The Day They Told Me

Summary

Podcast Summary: Papi Killed Mommy - Episode: The Day They Told Me

Introduction and Context

In the emotionally charged episode titled "The Day They Told Me", host Nikki Wasolichen delves deeper into the tragic night her mother was murdered. As the tenth anniversary of the incident approaches, Nikki recounts the harrowing experiences of that day, the immediate aftermath, and the subsequent interactions with law enforcement. This episode aims to shed light on the inconsistencies and potential cover-ups surrounding her mother's death.

Trigger Warning and Episode Overview

Nikki begins the episode with a [00:12] trigger warning, cautioning listeners about graphic discussions of domestic violence and homicide. She emphasizes the podcast's commitment to portraying her mother's story with raw honesty while reminding listeners that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Fateful Day: July 11, 1993

Nikki recounts the pivotal day when she was informed of her mother's death, describing it as the worst day of her life. At ten years old, she was taken to the Sedona Police Department by her foster family. In a stark, impersonal room filled with strangers, the only familiar face was Russell Peterson, her mother's boyfriend and her little sister's father.

Nikki Wasolichen [00:50]: "I sat frozen in a chair, facing people I didn't recognize and people I didn't trust. The only familiar face in that room was my mother's boyfriend, Russell Peterson."

Russell delivered the devastating news, attempting to comfort Nikki while her sister remained oblivious, playing with toys as if nothing had happened. Nikki recalls a particularly jarring memory of a pink Jeep tour Russell took them on just hours after the tragedy, highlighting his manipulative behavior.

Nikki Wasolichen [02:20]: "Just hours after telling me my mother was dead, he took us on a pink Jeep tour through Sedona, a fun, scenic ride."

Police Interrogation: Russell Peterson’s Walkthrough

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Russell Peterson's interrogation by Detective Walter Spokes. Nikki provides excerpts from the transcript, illustrating Peterson's contradictory and evasive statements.

Russell Peterson [05:02]: "I was sitting right here like this after I came home after I took the shower... She says Russell, I am going to shoot you."

Peterson's account fluctuates between claiming there was no struggle and hinting at possible conflict. His narrative introduces dubious details, such as the discovery of a hidden bottle of Seagram's whiskey in Nikki's mother's bag, which Nikki later challenges.

Nikki Wasolichen [15:06]: "I know the first thing you're probably thinking is what recorder? I've never brought this up because there is no evidence of finding it."

Father’s Interview: Craig Daly’s Testimony

Nikki interviews her father, Craig Daly, shedding light on his perspective and the discrepancies between his account and the police reports. Craig reveals that his interview with the authorities was uncooperative, leading to tension and a lack of closure.

Craig Daly [17:51]: "He jumped all over me about, 'You don't have any proof.'"

Craig disputes the existence of the alleged phone recorder Russell mentioned, suggesting it was either disposed of or never existed. He also confirms his mother's affair with a handyman, adding complexity to the case.

Craig Daly [22:36]: "No, he just made it up or something because I didn't say some of those things he said."

Post-Funeral Events and Investigation Shortcomings

Following the funeral on July 14, 1993, Nikki details the fragmented and incomplete investigation by the Sedona Police Department. Key events include:

• July 29, 1993: Russell Peterson submits his fingerprints.
• August 2, 1993: Examination of the Ruger Redhawk revolver reveals no identifiable fingerprints.
• August 3, 1993: Police reenact the shooting, concluding that Nikki's mother couldn't have fired the weapon alone.
• August 11, 1993: Dr. Philip Keene classifies the death as a homicide based on gunpowder residue.
• August 17, 1993: Dr. Keene confirms her defensive posture at the time of the shooting.

Nikki points out glaring omissions in the investigation, such as the lack of subpoenas, absence of phone and financial record examinations, and limited interviews of Russell Peterson.

Nikki Wasolichen [20:25]: "I'm not sure what to think of the investigators having skipped my dad's interview, but I can tell you I've always been upset by the fact that they never drove down to Phoenix and talked to my father in person."

Emotional Reflections and Unanswered Questions

Throughout the episode, Nikki shares poignant memories, including her mother’s funeral and the lasting impact of that day on her life. She emphasizes the unresolved nature of the case and the continuous search for truth.

Nikki Wasolichen [24:00]: "But nobody took the next step."

