On July 18, 2019, authorities in Nixa, Missouri, launched a homicide investigation following the discovery of a deceased woman in her home on South Timber Ridge Drive. Police were dispatched to the residence around 10:00 p.m. to perform a well-being check. Upon arrival, officers found 46-year-old female Staci Lynn Whiteley non-responsive inside the house.
It was later determined that she had been shot twice, and investigators noted signs of a struggle at the scene.
Todd Blankenship, identified as Whiteley's husband of four months, arrived at the residence while police were present and was immediately taken into custody for questioning. Prosecutors subsequently charged Blankenship with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and multiple counts of domestic assault. The investigation revealed a troubling history leading up to the fatal shooting, with court records indicating that Blankenship had been accused of assaulting Whiteley on three separate occasions in the months prior—once in April in Nixa, once in June in Nebraska, and again in July in Nixa.
Just days before her death, domestic assault charges had been filed against Blankenship, and Whiteley had reportedly sought an order of protection against him in June 2019. Due to the high profile of the case in Christian County, a change of venue was granted, moving the legal proceedings to Platte County. Blankenship was held without bond in the Platte County Jail, with a jury trial scheduled to begin in November 2020.
Staci Lynn Whiteley was a mother of five children and a graduate of Nixa High School. She had previously worked for Greenlawn Funeral Home and had recently begun pursuing a return to the dental assistant field. Her passing was marked by a community fundraiser to support her family and cover funeral expenses, as friends and relatives mourned the loss of a woman described as having a sparkle and a love for the outdoors.
