The Disappearance of Danielle Stislicki UPDATE

Episode 037 - The Disappearance of Danielle Stislicki

On December 2nd, 2016, twenty-eight year old Danielle Stislicki made plans to have dinner with her best friend, Sarah. Danielle was working for MetLife, an insurance company, in Southfield, Michigan.  Danielle asked to leave early and exited the building at approximately 5pm.  Around that same time, Sarah received a text from Danielle’s phone explaining that she would stop home and then would meet her for dinner.  Danielle, though, never arrived.

When Sarah still hadn’t heard from Danielle the next day she went to her apartment but received no answer.  She called Danielle’s parents and they came over, finding the scene strange.  Danielle’s Jeep was parked eight feet from the door to her apartment, her purse was left inside.  When her parents entered the apartment they found everything was in order, except Danielle’s keys and cell phone were missing.

Police were called and began trying to find evidence, though there was little to gather.  Rewards were offered for information regarding Danielle’s whereabouts, but in the end, police were left to conclude Danielle had been the victim of a crime.  Eventually a witness came forwards claiming to have seen Danielle speaking to the security guard of her office, in the parking garage, the day she vanished, thirty year old Floyd Galloway.  Curiously he was not scheduled to work that night.

It was suspected by Danielle’s mother, who worked with her, that Galloway had a crush on her daughter.  When police went to speak with Galloway he retained a lawyer and refused to speak with investigators.  Eventually police got a warrant and searched Galloway’s home three times removing a mattress, car and floorboards.  Later, while speaking to Galloway’s sister-in-law, investigators revealed that a witness had seen Danielle at Galloway’s home the night she disappeared.

On June 28th, 2017, Galloway was arrested and charged in connection to an attack which had taken place in Hines Park in September of 2016, three months prior to Danielle’s disappearance.  Less than a month after arresting Galloway, police executed a massive search of Hines Park looking for any sign of Danielle but nothing was found.  Police then searched Galloway’s home and found it had been cleaned out.  They spoke with his wife who provided them with items they had been seeking in connection to the Hines Park attack and a second attack.

CASE UPDATE

Galloway was convicted and sentenced to serve 16 to 35 years.  While incarcerated, police elevated Galloway’s status from person of interest to suspect in Danielle’s case.  Ultimately, Galloway has been charged with first-degree murder, a felony which carried a life sentence.  Galloway he has pleaded not guilty.

Michigan Assistant Attorney General Jaime Horowitz is prosecuting the case and has stated that they have an abundance of evidence including witness statements, GPS from Danielle’s phone showing her at Galloway’s house and DNA evidence from carpet in his home and his van.  Judge James Brad agreed and directed the case to Circuit Court.

In a preliminary hearing, Sarah, Danielle’s mother Ana and two of her co-workers testified.  One co-worker explained that she had seen Galloway with the hood of his car up, apparently experiencing car trouble and Danielle was walking towards him.  Another co-worker testified that he saw Danielle drive out of the parking garage with Galloway in her passenger seat.  A detective who originally questioned Galloway testified “His demeanor was kind of standoffish.  He wouldn’t look at us.  Kind of stared off at the wall when we were talking to him.  His hands were shaking.”

Police revealed that they had recovered Danielle’s car keys and FitBit near an M5 entrance ramp between Danielle’s apartment a Tim Horton’s restaurant where Galloway was caught on surveillance footage at 8:38pm the night Danielle disappeared.  Footage also showed Galloway using the store’s phone, then being picked up by a cab.  The cab driver dropped Galloway off at an apartment complex directly across from the parking garage Danielle had allegedly driven him out of earlier that night.

Police believe Galloway got a ride from Danielle, after feigned car trouble.  She brought him to his house where the crime took place.  He then drove her jeep back to her apartment, walked from the apartment to Tim Horton’s and took a cab back to pick up his car.

A Michigan state forensic biologist testified that touch DNA connected to Danielle was found on carpet taken from the Galloway home.  The forensic examiner said that based on the lack of blood he believed the cause of death was strangulation.  

It was decided that there was enough evidence to move forward with a trial.  The trial itself was delayed and is set to begin on April 20th, that being this coming Monday.  More updates are pending regarding how the trial will turn out.

Despite all of the evidence, Galloway maintains his innocence and has disregarded pleas from the family for the location of Danielle’s remains.  Experts believe Galloway will not reveal the location of her remains during the trial, and even if convicted, will likely not give up the information unless there is something in it for him.

We can only hope that the Stislicki family will receive justice, and hopefully the opportunity to lay Danielle to rest.