to stay?

[Cheryl]

I don't remember any type of emotion either way, to be honest with you. And thank God I have where I'm wearing my Loop T shirt. The loop was FM98, a rock and roll station back in our day. And that picture is when I took your mother to the airport. Can you believe it?

[Nikki]

Yeah. She looks so much older than 16, it's wild.

[Cheryl]

Yeah, she was 16 when she left, but she told me that this is what I remember so many years later. She did tell me she had a twin that passed away. She did tell me that. And I knew about Lance and Wendy and Michael and Kathy. And there's another sister, correct, Aunt Patty. Patty. And she. And I knew about Bruce and Miles. Those names are familiar to me. I think she mentioned them in passing, but nothing do we call anything that's standing out, per se. And like I said after, she's like, cheryl, baby, come visit me. And I was in my high school job at Walgreens, and I love this story because I've always worked two jobs. Mostly. She's like, cheryl, baby, come to Phoenix. I'm like, I'm on my way. And I. I don't know how I paid. Well, I always saved money back then, but I don't even know how I made those reservations myself. Was I capable of it? I Look back going, really? Did I do that? I go out there and that's how I ended up with Swifty in my picture and Lance. And that girl with the blonde hair. With the short kind of full blonde hair in the picture. She's a friend of theirs. But Swift. Swifty would. May know. Other than that, I can't remember who she was at all.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Cheryl]

And all we did was party. And your grandma. I don't recall her being there when I was there. Nicole. I really. Maybe she was. But I don't remember her being there, per se. But I have pictures of Stacy's room.

[Nikki]

Huh? Yeah.

[Cheryl]

You know me in the hallway. I was. We were drunk and high. When weren't we high? Pictures of tubing down the river. But we were all stoned all that day. Oh, my God.

[Nikki]

And then you were only supposed to be there a week, right?

[Cheryl]

No, I was supposed to be there a week. And Stacy's. No, Cheryl, baby, don't go. Stay. And I go. I called Walgreens and it was cool. I remember. But then the dental office didn't take kindly to that one. I didn't care. I didn't like that job anyway. Walgreens was where it was at for Cheryl, the dental office. I never caught on. And she goes, tell them that. Tell them that you're. This is your mother's story. She came up with, cheryl, baby, tell them that you're gonna end up having to stand up in a wedding. That you end up. Somebody's getting married and you gotta attend the wedding. So that's what I told them. And I didn't care, Nicole. So I ended up staying another week. But all of us went to the Kansas concert. And there is an arena called the Coliseum in Phoenix. There sure. Is that still called the Coliseum?

[Nikki]

I have been there many years after you. Yes.

[Cheryl]

Oh, okay. So we. I don't know how this came about, but Stacy's like, cheryl, baby. We got fucking eighth row center to Kansas. And all of us went to Kansas. Eighth row center. That's how I remember. Specifically because I remember she was so excited.

[Nikki]

And you got fired and I got fired.

[Cheryl]

Yeah. And I didn't care.

[Nikki]

I love that part of that story. It's great.

[Cheryl]

I got fired, man. What are you gonna do when she's.

[Nikki]

Like, cheryl, I love it.

[Cheryl]

Don't go. Stay. And I'm like, okay, I didn't really wanna go. I remember. I wanted to stay, Nicole.

[Nikki]

So you spent two weeks with her and what time was that? Summer. So you went tubing. So it had to been summertime. And then you went back. So this was probably 1977. Yeah, it was probably summer of 1977.

[Cheryl]

Yep. So we. Stacy's. Let's walk. We were gonna walk somewhere from the house. And I remember the pavement was so frickin hot because back then we walking, bare feet, carrying our shoes.

[Nikki]

Oh my God.

[Cheryl]

I remember distinctly, it was so fucking hot. My feet were burning and I'm not used to that weather at all. And the other thing is your aunt be had a built in pool in the backyard.

[Nikki]

Oh yeah.

[Cheryl]

And I went in that pool and let me tell you, I had to get out of the pool. And that's the first time it was ever too hot for me to stay in a pool because I'm not. I have to have bath water or near bath water or I can't get in. I'm one of those. Right. And for me to have to leave the pool because of the hot. The heat of the pool. It was summer. It was so freaking hot.

