First Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Stephanie Chaipis

On January 10, 2021, 27-year-old Stephanie Chaipis’s husband of ten years had done methamphetamine. He started yelling and arguing with her in their home in the 5600 block of South Park Avenue. Their four children who ranged in ages between 1 and 8 years old were all home. The argument became physical. He pushed her into a wall, causing her to hit her head. He slapped her face bloody. He hit her again and again all over her body. She became dizzy. Their oldest child witnessed this.  Eventually he went online to look at side effects of head trauma. Finally, after hours of abuse, he called 911. Stephanie was taken to the hospital where she was declared brain dead. She died five days later becoming Tacoma’s first homicide of 2021. She was eight weeks pregnant.

I wasn’t able to find a lot of information about Stephanie Chaipis, but what I can tell you is that she absolutely loved her children. Her photos from social media show her having fun with her kids. They have big smiles around her and she had a smile for them.

It is unimaginable what her children who she cared so much about are going through now with both parents gone thanks to the careless, cruel, and terrible actions of their father.

Domestic violence is a common cause for homicide. More often than not, it is the wife who is killed. Often it seems as though there is no way out. It is all too easy for someone outside of the situation to say, ‘just get out’, but it is rarely so simple in reality. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

As always the comments section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Stephanie and want to share any thoughts and memories of her.

• Jack Cameron