Nicol "Nickie" E. Scolaro-Herbsleb, a 49-year-old woman from Ottawa, Illinois, tragically passed away on June 21, 2019. She was born on March 12, 1970, in DeKalb, Illinois, and was the daughter of Michael and Phyllis (Smith) Herbsleb. Nicol was a mother to one daughter, Summer Scolaro, and one son, Cody La Due, and had two grandchildren. Her death was a result of a violent incident that shocked the local community.
On the evening of June 21, 2019, Nicol Scolaro-Herbsleb and Paul E. Ladue, a 51-year-old man, were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds at Ladue's home on the 300 block of Deleon Street in Ottawa. The police identified Christopher B. Stankovich, a 48-year-old man from Plano, as the primary suspect in the double murder. Stankovich had a history of domestic violence and had been in a tumultuous relationship with Nicol for over five years. Court records revealed that Nicol had filed multiple orders of protection against Stankovich, the most recent being in 2019, following a severe domestic battery incident in May of that year.
The investigation into the murders revealed that Stankovich had been charged with domestic battery and violating an order of protection shortly before the killings. On the morning of June 22, 2019, police officers went to Stankovich's residence in Plano with the intention of arresting him. However, upon noticing the police presence, Stankovich retreated into his home and subsequently took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This tragic end to the suspect's life brought a close to the immediate investigation, but it left many questions and a deep sense of loss for the families involved.
Nicol Scolaro-Herbsleb's death highlighted the severe consequences of domestic violence and the challenges faced by victims in seeking protection and justice. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of addressing and preventing domestic abuse to protect vulnerable individuals from such tragic outcomes.
