Papi Killed Mommy — Episode Summary

Podcast: Papi Killed Mommy
Host: Nikki
Episode: Media Pressure
Date: September 21, 2025

Overview

In this emotionally charged episode, Nikki, the host and daughter of the victim, explores the power and necessity of media pressure in pursuing justice for her mother, Stephanie Wassilishin, who was murdered in 1993. Nikki shares the recent developments in her fight to keep the story alive, the difficult transition towards monetizing the podcast for sustainability, and the crucial impact that media attention has brought to her mother’s cold case. The episode traces their journey from being stonewalled by authorities to the moments when national media and true crime communities began to pay attention, driving real progress and renewed hope.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Welcoming New Listeners & Podcast Changes

[00:00–04:00]

• Nikki welcomes a surge of new listeners from the true crime podcast Morbid.
• Announces a transition from Buzzsprout to Libsyn to allow for sustainable monetization via ads (after years of being ad-free).
• Shares vulnerability and discomfort about inserting ads but emphasizes survival and sustainability.
  • Quote: "Ads are not about selling out. They're about survival... they're about sustainability." (Nikki, 11:30)

2. The Meaning and Need for Sustainability

[04:00–11:00]

• Defines sustainability as the ability to "keep this podcast, this fight, and my mom's story going without burning out or breaking down."
• Listeners who financially supported the show previously will need to transition support as Nikki phases out the old system.
• Considers launching a Patreon or ad-free supporter tier in the future.

3. The Larger Mission: Beyond One Story

[11:00–14:00]

• Nikki explains plans to cover other little-known domestic violence cases in Season 2, inviting listeners to submit cases.
• Describes media attention at CrimeCon and her growing role as an advocate for other families.

4. Personal Story: The Case File and Emotional Toll

[14:00–24:00]

• Nikki recounts requesting her mother’s public case file in late 2020, but being paralyzed for months when it finally arrived, knowing it would change her life.
• The process of printing and reading the records with a documentary student leads to an emotional breakthrough.
  • Quote: "I cried as the paper stack grew. I cried as the camera clicked... I began falling down a rabbit hole of my mother's cold case that four years later, I still haven't crawled back out of." (Nikki, 18:45)
• Realization that the file received was incomplete, only 176 pages, when 400 were reported.

5. The Power of Social Media and Reconnecting with Family

[24:00–29:00]

• Initiates a YouTube channel and soon pivots to TikTok for greater reach, spurred on by advice from friend and activist Sarah Turney.
  • Quote: "If she's able to accomplish all of this, I can do it too, right?... She responded quickly and told me bluntly, start with TikTok. So I did." (Nikki, 26:50)
• An unexpected reconnection with her aunt Wendy through TikTok after 20 years, which leads to discovering inconsistencies and missing documents in their combined case files.

6. Official Stonewalling and the Infamous Sedona PD Letter

[29:00–40:00]

• Nikki and Wendy attempt to restart the investigation by contacting authorities, only to receive a dismissive and subtly threatening letter from the Sedona Police Department (March 2022).
• Nikki meticulously breaks down the problematic, bureaucratic, and hostile tone of the letter paragraph by paragraph, highlighting the lack of empathy, shifting of responsibility, and even veiled accusations of harassment against the family.
  • Quote: "Accusing a victim's family of harassment in writing is completely inappropriate and would never be considered acceptable in trauma informed policing." (Nikki, 39:10)
  • Quote: "This letter wasn't a promise of justice. It was a warning to sit down and stop asking questions. But instead of silencing me, it lit another fire." (Nikki, 40:05)

7. Turning Point: Media Coverage and Breakthroughs

[40:00–56:00]

• A TikTok follower puts Nikki in touch with reporter Justin Lum of Fox 10 Phoenix, who presses Sedona PD for answers and schedules TV interviews with Nikki's family.
• The first time the family hears the 911 call and critical interviews, 29 years after the murder, coincides with this media engagement.
  • Quote: "I will always attribute the delivery of that zip drive to the Fox media pressure." (Nikki, 44:40)
• The Fox special, "Insufficient," lays out the failings of the investigation and features powerful first-hand accounts and a detailed review of the night Stephanie was murdered.
  • See segment summary below.

