Viswa Vanapalli
The latest episode of ABC News’ ‘Fatal Flaw’ delves into Stacey Castor’s story. On the surface, she seemed to have gone through a lot of trauma, losing two husbands and having a daughter attempt to kill herself. However, an investigation revealed how the authorities believed that Stacey was responsible for it all. Ultimately, her daughters, Ashley and Bree Wallace, struggled to understand why their mother did what she did.
Who Are Ashley and Bree Wallace?
Ashley was born in 1987 to Michael Wallace and Stacey. By then, the couple had been together for two years. In an earlier interview, Stacey said that her life changed with Ashley’s birth, adding, “I knew from that minute on, my whole reason for being here was to take care of her.” About three years later, Bree was born, and the family was complete. While Ashley was close to her mother, Bree was her father’s princess.
Ashley did have fond memories from her childhood. She once recalled, “We’d just go for a ride in the car, you know? For no reason, just take a ride. That was fun.” Ashley then talked about that fateful day in January 2000. She said, “He (Michael) was laying on the couch, making what I thought were funny faces. And all of a sudden, he just sticks his arm up in the air and puts his arm on his side, and then his arm just fell down.”
Once Ashley returned home from picking Bree up from school, her father seemed unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Talking about it, Ashley said, “I’ve relived this day over and over again in my head because what if there was something that I could’ve done? Like, I should’ve known, but I didn’t. I was 11!” It wasn’t until September 2007 that Ashley had police tell her the shocking news that her father had died of poisoning and not a heart attack.
Ashley then called her mother to talk about it. By then, Stacey had married David Castor, who passed away in August 2005 after ingesting antifreeze. While the authorities initially ruled it a suicide, they later learned Stacey was responsible for poisoning David. On September 12, 2007, as an “early” celebration of her birthday, Ashley had a drink mixed by Stacey and felt lethargic soon after, passing out in her bedroom. The following day, Stacey made her another drink. Ashley felt tired after that and went to sleep in her bedroom.
On the morning of September 14, 2007, Bree found Ashley barely alive in her bedroom. She remembered seeing her sister with pillows over her head in addition to an empty bottle of vodka and prescription pills beside her. Stacey called 911, claiming that her daughter drank and took some medication. She was rushed to the hospital, and the authorities found a typewritten suicide note that appeared to be written by Ashley.
The letter had Ashley taking responsibility for David and Michael’s deaths. Fortunately, the young woman survived the scare. When the police asked her about the letter, Ashley was shocked. She said, “I’m like, ‘What are they talking about?’ ‘I didn’t do any of these things that you’re saying that I did.'” The authorities believed that Stacey tried to kill her daughter and shift the blame onto her.
Ashley and Bree Wallace Are Focusing on Their Lives Today
Ashley and Bree testified at Stacey’s trial, where Stacey was convicted of murder and attempted murder. Ashley had harsh words for her mother after her sentencing. She said, “I hope somebody hurts her in the way that she hurt me…I hope she never gets to have her freedom ever again. … For some reason, God kept me on this planet. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m sure I’ll find out. I think part of it was to bring justice to David, my dad, and myself.”
While Ashley continued on her journey of healing, she talked about struggling with how the trauma affected her. However, Ashley added that the support of her counselor and loved ones helped tremendously. She currently lives in Syracuse, New York, and is engaged to Nick Galoni. The two are proud parents to an adorable dog. As for Bree, she seems to have moved on with her life as well. Bree is seemingly based out of Weedsport, New York, and is concentrating on raising her children.