[Nikki]

For context, for the listeners, my grandma, because Swifty talks about this pool a lot. The pool was such a central focal point of our home and my childhood memory. But my grandma had a black lagoon pool. It was not a traditional pool. It had to be black with an island and a bridge and a big volcano that trickled the water in the deep end. But that's why Cheryl's saying that the water was so hot, because it was fucking black. A black pool in Phoenix. I remember the pool got very hot. Yeah. Why they made a black pool, I don't know.

[Cheryl]

But yeah, yeah, yeah. For whatever reason we. Your mom Nikki is. I don't care. Separate, aside from our party habits. Okay. I really truly found your mom to be. She was very compassionate. She. Her heart. She was very. I don't know if this is the right word, but she was very heartfelt. Like I always felt things came from her heart. I really did. Now maybe that was my relationship with her solely. I don't know how she was with other people. But I can only tell you about the exchange of us and our friendship and for two girls. And this is not to be taken out of context, but she used to call me up when I lived in Florida. She used to call me up and you know, she was wasted when she used to call me. I. I think personally and I think if your mom were here, she would say the same thing. That we had a bond. We really did. I. We wouldn't have. She wouldn't have asked me to come to Phoenix and I wouldn't have dropped Things so fast in my life to go to Phoenix. And when we were together, we always got along very well. There was no contentions with her, no arguing, no fighting, no competition, no nothing. Just pure friendship.

[Nikki]

I thought she was always really easygoing.

[Cheryl]

She was. Stacy was very easygoing. I just saw things in her. Maybe what others saw outside of her was not who she was on the inside. She had a hard exterior, she was a tough girl, but she was also very humbled by her heart. She just had a lot of love in her, a lot of compassion, a lot of feelings. And maybe some people who met her didn't see that from the outside, but I saw that. I got up close and personal and it's nothing she told me. It's just everything I saw that what I felt from her. She may have not made all the best decisions, but she also made good decisions. It's. Sometimes it's harder to get to certain things, more so for others to get around a bend. And she had some tough, tough calls along the way, but. And I got her. I just got her.

[Nikki]

So after you went home the summer of 77, it'll be a couple more years till you see her again. And that'll be around the time that I was. How old was I?

[Cheryl]

I'm gonna say you were no more. No more than five. No more than five.

[Nikki]

I vaguely remember the plane ride after.

[Cheryl]

I had asked you initially. I kind of remembered. You might not remember. And by that time, uncle and auntie bought a bigger house in Downers Grove. And that's the last time I saw her in person. But that's not the last time I ever spoke to her either.

[Nikki]

So you would keep in constant contact with her throughout the rest of her life, Correct?

[Cheryl]

Correct? Yeah, that is correct.

[Nikki]

It was a lot of the late night phone calls.

[Cheryl]

All late night phone calls.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Cheryl]

She was wasted. Now, looking back at those late night phone calls, not that I knew what was going on, but I knew it wasn't good. I remember that I knew it wasn't a good. Not towards me, but there was a lot of things going on. I just didn't know what they were.

[Nikki]

Towards the end, in the 90s, I'm assuming is what you're talking about. Towards 91, 92 and 93, when things.

[Cheryl]

Started to get bad, she didn't talk about Russell at all. The only time I knew about Russell was through your Aunt Wendy.

[Nikki]

Really? That's interesting. She didn't waste her time talking about him or bitching about him to you?