Conclusion and Call to Action

Nikki concludes the episode by outlining the subsequent steps in the investigation and hinting at future episodes that will explore the remaining interviews and evidence. She also expresses gratitude to her supporters and encourages listeners to contribute to keeping her mother's story alive.

Nikki Wasolichen [28:44]: "If you have any information that could help in my mother's case, please contact the Sedona Police Department at 928-282-3100 and join me next week as I continue the story until there is no more story to tell or no more breath in my body."

Key Takeaways

• Manipulation and Inconsistencies: Russell Peterson's behavior and testimonies raise suspicions about his involvement and the true circumstances surrounding the murder.
• Incomplete Investigation: Despite clear indicators of foul play, the investigation lacked thoroughness, leaving many questions unanswered.
• Family Dynamics: The separation of siblings and the differing accounts from family members highlight the complex interpersonal relationships affected by the tragedy.
• Unresolved Evidence: Critical evidence, such as the Ruger revolver, remains unexamined, suggesting potential oversights or intentional neglect by authorities.

Notable Quotes

• Nikki Wasolichen [00:50]: "I sat frozen in a chair, facing people I didn't recognize and people I didn't trust."
• Russell Peterson [05:02]: "I am volunteering this to you."
• Craig Daly [22:43]: "The cop was ad libent as he went along there. Plus he had a bad attitude."
• Nikki Wasolichen [15:06]: "There has been no evidence of a recorder. Nothing like that was ever turned up in the case."

Final Thoughts

"The Day They Told Me" serves as a poignant exploration of Nikki Wasolichen’s relentless pursuit of truth amidst familial betrayal and investigative shortcomings. The episode not only chronicles the personal anguish of losing a mother but also critiques the systemic failures that have kept this case unresolved for decades. As Nikki continues her quest for answers, listeners are left contemplating the deeper implications of justice and memory.

Transcript

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Hi, my name is Nikki, and I'm the daughter of a murdered woman. Welcome back to Poppy Killed Mommy. We're going to start with the Trigger Warning. This podcast contains discussions of domestic violence, homicide, and other potentially distressing topics. The individual mentioned in this episode is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised. Over the last several weeks, I've taken you into my life to tell you my mother's story. Together, we've walked through the events leading up to her death, the aftermath, and the police interviews that followed. And now We've reached Sunday, July 11th. The day they told me. The day my life changed forever. That day is, and always will be the worst day of my life. I remember being driven to the Sedona Police Department by my foster family. They escorted us into a small room with a circle of silver folding chairs. In the center of this circle were toys and blocks, and my little sister immediately ran over, sat down, and started playing. I sat frozen in a chair, facing people I didn't recognize and people I didn't trust. The only familiar face in that room was my mother's boyfriend, my little sister's father, Russell Peterson. Not one member of my family was there to comfort me. And it was Russell who told me what my sister had been telling me for days. That our mother was dead. My sister kept playing with her toys and blocks as if nothing had happened. But for me, it felt like my chair collapsed beneath me. The world just fell out from under me. I don't remember much after that, only that Russell was there and that he kept saying it was an accident and he was the only person comforting me. That entire day is a blur, but one of my memories stands out. The pink Jeep trail ride after Russell told me that my mom was gone. He signed both me and my sister out of CPS custody that afternoon. And what did he do next? He took us on a family outing. Just hours after telling me my mother was dead, he took us on a pink Jeep tour through Sedona, a fun, scenic ride. I remember sitting in the back of that Jeep, stunned not just by what had just happened, but by how strange it felt that Russell was suddenly wanting to play family. He had never taken us on an outing before. And now, on the worst day of my life, he was acting like the three of us were some little happy family. But that day wasn't about the Jeep ride. It was about manipulation. Russell spent that afternoon working hard to convince me I should want to live with him. He kept repeating things like, you want to stay with your Sister, Right? You don't want to be separated from your sister, do you? He knew my little sister was my weakness. I loved her dearly. He used her as a bargaining chip to push me towards saying what he wanted, that I wanted to stay with him. But I never said what he wanted me to say to anybody other than him. Thankfully, three family members stepped up for custody of me, my grandmother, my godmother and my father. And days later, my father was awarded custody. What he didn't know and what no one told him was that I had been released to Russell Peterson that day. No one ever called my father to ask or to inform. And I won't share that piece of information for 30 years until I start investigating my mother's death. July 11, 1993, was the last day I ever saw Russell Peterson. Our final memory together is that pink Jeep ride just hours after he told me my mother was dead from an accident. Last episode I told you there was one more interview and I would be giving it to you in this episode, which is true and not true. There is one more interrogation, but what I forgot to mention was the walkthrough. Later that same day, after dropping my sister and me back off at the foster home, Russell called investigators at 2pm he asked Sedona PD to meet him at the house on Coffee Pot Drive. He said he wanted to go over the events again, this time inside the house itself. What followed wasn't an interrogation. It was more like a performance. This is that conversation once again. It's not the best audio and there's a couple times where it cuts out and you can't understand what they say. So I have to cut it out. I'm including all of these interviews with the police to hear his words in total and his complete and utter indifference to my mother.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

