A 38-year-old man has been transferred from Illinois to Kentucky to face charges related to the murder of his estranged wife, an incident that occurred at the end of last year.
Phillip Whitnel is accused of entering KC’s Bar and Grill on December 13, 2025, and fatally shooting 31-year-old Stephanie Stacey while she was on duty.
According to the Paducah Police Department, Whitnel fired multiple shots at Stacey before fleeing the location. She later succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital.
Investigators soon discovered that Whitnel and Stacey had been previously involved romantically, prompting them to issue a warrant for his arrest on murder charges. Authorities tracked him down in Illinois, where the Illinois State Police apprehended him during a traffic stop in Franklin County.
On Wednesday, Whitnel was officially returned to Kentucky, as reported by Law & Crime. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 12.
Stacey leaves behind two children and one stepchild.
According to WPSD, Kentucky legislators are pushing a law they’ve dubbed “Stephanie’s Law” to honor her. The legislation creates a domestic violence registry and requires anyone with at least two domestic violence convictions to be registered.
