Stislicki parents 'elated' Galloway to be tried for murder

Farmington Hills — Convicted sex offender Floyd Galloway Jr. will be tried for the premeditated murder of Danielle Stislicki, who disappeared outside a Southfield office building where she worked nearly three years ago, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Judge James Brady's ruling in 47th District Court came after the Oakland County medical examiner testified that Stislicki had been strangled or killed by another method of asphyxiation. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence to support binding Galloway over for trial in Oakland County Circuit Court.

Danielle Stislicki's parents, Richard and Ann Stislicki, proclaimed the ruling a "victory," calling it the first step in getting justice for their missing and presumed murdered daughter.

"We are elated to know we are moving forward," Ann Stislicki said. She added that it is encouraging to parents of other children who are presumed dead to know that "just because a body is not available that does not mean that we cannot move forward for prosecution."

Richard Stislicki said he hopes Galloway will be moved to tell what he knows about what was done to his daughter and that he will "repent" for her presumed death.

"There is no advantage to him holding on to what he has done and (hopefully) he will repent for what he has done," he said.

 Dr. Ljubisa J. Dragovic, the medical examiner, testified that although Stislicki's body has not been found, he believes evidence from police reports and tests — plus "common sense" — shows she died violently.

"Cause of death was determined by (Stislicki) being a victim of assault and the body not being found," Dragovic said during the second day of a preliminary examination for Galloway, 32.

Dragovic signed Stislicki's death certificate in December 2018. The date of death was noted as Dec. 2, 2016, the last day she was seen alive.

One of Galloway's defense attorneys, Sharon Woodside, asked the medical examiner how he could determine the cause and manner of death without a body, saying, "Your opinion is based on information from police reports."

Galloway's co-counsel William Mitchell said his client is "prayerful" he'll get a favorable outcome at trial. Galloway's attorneys did not offer closing arguments Tuesday.

Stislicki, a 28-year-old Farmington Hills resident, was last seen outside a Southfield office building where she worked.

A Michigan State Police forensics specialist linked Galloway's handwriting to a note given to Stislicki that read: “From secret admirer. I hope it made you smile today.”  

 Detective Sgt. George Lehman testified Tuesday that Galloway wrote the note.

Another MSP investigator, Jennifer Jones, testified that testing shows a "strong" likelihood that DNA belonging to Galloway was found on a swath of carpet that also contained DNA belonging to Stislicki.

The DNA was possible skin cells and not blood, semen or other bodily fluids or tissue, said Jones, a forensic specialist.

Also Tuesday, an FBI agent testified that analysis of records from Galloway and Stislicki's cellular phones showed activity from Galloway's phone in the area of the woman's home and her workplace the day she disappeared.

The phone records also placed Stislicki's phone at Galloway's home on Oxford in Berkley, the agent said.

 Galloway, a former security guard at the building where Stislicki worked, is serving a 16-30-year sentence in the attempted sexual assault and kidnapping of a female jogger in Hines Park in September 2016.

On Monday, a co-worker of Stislicki's, Brandon Williams, testified that he saw Galloway driving away Dec. 2, 2016, from the MetLife building on Telegraph Road in Southfield. Galloway, a security guard, was sitting in the passenger seat of Stislicki's vehicle as they drove away on Telegraph, Williams testified. 

Special prosecutor Jaimie Horowitz Powell told the judge Galloway had been "carrying a torch" for Stislicki since 2015 and that he executed a deliberate attack that ended in her murder.

Galloway, said Powell, put together an elaborate plan to throw off investigators that included cutting away a piece of carpeting from a bedroom of his Berkley home that could potentially tie him to the woman's disappearance and death.

Powell said Galloway later purchased a comforter that would have been "the right size to wrap a body in" two days after the day Stislicki went missing.

Powell asked the judge to "look at the totality" of the case. "Ms. Stislicki didn’t just walk away from her family. She didn't just leave her loved ones ... her friends ... her cat, her belongings. She didn't just walk away. She was killed by Mr. Floyd Galloway."

bwilliams@detroitnews.com