711 of 93 at 1421 hours. President is myself Detective Walter Spokes of the sedona Police Department. Mr. Russell Peterson. And your name is? Peter Cohen and Peter korn. We're at. Mr. Peterson asked me over here to talk to him about. About the incident. Mr. Peterson, keeping your rights in mind that we advised you on the 9th you still wish to talk?

[Russell Peterson]

I am volunteering this to you.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Okay.

[Russell Peterson]

I called you. Okay. Okay. What I was. The first thing I never really noticed was the trajectory of the bullet, which I didn't see until last night, or the car, that the curtains were there and everything else. So if we look and think that if I was sitting here, it would have been a reasonably decent shot. Okay. As I told you before, that's not where I was sitting right I was sitting right here like this after I came home after I took the shower. We're sitting there talking the Craig the uncommon two and a half hour conversation with Craig going back and forth not wild I don't know if you talk to neighbors or whoever you know not really aggressive okay I'm here. Stephanie gets spot she goes into the bedroom which was not uncommon to the garden there to fatigue is that was her bathroom I mean quarter happening below five whatever she comes back and I'll and standing right in the general area where the light switch could be where in and all about she looks at me I look up at her and she says Russell, I am going to shoot you. I put my hands up and say Stephanie stop wait I'm on what's going on the shot here turned around back at me. I mean me sitting here if I were to stand on the inside step and you know that like I said there's complete silence. She turned around. I did hear the gun cop again now in a period of minutes maybe a minute and a half I finally I mean there was silence in the bedroom and I completely silent Alvina aside from what was that Ryan BB I have no idea. So I water the hallway into this other hallway and I do believe I know I told you guys before that I thought there was a struggle. Well if there was how did you grab her wrists and everything else. What makes me come to this conclusion or determination is as I'm about here the shot was fired and I remember distinctly seeing her I can see it I can see exactly how she fell. I mean she didn't wasn't a drop like this or I mean it was just like a sink alone And I saw her head. Her head hit off of this and came to rest under. Under the counter under the table of which like I believe at that point I mean I was so nervous it was another state of mind than altogether whatsoever So I looked and I saw and this could be. Don't ask me why I did this. The gun was sitting there. I took the gun I put it back up in the closet. I stopped I looked again. I took it back down. I set it where it had laid at some point in time was in the hallway and I said go back to your room. Go back to your room. There's been an accident. And that's when I called 911. Okay. And that's you know the thing that really came to me the most is after me and my brother were here and we talked And I broke down and I gathered myself and everything else, and he, like, drove me. Russell, what was it? Russell, what was it? Russell, what did you see? What do you remember then? The point being that being anywhere from about here to here, and the way it comes back, that I saw her drop, that I saw her legs just buckle underneath her and just go and come to rest underneath that table. I also found another piece of, if you want to call it, evidence, that yesterday, before me and my brother went through all this, my mother had to go to the bathroom. She was using the front bathroom. My father had to go to the bathroom and over here. So father came and she go to the bathroom. He comes in, he goes to pee, and he shuts the dog. And he hears something in her red bag as he lifts it up. I mean, you can take it for print. I mean, it would show the volume that was consumed.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

I heard it was consumed. Exactly.

[Russell Peterson]

Oh, you've already got a. I know what the blood alcohol level is. Vac on her or whatever. Yeah. But I just figured that, you know, I found that I had no idea.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Okay, so that's not a normal place where she would keep a bottle of Seagrams.

[Russell Peterson]

It's not normal. She used to, like, at times to hide them around to like, shall we call it, her personal stash. But I never had any knowledge of this. And father Ken, when he went to shut the door, then he called me and said, russell, you know, this is what was there.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Okay.

