Over the weekend, a young prosecutor was murdered.
Stacia Hollinshead, a 30-year-old prosecutor in Illinois was shot to death in her home in neighboring Wisconsin. Authorities in Wisconsin have apprehended her ex, who is believed to be the killer.
After 11 years as an intelligence analyst for the Army, Stacia hoped to kick off a new career as an attorney, graduating from Northern Illinois Law last year and taking on her new role as a prosecutor. As a single mother, tackling law school often involved bringing her daughter to the library to watch Disney Junior on an iPad while Stacia pounded away on her laptop. Colleagues at the State’s Attorney’s Office say the young girl was also a fixture around the office at the end of the day, bringing a little joy to the workplace. Tragically, her daughter was in the home when Stacia was murdered.
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The DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office released a statement:
Stacia’s tragic death drives home many points that we make constantly: Domestic violence is about power and control, it is learned behavior, it is present in all communities, it crosses all social and economic barriers, and it is preventable. No faction of society is immune from it, not even those who work in the public safety arena, fiercely dedicated to stopping it.
Stacia’s death is the worst possible outcome of domestic violence, and it will strengthen us as we continue to work to stop abusers who terrorize their partners and rip apart their families. Stacia is yet another face and heart to fight for, and a reason to believe in the work that we do daily to free the victims in our community from the power and control of their abusers.
Her employers noted that Stacia had an impressive courtroom presence for a young prosecutor and was well on her way to maturing into a great attorney. She was already a great person.
Our thought are with Stacia’s family and friends during this difficult time.
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UPDATE: Illinois prosecutor is victim of Beaver Dam homicide [WKOW]
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.