[Cheryl]

No, I knew nothing. Because really, her Phone calls. I left for Florida in 85 and her phone calls started coming in late at night. I want to say I don't remember them right away, but they started increasing towards. I would say I was there until 93. So definitely she started calling me at night. So she always had my number. And she'd call up, cheryl, baby, did I ever tell you how much I love you? And I'm like, yes. And I would tell her back how much I loved her, but that's what she would always open up with. All the late. And I used to get them at random, never knew when they were coming. And I knew she was wasted. Nicole. I knew she was, but that did not deter me. And A. I always picked up the phone. I knew she was wasted. I used to say I didn't think she was in a good place, but I never knew what that meant. And it wasn't to talk about life because she was wasted. And all she did was tell me how much she loved me and what a good friend I've been to her. And I've always been there for her, to be honest with you, not to be bragging or anything, but that's what she used to say to me. And that's when Aunt Wendy found my mother's phone number in Indiana and called me. And my mom said, cheryl, there's a call here for you. It's Wendy. And I. When she said Wende, I knew immediately who it was because I didn't know any other Wendy. And Wendy was absolutely hysterical. And I remember just falling back in the chair, just blown away. When something's bothering you, like news of this, like, just I walked around. And even to disdain Nicole, it just bothers me. It just bothers me. I'm just a friend of hers from the past, but it's just so bothersome. It's a story that's very bothersome to me.

[Narrator/Host]

It should be to everybody and not.

[Nikki]

Just to the people that loved her. It's. It's bothersome.

[Cheryl]

It's very bothersome is the word I use. I've had many. I had I for being 65. Normally, when my mom tells me most of the people in my address book are dead. Cheryl And I'm like, that's funny. I've lost people already, starting in my 30s. I already have a laundry list of people that I lost in their 30s that were all.

[Nikki]

Do you still talk to anybody in the old crew? Is there anybody else I can talk to that knew my mom?

[Cheryl]

I don't speak to any of them. Nicole. I'VE disassociated with all of them. Everybody. Some people stayed together, but the main groups, they diminished. People passed on, moved away.

[Nikki]

I leave the open invitation for anybody that knew my mom. And you are willing to come on the show. Please come on and tell me what you remember of her. Every little memory is my small way to bring her back and I learn who she was.

[Cheryl]

I wish I had more to offer you other than. We went to the Kansas concert, We went tubing down the river for the day, we went to the mall. She has been and will always be loved by me. And I miss her dearly. I miss her humor, I miss her passion. I know that we would have been so continue speaking to this day. I have. I am sure of it. And not only that, I am sure we would have been already rekindled to see each other. I'm sure of that. I would have been seeing her already.

[Nikki]

The calls would have never stopped.

[Narrator/Host]

Cheryl, come on.

[Cheryl]

No, they wouldn't have. They wouldn't have. They wouldn't have. No, they wouldn't have. Not for a moment. And whatever God's plan is for Russell, I don't know, whatever he has coming, not coming, whatever, he's got to answer for that. He's gotta. You. You gotta live with what you get, what you put out in life. I'm a firm believer. And living doesn't mean that he's not tormented and he's not going through whatever he's going through. That doesn't mean it at all. And whatever opportunity he had in life when he was with Stacy, career wise, I think he shot all that to hell in a handbasket, that's for sure. So life can't be that grand for him.

[Narrator/Host]

No.

[Nikki]

Yeah. As far as I know, he still has the pancreatic cancer. He's in remission, the last I heard.

[Cheryl]

Yeah, but you know what? That's not good, Nicole, because remission with pancreatic cancer, the likelihood of that coming back is pretty likely. And you know what? Sometimes living knowing you have that terminal illness is sometimes worse than death. Believe it or not, it would be.

[Nikki]

Nice to get a confession before he dies. Did you listen to the last episode that I released? Number 10?

[Cheryl]

Think so. I always try to like them, so, you know, I listen to it. I have to see if. Where I'm at on Spotify, it has.

[Nikki]

My sister's interview in it. Did you hear my sister?

[Cheryl]

Yes.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Cheryl]

You know what? Yes. And I don't mean to make you emotionally upset, but if I didn't know any better, she Sounds so much like Stacy.

[Nikki]

Yeah. You think so?

[Cheryl]

Oh, my God. When she. When I was listening to that recording, that's the last episode I listened to. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn that with Stacy. Honest to God, she's got that same voice.

[Nikki]

Does she sound just like her?

[Cheryl]

Yeah, I was really listening to it again, Nicole.

[Nikki]

I was really surprised by how passionate my sister was and how much she agrees that her dad was responsible. I didn't expect that, so I would love to.

[Cheryl]

When was that?