[Russell Peterson]

So I, you know, that compounded with a couple of glasses of wine and the pressures of the fact of me doing this, which was no pressure on her really going to Ithaca. And I think a key point that nobody will never know what transpired, how it transpired, is that two and a half hour, very uncommon conversation between Craig and herself. Right. I think at this point that I just wanted to call you and tell you that.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Okay, so you don't know. You still are not sure if you. If you wrestled with her to get the gun or anything.

[Russell Peterson]

I thought about that, too. And what makes me come to the conclusion of, no, I did not wrestle with her, with having a gun that size already being cocked. If there was any kind of a wrestling match, the first thing to do would be possibly to make it point down, point up, point somewhere where it's out of harm's way, which would then have necessitated a second shot being fired into the ground or the wall or to somewhere else. I'm not. Do you know what I'm. You know what I mean? Right.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

I know what you're saying? Yeah, okay, so you came around the corner.

[Russell Peterson]

I came around that corner.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Where were you when you heard the shot go off, when you came around the corner?

[Russell Peterson]

When I came around the corner, I was. I was in between. I would. I would solemnly pretty much swear I was in between. Right about this area.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Okay, so in the. In the door. Jam itself.

[Russell Peterson]

Jam area. You know, there were no word. The last words that Stephanie ever said to me was, so I am going to shoot you.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Do you remember where the gun was when you came around the corner? And did you see the gun at all? What did you focus on when you came around the corner? Do you remember her face or her.

[Russell Peterson]

Hands or like a small lack of focus just because of the greenness of everything? And that had continued to that point. I cannot tell you legitimately. As I walked, another shot came while I was right here, while I was looking. They do not know where I was looking. The other cases where people. That's the way I see it.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

The only thing I had to go on is what stole.

[Russell Peterson]

Yeah, yeah, I understand. I know what I'm saying is that this particular thing. So when I was first told, he said, I didn't know what happened. Whether I struggled or not.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

I.

[Russell Peterson]

Out of curiosity, what was.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Closure on the investigation?

[Russell Peterson]

The same.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Notably reported, but not at this point.

[Russell Peterson]

It was relatively high, I would imagine.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

I don't know.

[Russell Peterson]

Okay. So I think, Detective Spokes, it is right. Yes. That. That is really the only reason I called you over here and just feeling a little more at ease and comfortable with, you know, walking into the house and just seeing. And I know you guys are trying to peace for myself, trying to piece through the things and the fright and the anxiety, and you can come closer to what? To what the ultimate outcome is going to determine. When I saw that bullet hole there, which I never saw before, sat in pure shock and said, Stephanie, no.

[Craig Daly]

What's the matter?

[Russell Peterson]

What are you doing? That's frankly okay.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

It's 1433 right now. Unless you have anything else I'm gonna believe again. Call me if you think of anything.

[Russell Peterson]

I don't believe. I mean, any other information comes up with that I will happily volunteer to do.

[Detective Walter Spokes]

Like. Like we had talked before and Bisphosphere Bravo suggested if you come up fancy, write it down. Yeah, just write it down for yourself. You might want to just write down a narrative, if you haven't already, of what happened just for yourself and everything.

[Russell Peterson]

This is something that I don't choose. I know it will stay with me the rest of my life. But remember the good times. Remember the fun and the happiness we had. And whatever mindset she is in at that given point in moment, but will never be known.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Russell casually led detectives through the house, retelling the version of events in the exact environment where my mother had died. His tone calm, detached and rambling, he starts by describing the evening as quiet. A candle was lit. My mom, he says, wasn't aggressive, just upset. He claims he took a shower and that they had a casual conversation about her phone call with my father. He says she was picking small fights, testing him, but he didn't engage. Throughout his walkthrough, Russell repeatedly contradicts himself. He says he heard the shot from the hallway. Then he claims he was in the doorway watching her. He insists there was no struggle, then later wonders aloud if maybe there was. He describes seeing my mother fall, her legs buckling, her head hitting the floor. But then, seconds later, he says maybe he doesn't remember that at all. At one point, he admits he picked the gun up after she collapsed, placed it back in the closet on the shelf, then changed his mind and set it back where it fell before finally calling 911. Russell also uses the walkthrough to introduce new details, like his father allegedly finding a hidden bottle of Seagram's whiskey in my mom's bag after the shooting. By the end of the walkthrough, when detectives gently challenge him about the inconsistencies, Russell says one final line. Whatever mindset she was in at that given moment, it'll never be known. The next day, July 12, 1993, investigators visited my little sister and me at the foster home in Cottonwood, Arizona. Both of our interviews were recorded, but Arizona law requires a court order to access them. Those tapes remain sealed, and there is no transcripts of either interview. Don't ask me why. Same day, the Yavapai County Attorney's office interviewed my father, Craig. By phone? Yes, by telephone. According to the report, he told police that she may have mentioned getting back together, but said it wasn't an option. That version of the story didn't match up with what he told me growing up. I interviewed my dad just recently, asking him about what he remembered from that one and only time he was interviewed in 1993. This is what he had to say.

