In a statement posted on Sunday, Rick Amato, an Illinois state's attorney, said that Hollinshead was an assistant state's attorney in the DeKalb County State's Attorney's Office. He said that she was a native of Effingham, Illinois, a US Army intelligence analyst for 11 years and a graduate of Northern Illinois University. She began working for Amato's office in November.

"Although Stacia had been with our office only a few months, we quickly came to know her as a dedicated mother and prosecutor with a bright future in the practice of law," Amato said. "Because Stacia was such a hard worker, she would often bring her daughter to the office as she completed her work for the day. Her daughter was instantly a favorite among the staff. Together they would brighten the office and were a joy to be around. News of Stacia’s death has left us stunned, deeply saddened, struggling to understand how someone we cared for so much could be the victim of such an unimaginably violent act, and wondering how we could have helped her to prevent it."