[Nikki]

That was. That was recorded in July of 2023. So two years ago. And since then I haven't gotten any update. I guess I could like submit for case file which would include supplement reports and any updates. But as far as I know, that confrontation call never went through.

[Cheryl]

What does that mean, never went through?

[Nikki]

They never did it. Never. They never performed the confrontation call. I've never gotten any update in the ca. And what I have to prove that anything happened. But you've always got to submit for a new case file to get new supplement reports. They don't just send you updates.

[Cheryl]

Right. I didn't realize that was that recent.

[Nikki]

Correct. I recently stumbled across that. I haven't had a chance to talk to you about it because when I was scrubbing all the. That literally what you bought the USB drive, I was going through it all because I'm rounding to the end of the podcast. I wanted to assure that I got all the audio. Thank God. I went through it because there was one file that said calls with Sergeant Leon. And I clicked on it and it opened up to three. Three more calls. I didn't realize that file contained three more calls that I missed. And there were two voicemails, missed calls, and then one connected call. 18 minutes that turned out to be 16 of it went into the podcast. Yeah, hardcore. I just found that two weeks ago. Just literally. And I, I.

[Cheryl]

Nobody told you.

[Nikki]

Nobody told me. No. And I've been reaching out to my sister. I have no idea where she sits after two years on whether she wants to still do it. It's public record. Anybody could access it, so that's why I released it. But is she still willing to help get her dad, get a confession from her dad? Is what I want to know. Is she still willing?

[Cheryl]

I'm going to go back and re. Listen to that. I did listen to that, but I'm going to go back because her voice really. But. See you. But you also sound like your mom as well. There's parts of you and parts of her. I Hear your mom.

[Nikki]

I sound a lot like my dad after living with him for 30 years.

[Cheryl]

But, yeah, your dad is an interesting character.

[Nikki]

Yes, he is.

[Cheryl]

Can I. Can I ask you, what was that like growing? Was he the way he is? What I see now is that's how he was growing up, raising a daughter.

[Nikki]

Life was very hard with Craig after mom was gone. Life was very hard with Craig. He's a good man, but he didn't know how to raise a child. He had zero interest in doing it.

[Cheryl]

He.

[Nikki]

And even in, like, the body cam footage that he didn't expect me to see, he just did his duty. That's an exact quote. He had no interest in raising me. So it was. Life was very hard. And that's half of the reason why I am the way I am today.

[Cheryl]

And I'm very sorry that he was not there for you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It was just not there for you.

[Nikki]

Oh, yeah. I was very alone.

[Cheryl]

I'm really, really sorry to hear that.

[Nikki]

It's okay. Wendy felt she tried to be there in the beginning, but she just fell apart from the grief. And as the years dragged on, they just took her down. So she will eventually disappear by the time I'm a senior in high school. And like, she was the only female figure I had and she was in and out of my life for that four years. I had nobody until recently. Honestly, until either it was Swifty first and then you a year later. Until you and Swifty walked back into my life. I had no mother figure and have had nobody to turn to until recently. And I can't thank you enough for. For taking me under your wing.

[Cheryl]

I'll say this from the bottom of my heart. You ever want to talk FaceTime like we are, I'm here. You want to call me, call me. You want to text me, text me. Email, Email. Reach out anytime. There's something I can talk out with you or bring enlightenment to you. I will. I'm totally here. I'm totally here.

[Nikki]

And I know that. Thank you. And I know that. Thank you, Cheryl.

[Cheryl]

I cannot replace your mom. But I can certainly maybe give you the female coverage to what How I can to be here. And not only one, but you have Lori and Cheryl.

[Nikki]

Let me tell you a funny story. So last night I went to a Chinese festival with my boyfriend for work. And we were on the west side and we were driving past Lori's house. It was like 7:45. And I was like, dustin, let's stop in front of her house and let me tap on her Window. I had this tap. He goes, you're gonna get shot. And I was like, she's not gonna shoot me. She doesn't have a gun. It's not a big deal. It's Lori. And so I t. It's her windows are dark at 7:45. And I tap on her windows. She doesn't answer. So then I call her, and I wake her up, and she's groggy, and she was like, hello. And I go, hey, lady, are you sleeping? I go, I'm outside your house. I just tapped on your windows. She goes, I thought I heard something. She goes, this is a good way to get shot. I was like, okay, I guess my tapping on windows is done. But, yeah, Lori's amazing.