[Craig Daly]

They called me the day after, I think the situation happened, and he asked me some questions. And I guess I didn't tell him what he wanted to hear because it was pretty obvious to me what had happened. That take a rocket scientist figure it out. And he Jumped all over me about, you don't have any proof. This, that, and the other, this, that, and the other. And the conversation was pretty short. But I told him about the phone recorder, and he had, you don't have no proof of that. You know, apparently they didn't find it or something. But I talked to her for over an hour, and she said she's had enough of them and told me all kinds of stuff. And he was derelict and this, that, and the other, and even had him sleeping on the couch because he was wetting his pants at nighttime because he drank so much and she was coming back. And all that was, I'm sure, on the phone recorder. And she probably told him that, too, because she was a pretty rugged girl. And that pistol, she didn't care for pistols at all. Any kind of weapon. She didn't care for them at all. So I know that she didn't go grab it. She didn't have to. So I'm sure he went and got it. And then, if anything, she tried to take it away from him, and that's how that incident took place. But I'm sure he's the one that went and got it, and he's the one that produced it because he was all upset over the phone call, and he was all upset over what he heard on the recorder for over an hour. I talked to her for over an hour, and she was coming the next morning. And all this information he got. And the more information he got, I'm sure the more pissed off he was. So that's how that story went. The cop was rude to me. He didn't humor me, didn't listen to my story. Thought like I was making it up. And I had no cause to make anything up. Still don't. It was all the truth. But he just, like, he already had it all figured out. You know, why even call me if he had it all figured out?

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Okay, do you want me to tell.

You what he told you?

And you talked to the detective, you talked to the Yavapai county attorney's investigator on 7 12, 1993. And he says, on the date I. On this date, I also interviewed Craig Daly by telephone. He is the father of Nikki Wasolision. He advised me that he had lived with Stacey Wassolichen for five years and that he was Nikki's father. He states the reason why they broke up was what they. They did not see eye to eye. I asked Daley if he had any guns, and he said he did. I asked him if Stacy ever shot guns. He stated that he did not think so and then changed his mind and said maybe she did a couple times. I then asked Daly about wassalition's temperament. He stated was an average temperament. I asked if she ever threatened him and he said no. He did say that a couple of years ago that Stacey and Wendy wassilician showed up at his residence very early in the morning to get some of Nikki's clothes. He stated that they had been drinking all night and he called the cops. And when the police contacted Stacy and Wendy that Stacy was arrested, he thinks she was arrested because she had been drinking. He states the relationship lately had been friendly. I asked him if she had called him on the night of 7893 and he said yes. He stated that she talked of her and Russell having troubles in their relationship and then they talked of when he was going to pick Nikki up. Then they drifted off to old times. He states they spoke one to two hours. Daly said that she did say in the past that Russell drank a lot and she hinted that maybe he roughed her up. I asked him if she spoke to him about getting back together. He stated that he did not think of that as an option, although Stacy might have said it teasingly. I asked Daly if Stacey wasolishan ever threatened him. He stated that she would say things like I'm gonna kill you, but he always knew that she was just joking or did not mean it. I asked him if she ever threatened to commit suicide. He stated that she never did talk of suicide. Daly described Wassolichen as a very strong willed girl. And that's the last time the Sedona Police Department speaks to you. The one and only time they speak to you. In this case file, you can confirm that's the only time they spoke to you in 1993.

[Craig Daly]

Yes, that's it. Most of that is correct, but some of it is not correct.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

They left some stuff out.

[Craig Daly]

No, he just made it up or something because I didn't say some. Some of those things. He said.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Really?

Yeah, because you've had the same story my whole life.

You've had never wavered.

