Episode 18: Live with Crime Weekly

Three weeks ago, I was exhausted.

After years of telling the same story, asking the same questions, and fighting the same battles, I was ready to walk away. I was frustrated, discouraged, and wondering whether anyone was really listening.

Then CrimeCon happened.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my journey to Las Vegas for CrimeCon 2026, where I had the opportunity to join Crime Weekly Live alongside Stephanie Harlowe and Derek Levasseur to share my mother's story with a room full of people willing to listen.

From forgetting my merchandise bag thirty minutes into the drive, to getting lost inside Caesars Palace, to navigating panic attacks, chronic pain, and overwhelming emotions, this episode is an honest look at what happened before, during, and after one of the most important weekends of my life.

For the first time, I found myself standing on a stage in front of hundreds of people asking them to do what my family has been asking for more than three decades:

Listen.

Listen to the evidence.

Listen to the interviews.

Listen to the facts.

And decide for yourself whether the death of my mother deserves another look.

I also share my experience reconnecting with Megan Tomlinson, whose journey has become a powerful reminder that answers can still come, even after tragedy. Through her advocacy organization, A Silver Lining of Hope, Megan has transformed unimaginable loss into a mission of support, awareness, and hope for other families navigating homicide investigations and the search for justice.

Her story reminded me of something I desperately needed to remember:

Sometimes people do get answers.

Sometimes people do get justice.

Sometimes the fight is worth it.

Since returning home from CrimeCon, the momentum has continued.

In this episode I discuss:

• My appearance on Crime Weekly Live

• The overwhelming support from attendees and listeners

• New outreach efforts to public officials and government agencies

• Additional complaints and requests for assistance

• My interview with VT

• New opportunities with journalists, creators, and investigators

• Why CrimeCon completely changed my outlook on this fight

• The response we received after sending the latest media coverage to Russell Peterson

CrimeCon did not give me answers.

What it gave me was something I wasn't expecting.

Hope.

Watch Crime Weekly Live

Crime Weekly Live featuring the homicide of Stacy Wasilishin:

https://youtu.be/o8Kls5j0Uyk

A Silver Lining of Hope

Learn more about Megan Tomlinson's advocacy organization:

https://www.silverliningofhope.com/

A Silver Lining of Hope provides support, resources, advocacy, and hope for families affected by homicide, missing persons cases, and violent crime while helping keep victims' stories alive and in the public eye.

Call To Action

For more than 33 years, my family has fought for answers in the homicide of my mother, Stacy Wasilishin.

Stacy Wasilishin was killed in Sedona, Arizona, on July 9, 1993. The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. More than three decades later, no one has been charged, and the case remains unresolved.

Over the years, our family has contacted local law enforcement, prosecutors, the Arizona Attorney General, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, and numerous public officials seeking answers.

Most recently, the Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide responded to our request for assistance and advised that it does not have jurisdiction over municipal police departments such as the Sedona Police Department. The Ombudsman directed concerns regarding this matter to Sedona city leadership, including the City Manager and City Council.

We are now asking supporters to respectfully request transparency, accountability, oversight, and answers regarding this unresolved homicide investigation.

If you choose to contact any of these agencies or officials, please remain respectful and professional.

This is NOT a request for harassment, threats, personal attacks, or misconduct complaints.

It IS a request for transparency, accountability, and answers for a family that has spent more than 33 years seeking justice.

Questions supporters may wish to ask include:

• Why does a homicide ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner remain unresolved after more than 33 years?

• What oversight exists for an unsolved homicide investigation of this age?

• What resources are currently being devoted to the investigation?

• Is an independent review of the investigation warranted?

• What steps are being taken to ensure this case receives the attention it deserves?

• Why did Yavapai County Attorney Jim Landis request renewed investigation of this case in 1999, and what became of those efforts?

Contact Information

Sedona Police Department (928) 282-3100 https://www.sedonaaz.gov/police

Sedona City Manager's Office (928) 203-5199 [email protected]

Sedona City Council https://www.sedonaaz.gov/your-government/departments/city-clerk/council-commissions-committees-boards/city-council/contact-the-entire-city-council

Yavapai County Attorney (928) 771-3344 https://yavapaiaz.gov/County-Attorney

Arizona Department of Public Safety (602) 223-2000 https://www.azdps.gov

Arizona POST (602) 223-2514 https://post.az.gov

Arizona Attorney General (602) 542-5025 https://www.azag.gov/complaints

Governor Katie Hobbs (602) 542-4331 https://azgovernor.gov/engage/form/contact-governor-hobbs

Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide (602) 277-7292 https://www.azoca.gov/complaint-procedure/complaint-form/

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (202) 514-3847 https://civilrights.justice.gov

And one final request.

For more than 33 years, I have believed that somebody out there knows something.

People talk.

Secrets are shared.

Stories are told.

Somewhere along the way, someone heard something, saw something, was told something, or knows something they have never reported.

Maybe it seemed unimportant at the time.

Maybe you assumed someone else already knew.

Maybe you've carried it for years without realizing how significant it could be.

But after more than three decades, I still believe the truth exists outside of police reports and case files.

I believe someone out there knows something.

If you are that person, or if you have information about the homicide of Stacy Wasilishin, no matter how small it may seem, I am asking you to please contact the Sedona Police Department.

I am begging you.

Thirty-three years is a long time to wait for answers.

My family deserves answers.

My mother deserves answers.

And if you know something, now is the time to come forward.

My mother's name was Stacy Wasilishin.

She was 32 years old when she was killed.

She deserves answers.

Justice delayed should not mean justice denied.

Thank you for listening.

— Nikki