[Cheryl]

Two. Two people told you that. Ten minutes.

[Nikki]

It has many minutes. Less than, like, a minute and a half telling me I'm going to get shot.

[Cheryl]

Cool. Oh, my God. See? Your mother would do something like that.

[Narrator/Host]

Tonight. You didn't just hear stories. You heard a friendship. Cheryl didn't come here to rewrite history. She came to remember it. Downers Grove in 76 and Phoenix in 77. Bare feet on burning sidewalks. The eighth row Kansas tickets that were worth getting fired for. The neighborhood nicknames, the bad ideas that somehow didn't end in disaster. And the way my mom could walk into a room full of strangers and leave with a circle of friends. We talk a lot on the show about files and timelines and what's missing. But the thing that Cheryl gave back today wasn't paperwork. It was texture. The girl who did her chores and laughed about picking weeds. The tough exterior with the softest heart. The phone calls that always began the same way. Cheryl, baby, did I tell you how much I love you? That's not evidence in a binder. That's a person, and that's my mom. Some memories stayed off Mike tonight on purpose, not because they were shameful, but because friendships can hold things that podcasts don't need to. I respect that. I'm grateful for what was shared and for what was protected. That photo Cheryl mentioned, the one where she's taking my mom to the airport to fly back to Phoenix, and she's wearing the Loop Radio T shirt. I tracked it down and I made it this episode's cover art. Since switching to Libsyn, I've noticed the artwork shows up on Spotify, but not on the Apple podcast. So if you're listening on Apple, you probably can't see what I'm talking about. It's my mother and Cheryl. Classic seventies fun. Loving babes. And it belongs on this story. This past year, I felt the circle widening. A mom at school recognized the show before she recognized me. Crimecon, where Melissa and I somehow ended up next to the prosecutors and we realized that we weren't just fans anymore. I also found something recently buried on a USB. A 2023 call with Sedona PD about a confrontation call that, as far as I know, never happened. I don't have an update on that yet, but I'm definitely not done asking if you were part of the Downers Grove orbit, if you knew John Boy, if you knew Marty or Jerry, if you remember a house with a bedroom window entrance and a karaoke mic, Reach out. If you knew Stacy in Phoenix, if you floated that river with her, if you stood in the kitchen while she laughed about weeds and chores, reach out. If you lived in Sedona in the early 90s, if you knew Russell Peterson, if you worked with him, partied with him, dated someone who did or just heard something once that stuck with you. Reach out. Small details turn into map pins. Enough pins become a pattern. Pattern becomes movement. Cheryl, thank you for loving my mother out loud, for protecting the parts that belong to friendship and gifting the parts that belong to history. You said the calls would never have stopped, and because of you, they won't. We'll keep picking up when they ring through the years and to anyone who knows needs it, the national Domestic hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE. Save it. Share it. If you're not safe, you can call, text or chat and someone will answer. I'll end with this. Earlier this week, a coworker recognized the show before she recognized me. It's a small moment, but it means Stacey's name is leaving rooms it's never reached before. It means A teenager from 1970. 1977. A mom from Phoenix is still being carried by you, by me, and by this show. My name is Nikki. I'm the daughter of a murdered woman. This is Poppy. Killed Mommy. Thank you for listening.

[Jeff Bridges]

Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.

[Dana]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?

[Jeff Bridges]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you. Teach me. So, Dana.

[Dana]

Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly AT T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[Jeff Bridges]

Wow, impressive. Let me me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Dana]

Nice Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Jeff Bridges]

T Mobile is the best place to.

[Cheryl]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.

[Jeff Bridges]

Us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for launch?

[Dana]

Dude, my work here is done.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

The 24 month bill credits on experience beyond for well qualified customers plus tax and 35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro to answer 156 gigs $1099.99 and new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oaklove Speed Test Intelligence data 1H 2025 visit t mobile.com.