[Craig Daly]

That story is 5050 right there. So the cop was ad libent as, as he went along there. Plus he had a bad attitude. He kind of bawled me out because of course I was prejudiced. I knew what happened. You know, it doesn't take, you know, Einstein to figure this out. And I might have said something like that, which set him off. But he wasn't very nice.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

And he never called you back.

[Craig Daly]

And he never called me back. I never talked to any authorities again after that for 30 years later. Then they interviewed me here at this house with the two out there. And they went, you know, agreed with me, just said they didn't have enough evidence. But the story sounded like it was just rungs on a ladder. Just take the next step. Take the next step. It all fit into place just like.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

But nobody took the next step.

[Craig Daly]

No one took the next step. It's like. Like they were made a mistake. They knew they made a mistake, big mistake, but they don't want to admit it because it kind of, you know, lose face or something.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Okay, before we get out of here, because you've answered my questions pretty much about that, but I did let it slip in episode one that you said that she was having an affair. And it does come out later because Russell admits in his interrogations that she was having an affair with somebody he says is called Bradley. Later on down the road, Aunt Wendy says his name was Chuck. Regardless, mom admits to you she had an affair with somebody, Correct?

[Craig Daly]

Correct. But I always thought it was a pizza delivery man. That's what I thought. But it was some kind of delivery guy that was. That's how they met.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

He's a service guy.

He came and he fixed something on the house.

[Craig Daly]

Something like that. Yeah, but I thought it was pizza guy, so. Which I thought was kind of weird. I like the fix it thing better than I do a pizza delivery guy.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Okay, well, he was. He was a handyman, and he came and he fixed the screen door with a dog busted through it.

[Craig Daly]

And I can't blame her for doing that because she wasn't getting any attention from this guy that's drunk 24 hours a day.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

So she admitted. When was the first time she admitted it to you? Was it that night?

[Craig Daly]

That night. Okay, Then that was it. And then she was coming the next morning, but.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

So she told you Russell knew about that and that's where the recorder comes from.

[Craig Daly]

Right, Right.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Because he found out she was stepping out and he got a recorder, apparently.

[Craig Daly]

Right. And then I show up on the recorder and we were talking intimate stuff, you know, because I was with her for what, seven years or whatever, and she was like a buddy and she was telling me some stuff, you know, that I can't say.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Yes, I remember being told to go to my room because of what she was talking to my dad about on the phone. I didn't know that at the time.

[Craig Daly]

Yeah, she was talking some pretty. Pretty cool stuff. And, you know, he heard it all because she told me there was a. She knew that he had recording things set up, but he didn't know that she knew and, and she knew that. And at that particular time she's had it and she didn't care. So she was just talking her the way she wanted to talk. She wasn't talking like she knew she was going to get in trouble or anything like that because she didn't. She was done, she was coming, she was coming back and I was looking forward to it.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

I want to make it apparent to the listeners that there has been no evidence of a recorder. Nothing like that was ever turned up in the cert. But my dad has always had that same story. I can attest to that. All my life. For three decades he's always talked about this recorder.

[Craig Daly]

Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure that that phone call that he made to his uncle or dad or whoever it was, first thing he said was get rid of the phone recorder because that would look bad to the cops. And so he got it or the cops didn't find it and he didn't mention it to tell her. Now I believe Stacy because why would she lie about something like that? She had absolutely no reason. And as far as the pistol goes, I'm pretty sure you could have whooped him in a, in a flat out brawl because she was that rugged of a girl making my football friend's eyes water when she socked him in the arm. She was really strong, really tough girl.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Okay, even in the case file it states that you have lots of guns. You have lots of guns, right?

[Craig Daly]

I've had way more guns than the normal person.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Okay, so you shot regularly, you had.

Guns around regularly and you were out every weekend fucking around with guns. So guns were around the house, Right.

[Craig Daly]

All the time. And she was not interested. She would sit in a truck and.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

You guys were together seven years and in all your domestic fights you guys would argue too. She never went for a weapon?

[Craig Daly]

Oh, hell no.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

She never attempted to go for a weapon. She never talked about your weapons?

[Craig Daly]

No, she wasn't, you know, she didn't need no weapon. She punched you in the head, you know, that was it. She was a tough broad. Real pretty, but real tough.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

Okay.

I can't think of anything else.

[Craig Daly]

Okay, Am I done?

[Nikki Wasolichen]

I think you're done for right now. I'll get you again later.

[Craig Daly]

Okay? Hopefully that helps.

