Twice married and divorced, she was the mother of two children.  On 26 Sept 1936, Anthony "Tony" Gomez, with whom she had just broken off an affair, stormed into the boarding house where Stella lived with her two children and violently murdered her, almost decapitating her with a shaving razor.  He then tried to cut his own throat, but was stopped by others who were cut themselves.  While Gomez (married with 7 children) was indicted, his case did not go to trial because he was terminally ill.  He died two years later on 19 Dec 1938.