Interview with her friend: Cheryl Mendel

  Bonus: Cheryl remembers Stacy (Downers Grove '76–'77) In this bonus episode, I sit down with Cheryl—one of the few friends willing to remember my mom out loud. For 45 minutes we go back to 1976–77: unincorporated Downers Grove summers, the black-lagoon pool in Phoenix, eighth-row Kansas tickets worth getting fired for, bedroom-window entrances, "Free Bird" on a battered karaoke box, and the late-night calls that began, "Cheryl, baby… did I tell you how much I love you?" This isn't paperwork; it's texture. It's Stacy before the headlines—fun-loving, tough on the outside, soft at the center—and a friendship that kept showing up even when life got hard. What's inside How Stacy landed in Downers Grove and instantly built a tribe Party stories, near-misses, and neighborhood nicknames (John Boy, Marty, Larry & Jerry) Phoenix memories: tubing the river, the black-lagoon pool, and that Kansas concert Late-'80s/early-'90s phone calls—what they did (and didn't) say Why some memories stayed off-mic on purpose Production note: my first remote interview on Riverside (two brief audio dropouts; conversation preserved) Cover art I tracked down the airport photo Cheryl mentions (she's in The Loop radio tee, taking my mom to fly back to Phoenix) and made it this episode's cover. It shows on Spotify; Apple Podcasts may not display it after my Libsyn switch. Call to Action: Keep Stacy's name moving If you knew Stacy in Downers Grove, Phoenix, or Sedona—or you knew Russell Peterson—please share what you remember. Even a small detail can matter. Yavapai County Attorney's Office Prescott: (928) 771-3344 • Camp Verde: (928) 567-7717 • Email: ycao@yavapaiaz.gov Sedona Police Department (Non-Emergency) (928) 282-3100 • Front Office: (928) 203-5002 Sedona Red Rock News Newsroom: (928) 282-7795 • Tips/press: editor@larsonnewspapers.com Be respectful and factual when you reach out. If you're contacting the paper, include your name, best call-back number, and any documentation or links. Share a memory or a tip with me 📧 papikilledmommy@gmail.com DMs open: @nicolewasilishin (TikTok/Instagram). Tell me if you want your message read on air or kept anonymous. Season 2: Case submissions (open now) We're collecting cases for Season 2 (DV-related, cold cases, or cases with accountability gaps). Send pitches, timelines, links, and how we can reach you: 📧