Daughter said Carlene Nowlin was kind to her killer

Editor's note: A previous version of this story used incorrect punctuation in Stuifbergen's name and misquoted her.

The daughter of a woman slain in her Ira Township home said her killer took advantage of her mother's act of kindness and repaid her with the brutal killing.

Stephen Traskal appeared in St. Clair County Circuit Court Friday for a sentencing hearing. Elizabeth Stuifbergen, the daughter of Carlene Nowlin, said her mother had taken Traskal in when he was down on his luck and gave him a place to stay while he renovated her home and helped her around the house.

She was fatally stabbed inside her home Aug. 14, 2021.

Eventually, the relationship soured, and Traskal stopped helping Nowlin around the house. Traskal starting drinking daily, stopped paying rent and spent all his money on alcohol, Stuifbergen said. Nowlin told Traskal he was going to be evicted in early August 2021.

"(She wanted) to stop being bullied, manipulated and controlled by this man that was supposed to be her friend," Stuifbergen said. "Only two weeks before he was supposed to be out our mother was dead."

Stuifbergen said her mother, who was 77, did not deserve to die the way she did, and the elderly deserve to be taken care of in their old age.

"I miss her so much. This has left a huge hole in the hearts of our family," Stuifbergen said. "Never again will she be able to call anyone in our family and sing them a happy birthday. Never again will she be able to see our dad, or play cards with her friends and family. She won't be able to see her grandchildren get married or have children of their own."

Stuifbergen said she couldn't imagine the pain her brother, who also lived in the house, was in when Traskal stabbed him in the back, injuring him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Dan Damman said he didn't know what could posses someone to commit such an act.

"I cannot understand, for the life of me, whatever motive there would be to take advantage of an act of kindness and repay that act of kindness with such a brutal murder," Damman said.

Traskal was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Traskal was convicted by a jury in July of first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Traskal did not make a statement during the hearing.

Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.