How Nadia died on Chicago PD

Nadia Decotis (Stella Maeve) had a tragic backstory on Chicago PD. The character was introduced as an underage prostitute in season 1, and it took the continued support of Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) before she was able to turn her life around.

Nadia enrolled in school and started studying criminology in season 2, with the hopes of becoming a police officer herself. The sky was seemingly the limit for the character, but her plans for success were cut short. Here’s what you need to know about Nadia and why she’s no longer on the show.

Nadia’s death on Chicago PD was heartbreaking

Nadia was kidnapped by serial killer Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts) in the season 2 episode “The Number of Rats”. She was subsequently assaulted, murdered, and hidden away on an island with the rest of Yates’ victims.

While her death was a devastating blow to Lindsay and the rest of the IU, Nadia’s death did help bring about the arrest of Yates. The circumstances surrounding her death provided enough clues to ultimately convict Yates, and ensure that he couldn’t go on killing. Nadia’s name was eventually added to the memorial of fallen officers.

Chicago PD showrunner Matt Olmstead spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the decision to kill off Nadia back in 2015, revealing it was not in their original plan:

"“It was never the plan. All along, we wanted Lindsay to find a character and be to that character like what Voight was to her. To reclaim somebody and give them an opportunity and try and help that person get back on their feet and that was what happened. … Everything we had planned was paying off.”"

So why did the show decide they would go this route? Well, Olmstead explained that it made the stakes higher and they needed more “personal motivation.”

“It became apparent that a death would really put some teeth” into the crossover, Olmstead shared.

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While some deceased characters will come back to the One Chicago universe in flashback, the only time we get to see Nadia past season 2 was when a picture of her was spotted with other victims in the episode “The Song of Gregory Williams Yates”.

The three-person tragedy that plays out between Nadia, Yates, and Lindsay reaches its climax in the aforementioned episode. Lindsay confronts Yates over his crimes, and proceeds to shoot him in self-defense. Shocking though it might’ve been, Lindsay was able to avenge Nadia’s death once and for all.

The actress who plays Nadia, Stella Maeve, has continued to find work in film and television. She had a starring role in the SyFy series The Magicians, and has made guest appearances on several Dick Wolf shows, including Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. On the big screen, Maeve is best known for playing drummer Sandy West in the 2010 biographical drama The Runaways.

For the latest Chicago PD season 9 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.