A homicide investigation began on July 18, 2019, after officers in Nixa, Missouri, found 46-year-old Staci Lynn Whiteley non-responsive in her South Timber Ridge Drive home during a well-being check around 10:00 p.m. Investigators later determined Whiteley had been shot twice and noted signs of a struggle at the scene.

Todd Blankenship, identified as Whiteley’s husband of four months, arrived while police were on scene and was taken into custody for questioning. Prosecutors charged Blankenship with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and multiple counts of domestic assault. Court records reported prior allegations that Blankenship had assaulted Whiteley on three occasions in the months before her death, and Whiteley had filed for an order of protection in June 2019. A change of venue moved proceedings to Platte County and Blankenship was held without bond, with a jury trial scheduled for November 2020.

Whiteley was a mother of five, a Nixa High School graduate who had worked at Greenlawn Funeral Home and was pursuing a return to dental assisting. A community fundraiser was organized to help her family with funeral expenses. If anyone knew Staci or has information about her death, please share what is known.