Danielle Stislicki murder investigation: Suspect's attorney says retired police chief broke the law
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - It's been five-and-a-half years since Danielle Stislicki was last seen by anyone. It's been almost three years since Floyd Galloway Jr., the man believed to have killed her, has been charged with her murder. On Thursday, Galloway's attorneys accused the now retired Farmington Hills Police Chief of committing a crime during the investigation.
According to the Oakland Press, Galloway was given a polygraph test which was shared to former Troy Police Chief Gary Mayer, who then shared the results with former Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus.
Galloway's attorney requested an evidentiary hearing to address the allegations and said Mayer broke the law when giving the information to Nebus. The Oakland Press quoted his attorney who called it a violation of due process and a crime.
The information was listed in the file by Nebus as ‘an anonymous tip’, according to the Oakland Press.
The judge said more information is needed before she can move forward with a hearing and gave both sides a week to agree on facts and present witnesses who would need to appear and testify.
What happened to Danielle Stislicki?
Danielle disappeared on Dec. 2, 2016, as she was leaving her job at MetLife in Southfield. Galloway was a former security guard there and has long been considered a person of interest in her disappearance.
The then 28-year-old woman finished her shift that day and was expecting to meet a friend but she never showed up.
The next morning, her 2015 Jeep Renegade was found parked outside her apartment at Independence Green Apartments near Halsted and Grand River in Farmington Hills.
The SUV was locked and, when police searched it, they found her purse with her credit cards, driver's license, and other personal items.
They did not find her phone, which police have said was a key piece of evidence.
Three weeks later, Galloway's home in Berkley was searched and evidence was collected. It would be three years before it was revealed what the evidence was.
Over the course of the next three years, thousands of dollars were raised to assist with the search for Danielle and Farmington Hills police wrote #FindDani on squad cars to keep the search alive. Flyers were also posted in dozens of businesses in surrounding cities.
Her location or remains have never been found.
Why was Floyd Galloway charged with Danielle Stislicki's murder?
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office had denied charging Galloway with Danielle's murder multiple times but in April 2019, Attorney General Dana Nessel's office took over the case and ultimately charged him with her murder.
Galloway was arrested in June 2017 on unrelated charges in Livonia. He was charged with kidnappings, criminal sexual conduct, and assault after a woman was grabbed at a Livonia park, dragged down an embankment, and nearly strangled.
He ultimately pleaded guilty in Wayne County on those charges and was sentenced to 16 to 35 years in prison in December 2017.
Danielle Stislicki's family's plea hours before Galloway sentenced for attempted rape
After Nessel took over the case, her office announced Galloway would be charged with Danielle's murder. Over the course of the investigation, we learned several dozen search warrants had been executed at various places connected to Galloway in connection with this case.
In one instance, investigators searched his home three weeks after her disappearance and removed a bed, and even a section of flooring. Authorities have never said if that evidence was related to Stislicki.
Nessel said in March 2019 that the longer that they wait to take action, there's a more of a risk that there will be issues with evidence - memories fade, people move, etc.
"I felt that we had enough evidence to move forward that we did so as quickly as possible," she said.
Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus said they believe Galloway tried to hide evidence along the way.
The day that Galloway was charged, Danielle's father, Richard, said Galloway was a serial killer.
"Floyd Galloway is a serial killer, a serial rapist," Richard said.
When is Galloway going to trial?
In September 2019, Galloway was in an Oakland County courtroom for a preliminary hearing that lasted a day-and-a-half.
Fifteen witnesses were called, including Danielle's loved ones and coworkers, and dozens of pieces of evidence were shown.
During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors laid out the framework that Galloway talked to Stislicki repeatedly at work, and even sent her flowers as a secret admirer. Her mother testified that Stislicki did not wish to talk with Galloway.
Several coworkers also testified that they saw Galloway outside their building the day Danielle disappeared. They were familiar with Galloway because he was previously a security employee at the building, before the company terminated the service.
The judge said after listening to all the testimony, he says there is "overwhelming probable cause" that Galloway committed this crime and ordered him to trial on Sept. 10, 2019.
Galloway's trial has been delayed several times in the two-and-a-half years since then. He had been set for trail in March 2022 but it was pushed back to July 11.
It's not known how Thursday's claims by his attorney will delay the trial.