Fox 10 News "Insufficient" Segment Highlights

[56:00–1:15:00 (read aloud)]

• Details of the night of Stephanie’s death: last moments with Nikki, the convoluted and inconsistent statements of suspect Russell Peterson, and key forensic findings like gunshot residue and autopsy results.
• Police and medical examiner's conflicting assessments; the county attorney declines prosecution twice for “insufficient evidence.”
• Family and Nikki’s unwavering belief it was murder, not suicide or accident.
  • Quote: "I know it's just a blatant lie. My mom would never touch a gun. Her two children were sleeping just feet away." (Nikki, 1:12:22)
• The emotional toll and fleeting sense of hope after the story airs are described as "Super Bowl Sunday except the stakes were our lives." (Nikki, 1:09:10)

8. Advocacy Evolves: Petitions and True Crime Community Support

[1:15:00–1:22:00]

• After initial silence post-Fox coverage, Nikki pivots to grassroots action: starts a petition and reaches out to true crime podcasts, with her story picked up by “The Mombies.”
• Sustained efforts on TikTok finally lead to a viral video and more podcast offers.

9. Engaging Local Officials & Renewed Hope

[1:22:00–1:30:00]

• Nikki contacts Sedona City Council (January 2023), leading to the first meeting with police officials in 30 years. The experience is tense and yields little new information, with blame-shifting between police and county attorney.

• Nikki discloses new information—a partial confession heard from Russell Peterson’s second wife, dismissed by police as hearsay.

• Crucial outcome: police finally agree to interview Nikki’s father, a critical witness who was on the phone with Stephanie the night she died, for the first time on camera.

  • Quote: "One thing finally shifted. After 30 years. They agreed to put my dad on camera. The man who was on the phone with my mom for hours as she planned to leave Russell." (Nikki, 1:30:55)

10. Closing Reflections and Calls to Action

[1:30:00–End]

• Nikki asks listeners to contact the Yavapai County Attorney's Office, Sedona PD, and the Red Rock News, insisting they push for the case to be reopened and that the family's requests for the full file and action be honored.
• She closes with a powerful reflection on the importance of media pressure and collective advocacy in overcoming systemic inertia and getting justice for victims:
  • Quote: "If I stayed quiet, if my aunt had stayed quiet, my mom's story would still be buried under excuses, bureaucracy, and dismissive language. But media pressure changes things. Visibility changes things." (Nikki, 1:34:00)
  • Quote: "Every share, every listen, every review, every time you tell somebody about this case, it builds pressure, and pressure moves mountains." (Nikki, 1:34:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sustainable Storytelling:
  "It's not about growth for growth's sake. It's about making sure this podcast, this fight, and my mom's story keep going without burning out or breaking down. Sustainability is the goal." — Nikki, [08:12]

• On Official Dismissal:
  "This letter wasn't a promise of justice. It was a warning to sit down and stop asking questions." — Nikki, [40:10]

• On the Transformative Power of Media:
  "I will always attribute the delivery of that zip drive to the Fox media pressure." — Nikki, [44:40]

• On Family Determination:
  "I'm not going to give up on this anymore. I will fight the system. I will not let this go. My mother did not commit suicide or have an argument and then tried to shoot her boyfriend. That is not what happened. My mother's life was taken from her." — Nikki, [1:13:50]

• On the Community’s Role:
  "Every share, every listen, every review, every time you tell somebody about this case, it builds pressure, and pressure moves mountains." — Nikki, [1:34:45]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Welcome Morbid listeners, background, major podcast changes
• 04:00 – Explanation of sustainability and platform transition
• 14:00 – Obtaining and confronting the case file
• 24:00 – Shifting to social media advocacy, TikTok, reconnecting with Wendy
• 29:00 – Official resistance and detailed breakdown of the Sedona PD letter
• 40:00 – Fox News coverage, the "Insufficient" special
• 56:00 – In-depth review of the Fox 10 News audio segment
• 1:15:00 – Launching a petition, “The Mombies” podcast episode
• 1:22:00 – Sedona city outreach, first meeting with police in 30 years
• 1:30:00 – Police agree to finally interview Nikki’s father
• 1:34:00 – Reflections on media pressure, closing calls to action

Conclusion

This episode is a powerful testament to the struggle and necessity of relentless advocacy in cold cases. Nikki’s journey shows not only the emotional cost of seeking justice but also the transformative role that media pressure and community support can play in breaking through institutional stonewalling. By weaving personal narrative with precise criticism of official responses, the episode both informs and galvanizes listeners to remain engaged and active participants in the quest for justice for Stephanie Wassilishin and countless others.