At 6:30 a.m. on April 25, 2010, Heidi Firkus called 911 after her husband, Nick Firkus, said an intruder was breaking into their Saint Paul, Minnesota, home. She was shot and killed. Nick Firkus told investigators that his gun discharged when he struggled with the intruder – but something in his story struck police as odd.

"It never felt right," Sgt. Nichole Sipes of the Saint Paul Police Department tells "48 Hours" contributor Jamie Yuccas. "The story never made sense to me."

A SHOOTING AT THE FRONT DOOR

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Well, this area of Saint Paul, where Heidi and Nick Firkus lived, I would characterize as generally a quiet neighborhood.

Back in 2010, nine years before she took charge of the Firkus case, Investigator Nichole Sipes of the St. Paul Police Department was a patrol cop who worked this neighborhood.

Jamie Yuccas: Do you remember first hearing about the Firkus case?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: I do.

NICK FIRKUS (to 911): Ahh, please, please, somebody just broke in our house and shot me and my wife.

911 OPERATOR: OK …

It was early on a Sunday morning.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: The 911 call was at 6:30.

Nick Firkus' story of a burglar didn't make sense to Sipes.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Most people are home at 6:30 on a Sunday morning, especially in a family neighborhood like that. … the last thing that most burglars want to encounter are people.

Jamie Yuccas: Did police ever have any luck tracking down the intruder that Nick described?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: No.

Branden O'Connor: You know, I'm looking, I didn't see anybody come out of that house.

Branden O'Connor was house sitting next door to the Firkus' and taking care of kittens.

Branden O'Connor: I was woken up by the kittens kinda walking around. … Some noise got my attention, so I stuck my head out the window (points to the window). Kinda listen.

In his first TV interview, O'Connor says he recalls hearing a muffled argument coming from the Firkus' house, listening through an open window.

Branden O'Connor: That's when I ended up hearing what sounded like gunshots.

Around this time, O'Connor said he also heard that voice crying out.

Branden O'Connor: Kind of this agonizing yell of, "you shot her, you shot me. Uh, please, please, no," something along those lines and then — then it was done.

First responders were quickly dispatched to the scene, but unfortunately, there was nothing they could do for Heidi. Tragically, she was pronounced dead. Nick, on the other hand, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he received treatment for a graze gunshot wound to his leg. In the midst of his pain and confusion, Nick seemed unsure about Heidi's fate.

Sergeant Kane (at the hospital): As I mentioned earlier, we will do everything in our power to find out how Heidi is doing, alright?

Nick Firkus: Please.

Several hours later, Nick was transported to the St. Paul Police Department.

Sergeant Jim Gray: Then Nick and I proceeded to have our conversation in the conference room.

Nick entered the conference room with the aid of crutches. Sergeant Jim Gray began to take Nick's statement.

Sergeant Gray (during the police interview): I understand that this is an incredibly traumatic situation, okay? I'll try to approach it gently, alright?

Nick Firkus: Okay.

According to Nick's account, the couple had ordered food the previous night and watched the movie "Avatar." They then went upstairs to their bedroom at around 11 p.m. The following morning, Nick woke up at around 6 a.m. to get a drink of water from the bathroom.

Nick Firkus (during the police interview): I went back to sleep. I tossed and turned for about 10 or 15 minutes, and then I heard the screen door open... I ignored it for a while, but then I started hearing someone messing with our doorknob.

Sergeant Gray: And was Heidi still asleep at that time?

Nick Firkus: Yeah.

Sergeant Gray: Okay.

Nick Firkus: She was sleeping like a rock.

Nick recounted the events of that fateful morning, describing how he retrieved his shotgun from the closet.

"I keep two shells for just in case things go weird," Nick explained. "So when I heard things, this morning, I did load it. And then I wake up Heidi."

Sergeant Gray acknowledged Nick's actions with a simple "OK."

According to Nick, he immediately informed Heidi that someone was trying to break into their home and instructed her to call 911.

"Someone's trying to break into my home," Heidi exclaimed during the 911 call.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Nick and Heidi quickly made their way downstairs in an attempt to escape from the intruder.

"Alright," Sergeant Gray responded. "So, you are going first down the stairs, or is she behind you, or she in front of you, or what?"

"Umm, she is in front because I'm kinda trying to move her along quickly," Nick replied.

As they hurried past the front door, it suddenly burst open.

"The guy was there," Nick recalled during a police interview. "I think he grabbed the barrel. I don't remember exactly, but the gun went off. So, my finger slipped onto the trigger."

In the midst of the struggle over the weapon, Nick inadvertently fired the gun, hitting Heidi who was in the kitchen at the time.

Heidi's screams could be heard in the background of the 911 call.

---

"OK, so the gun's..." Sergeant Gray trailed off.

"Gun's here, chest high," Nick confirmed.

Marcus Sarazin: I couldn't believe it. I — I don't want to believe it.

Katina Sarazin: it can't be true, that's — there's no way.

