Sole survivor of Arizona hot air balloon crash lost brother in murder-suicide

The sole survivor of an Arizona hot air balloon crash that killed four people still faces a “very uncertain” future after suffering a traumatic brain injury, according to her parents – who are still grieving losing a son in a murder-suicide.

Valerie Stutterheim, 23, of Scottsdale, remains unable to walk and talk in a trauma hospital after the Jan. 14 crash in Eloy, a small town about 65 miles northwest of Phoenix known as “the skydiving capital of the world.”

It was her first time riding a hot air balloon, according to her parents, Tony and Martha Stutterheim, who said their daughter was likely “smiling, laughing nervously, and cracking some jokes” before nearly dying.

“Valerie’s injuries are extensive. She has many broken bones and has already undergone many surgeries to repair them with possibly more to come,” they wrote in an online fundraiser that has collected more than $120,000.

“Her bones will eventually heal, but her ability to walk and otherwise move is uncertain.

“Perhaps the greatest challenge she faces, though, is the traumatic brain injury she suffered, the full long-term effects of which also remain uncertain. She currently cannot speak to us. What we do know is that Valerie has a very long road of rehabilitation and care ahead,” the couple added.

The parents noted how they “know all too well the grief” suffered by the families of the four who died, including their daughter’s “dear friend,” Atahan Kiliccote, 24.

“For those who don’t know our family, it was less than two years ago when our family endured another tragedy—the loss of our son, Valerie’s brother Ian,” they wrote.

“Now, as we are still grieving that loss, our Valerie lies in a bed in a trauma hospital, her future very uncertain.”

The couple didn’t elaborate on Ian’s death but news accounts at the time said he was killed during a domestic violence incident that ended in a murder-suicide.

Kevin McManis, 31, shot Stutterheim and Tianna Guglielmo, 31, before turning the gun on himself, the Arizona Republic reported on June 16, 2022.

Investigators learned that Guglielmo and McManis were married, but living separately, while Stutterheim was her co-worker and friend.

Guglielmo reportedly survived the shooting but Stutterheim died.

His sister was one of 13 people aboard the balloon where eight skydived before the crash that killed four: Kiliccote as well as Chayton Wiescholek, 28, of Michigan, Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, of Indiana, and pilot Cornelius Van Der Walt, 37, of Eloy.

“Valerie is an extraordinary soul. She is kind-hearted, empathetic, witty, responsible, and creative. She helps clear her own table at restaurants to lighten the staff’s load. She used her extensive woodworking skills to build a sturdy wheelchair ramp for her grandmother,” her parents wrote.

“The world could use a lot more people like Valerie.”

Her parents said they don’t know yet what went catastrophically wrong, and the accident remains under investigation.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have said the balloon crashed after an unspecified problem with its envelope. The agency noted that no mechanical problems were found during its initial examinations of the balloon.