DeKalb County Prosecutor Victim of Domestic Violence

Stacia Hollinshead, 30, of Sycamore, IL was shot and killed in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on Saturday, March 23, 2019. Hollinshead served as a prosecutor for the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The alleged shooter is Ulisses W. Medina Espinosa, Hollinshead’s ex-husband. He is in custody at the Dodge County (WI) Detention Facility. The couple had divorced in DeKalb County last year.

According to a post by State’s Attorney, Rick Amato, on his office’s Facebook page, Hollinshead began working as a prosecutor for their office in November 2018 after graduating from the Northern Illinois University College of Law the previous May. Prior to that, she worked as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst for 11 years. She was a native of Effingham, IL.

“We who work in public safety talk frequently about the risks associated with domestic violence,” wrote Amato. “As prosecutors, we intervene in domestic violence cases in court to prevent the nightmare outcome that we’re all now living through. 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.”

Mark Pietrowski Jr., DeKalb County Board Chairman, also made the following post on the DeKalb County Government Facebook page:

“Our county employees grieve today as one of our own, Stacia Hollinshead, DeKalb County Prosecutor, was shot to death by her ex-husband in Wisconsin. I have spoken with State’s Attorney Rick Amato to offer any assistance we can to his team. We will also be seeking a way to honor Stacia’s memory and help her young daughter that is now without her mother. Our hearts go out to her family and our minds turn to the issue of domestic violence and gun violence and the connection they have.