Katina and Marcus Sarazin mentored Heidi at Calvary Church.

Katina Sarazin: I think she's one of those people that you can't not like. Everyone liked Heidi. … She genuinely loved people … she was the life of the party … always finding fun ways to engage people. … and she was very loyal.

The couple met at the church, and in 2005, Heidi, 20, and Nick, 22, got married.

Marcus Sarazin: Nick Firkus … had a very warm and engaging personality, always smiling … he carried himself with confidence. … and he … had high character, high integrity in the church. That was the reputation he built for himself.

But just few hours after Heidi's death, Sergeant Gray found himself questioning Nick Firkus' account. He couldn't figure out why the couple would leave the safety of their bedroom.

SGT. GRAY (police interview): You come upstairs, you know, I hate to tell you this but my house, you know … I'm justified in killing you if you come breaking into my house.

NICK FIRKUS: Yeah, I guess the …

Nick explained that the couple had a plan in place. If they were ever in a precarious situation, they would avoid a confrontation and escape to their car in the garage and get away.

NICK FIRKUS: If we can save ourselves, let's, let's do that instead of getting in a situation where —

Sgt. Jim Gray: His story, didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Gray started probing into their marriage.

SGT. GRAY: You guys, uh, have any problems or anything like that?

NICK FIRKUS: Just the normal stuff like, ah, you know, stresses about finances and quality time and vacations and all that stuff. 

SGT. GRAY: Yeah.

NICK FIRKUS: But —

SGT. GRAY: You guys aren't behind on the bills or anything like that?

NICK FIRKUS: We are behind on the bills which is a little stressful. … In fact we were planning on moving tomorrow. Um —

SGT. GRAY: Moving where?

NICK FIRKUS: Well, we hadn't figured that out yet. … We were and this is, ah, a hard, it's a hard place for us, but we, we're foreclosing, we foreclosed on our house.

Nick revealed they were behind on their mortgage payments and just 24 hours away from being evicted from their home.

SGT. GRAY: Well, that's kind of, I mean, kinda close notice.

NICK FIRKUS: It is. And I think the reason is cause we're both kinda dealing with the shame of the whole thing …

Gray says his suspicions were raised. And, minutes later, he was struck by the way Nick asked about Heidi.

NICK FIRKUS: Well, I just wanna know the final answer on, ah, the final answer on Heidi.

SGT. GRAY: She didn't make it.

NICK FIRKUS: I figured that. I mean —

Jamie Yuccas: Is that typically how someone asks if their loved one or spouse has been killed?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Not only is that not typical, that that's how they'd ask it, but they wouldn't wait an hour and 40 minutes into this conversation to ask that question.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: I've watched the interview obviously numerous times. And I understand … people react to trauma differently. … But this was different than what I'd seen. … anybody that's watched that interview cannot help but be struck by Nick's demeanor during it.

Jamie Yuccas: And that demeanor was?

Officer John Doe: This was just another day. This was something he had to get through …

Doubting John's story, Smith confronted John about what happened that day.

OFFICER SMITH (police interview):, I, you know, part of me wants to ask you this question … Did you have anything to do with this?

JOHN DOE: No, absolutely not.

OFFICER SMITH: OK.

JOHN DOE Absolutely not.

OFFICER SMITH: Alright.

JOHN DOE: Why is there a part of you that wants to ask that?

OFFICER SMITH: Well, John. I'm, I'm a police officer, OK? I got to ask, I got to ask the tough questions, alright?

After the interview, John left the police station. That day, investigators returned to the Doe home with a search warrant. Smith says it did not look like anyone was planning to move out the next day.

Officer Jane Smith: Nothing was packaged up at all. … the closet was still full of clothes. … We noticed that there was still food in the refrigerator.

And there was something else that investigators questioned.

Officer Jane Smith: We didn't see any signs of … forced entry into the house. … based off of the physical evidence at the scene … his version of the incident couldn't be plausible.

A LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE

48 hours after an alleged break-in and murder, police revisited the crime scene to investigate the story provided by Nick Firkus.

Sgt. Jim Gray (at the Firkus house): He claimed that there was a life and death struggle inside the house.

However, Gray found discrepancies between the evidence at the scene and Nick's account.

Sgt. Jim Gray (at the Firkus house): There were various items, such as a vase, receipts, and a beer bottle, that were undisturbed. This raised suspicion as to why none of these things were knocked over if there was indeed a struggle.

Gray examined the front door for signs of forced entry but found nothing significant.

Sgt. Jim Gray (at the Firkus house): ... but there was no evidence to suggest that the door had been forcibly opened on the day of the murder.

During his interview with the police, Nick claimed to have heard someone tampering with the front door from upstairs.

SGT. GRAY: So, what were they doing? Were they just jiggling the doorknob like this? (demonstrates in the interview room)

NICK FIRKUS: Yeah.

SGT. GRAY: Like that?

NICK FIRKUS: Yeah. Just shaking the knob and pushing the door.

