A 38-year-old man was extradited from Illinois to Kentucky this week to stand trial for the murder of his estranged wife late last year.
Phillip Whitnel stands accused of walking to KC’s Bar and Grill on December 13, 2025, and gunning down Stephanie Stacey, 31, as she worked.
Whitnel shot the victim multiple times before fleeing the scene, the Paducah Police Department said. His victim died at a local hospital.
Officers quickly learned that Whitnel and Stacey had been in a relationship and obtained a warrant charging him with murder. Then, they tracked him to Illinois, where he was arrested by Illinois State Police during a traffic stop in Franklin County.
Whitnel was finally brought back to Kentucky on Wednesday, Law& Crime reported. He is expected in court on March 12.
Stacey was a mother of two and a stepmother of one.
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.
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[Featured image: Phillip Whitnel/Paducah Police Department and Stephanie Stacey/Milner & Orr Funeral Home]