[Nikki Wasolichen]

I know the first thing you're probably thinking is what recorder? I've never brought this up because there is no evidence of finding it. And when my dad and I bring it up to police department. It's referred to as hearsay. But one more time. My dad has talked about this recorder all my life. My mom told him that Russell was recording her phone calls because she was having an affair. And she was very aware that he was listening to her. So the night in question, when she decided to leave, my dad and her had dirty talk. She just went nuts because she knew Russell was going to listen. My dad always said that Russell came home, listened to their conversation, grabbed the gun. My dad had the same story. All my life, it has never wavered. It has always been 100% the same. I'm not sure what to think of the investigators ab living my dad's interview, but I can tell you I've always been upset by the fact that they never drove down to Phoenix and talked to my father in person. They never transcribed the interview. They never even tried is the way I feel. But moving on with the timeline, on July 14, 1993, while my mother laid in state at the Northwest Mortuary in Phoenix, Sedona investigators measured her arms for the case file. During that process, they found a previously unnoticed bruise on her chin. That same day, my mother's obituary ran in the paper and my sister and I were brought in for a private viewing. I remember the heat, the darkness, the smell of flowers. My mother lay in a casket lit up like a stage. Blue dress, blue makeup, blue carnations. And to this day, I hate the color blue. My little sister walked up and touched our mother's face. I stood frozen, staring at all the blue. And as a child, I wondered if it was symbolic, like my grandma and my aunt. Did they choose that photo of my mom in that beautiful blue dress, not just because she was beautiful, but because the dress was blue and it symbolized how devastated our family was to put her to rest long before it was her time to sleep. I don't know the answer to that question, but she did look so beautiful in that beautiful blue dress. I picked up one of the blue carnations that day 32 years ago, and I put it in a box. I sealed it, and I wrote on it with my childish handwriting. And to this day, that box remains in my large memory box, sealed from that day. The flower has probably long turned to dust by now. July 14th was also the last day I saw my sister until Christmas 93. We were separated. After our mother's funeral, my father was granted guardianship of me and took me home. And my sister. She went home with Russell Peterson with no charges pending. He was free to take his daughter home within days. The next several weeks were busy for the investigators. Here's what the case file shows. July 29, 1993. Russell turned in his fingerprints to the sedona Police Department 20 days later. July 30, 1993. My Aunt Wendy spoke with police. She said Russell told her my mom took a shot at him and then shot herself. He claimed police told him he didn't need to do a reconstruction or a polygraph. Both untrue. He never complied with either. August 2, 1993. DPS examined the Ruger Redhawk revolver. No identifiable fingerprints were found. The weapon is still sitting in the Sedona Police Department's evidence to this day, waiting to be retested. August 3, 1993. Police reenacted the shooting using a stand in. They determined my mother could not have fired the weapon alone from that angle. I feel like this reconstruction is important, so I'm going to Repeat this one. August 3, 1993. Police reenacted the shooting using a stand in. They determined my mother could not have fired the weapon alone from that angle. August 11, 1993. Dr. Philip Keene classified my mother's death as a homicide based on gunpowder residue patterns. August 17, 1993. Dr. Keene confirmed she was in a defensive posture when she was shot. Her hands were up in defense. August 23, 1993. Police received the crime lab serology and hair analysis report, but I have never seen this. By August 11, 1993, police knew my mother's death was a homicide. Yet no subpoenas were issued, no phone records pulled, no financial records examined, and Russell Peterson interviewed four times. You have now heard three of those. Next episode, I'll share the final interview. The last time Russell Peterson ever spoke to police about my mother's death. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Poppy Killed Mommy. Before I go, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who's donated to the Go Fund for my CrimeCon merchandise. So far, I've ordered 500 postcards and I've picked which stickers I want to have printed. Your donations are going to go to good use helping me spread my mom's story to more people at CrimeCon in September, and I want to give a huge shout out to three new supporters. Brandy, Victoria, and Emma. Thank you so much for supporting my show. This podcast is completely independent. It's just me with no production team, no corporate backing, and I'm working full time producing this on my own. And I'm doing my best to keep it ad free. If you'd like to support the show, there is a Support the show button at the bottom of the episode notes and I'm grateful for every listener who believes in this story and if you have any information that could help in my mother's case, please contact the Sedona Police Department at 928-282-3100 and join me next week as I continue the story until there is no more story to tell or no more breath in my body. Thank you for listening.