Reenactment of Gray's Investigation

On April 27th, 2010, Sergeant Jim Gray and his colleagues conducted a reenactment to test the validity of a claim. They wanted to determine if they could hear the front door shaking from the bedroom.

Sgt. Gray was positioned at the front door, while Sergeant Shackle and Sergeant Wright were upstairs in the bedroom. Sgt. Gray informed his colleagues that he would knock on the door for 15 seconds. However, they were unable to hear him fiddling with the door.

Sgt. Gray also expressed doubts about Nick's story regarding the couple's eviction and a scheduled move the day after Heidi was shot. Upon inspecting the residence, Sgt. Gray noted that there were only a few empty boxes in the dining room area and no evidence of a significant packing effort. This led him to question the credibility of Nick's claims.

Meanwhile, Heidi's mentors from Calvary Church, Marcus and Katina Sarazin, also found inconsistencies in the story. They felt that something wasn't right about the eviction and Heidi's death.

Recreated News

Anonymous Writer: It seemed so unusual that she would be moving without notifying anyone or making any preparations. She was known for her meticulous planning and love for order.

On April 30, 2010 - five days after her passing — the Sarazins attended Heidi's funeral.

Anonymous Writer: Yeah, the atmosphere at the funeral was filled with intense emotions.

At the funeral, Marcus and Katina say they were struck by Nick's demeanor.

Anonymous Writer: I remember going through the receiving line and shaking his hand … there was no sign of grief.

Anonymous Writer: ... it just felt like he lacked any emotion.

Marcus says he went as far as asking some of the couple's friends if Nick could have shot his wife.

Anonymous Writer: And the answer I got was, no, there's no way that Nick killed Heidi. … He loved her, there, there's just no way he could have done that. And I just wasn't so sure about that.

Anonymous Writer: From what we gathered during our investigation, Nick and Heidi were in a loving relationship. There were no problems or issues that anyone noticed.

Anonymous Writer: Your first impression upon meeting Nick Firkus is ... no way in the world could he have committed a violent act.

The day after the shooting, Nick's family hired attorney Joe Friedberg who advised Nick to stop talking to the police.

Joe Friedberg: It became evident quickly that he was being viewed as a suspect.

When investigators requested Nick to cooperate with their artist in creating a sketch of the intruder, Friedberg advised him against it.

Joe Friedberg: They intended to use this as an opportunity to further interrogate him.

Instead, Nick and his lawyer hired their own sketch artist.

Sgt. Jim Gray: It was quite peculiar that Nick would collaborate with a private sketch artist.

And presented that drawing to the police.

Sgt. Jim Gray: At that point, we were informed that Nick... would no longer be answering any further questions regarding our investigation.

Investigators released Nick's sketch to the public, but it did not produce any leads. They continued to work on the case... Nick moved out of their residence a few weeks after Heidi's death.

Two months later, he developed a friendship with the sister of one of Heidi's closest friends, Rachel Sanchez, who was going through a divorce.

Rachel Firkus: At the time, I believed... because we shared a traumatic experience, there was a profound connection. ... Because I had also gone through a traumatic relationship myself...

Unnamed Source: I think Nick seemed to be handling things well ... it felt like he was very grounded ... he was, with his friends a lot, and they were processing together. So I think just his — his steadiness ... was an attractive quality ...

The source says the two bonded over their faith. They began dating in the spring of 2011.

Unnamed Source: At the time, God played a big part in my life … And I think that's another quality that I saw in him, that he, he loved God like I did.

One year into their relationship, Nick proposed.

Unnamed Source: I knew it was coming. We had looked at rings before, and so it wasn't really a huge surprise.

And a few months later, the couple married. They started a family.

Unnamed Source: We did have kids pretty quickly.

And soon were the parents of three children.

Unnamed Source: He absolutely loves his kids so much.

Unnamed Source and Unnamed Source are friends of Nick. They say for a long time, Nick didn't talk much about Heidi's murder.

Unnamed Source: Yeah, it just didn't seem like there was a lot of room for his grief during that time.

But they say when he did talk about it, his story was always the same.

Unnamed Source: What did he tell you?

Emily Erickson: The same story he has always told everyone, the same story he would tell you today. ... That someone was breaking into the house, and they were going to try to escape. And there was a fight and unfortunately, Heidi was killed.

Investigators still did not believe that version, but five years after Heidi's death, with little progress in the case, they finally received a breakthrough when an anonymous tip was called in —

Rachel Firkus: There was someone who looked exactly like the sketch.

— and identified the person in Nick's sketch.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Someone called ... and said, "I have an experience with this guy. I think I know who it is."

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE CASE

After five years with no progress in Heidi Firkus' murder case, out of nowhere, a tipster contacted the police with a name after seeing the suspect's sketch. However, investigator Sipes encountered a problem.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: He was already in prison on the day of Heidi's death.

Nick's second wife Rachel says her husband rarely discussed the possibility of the case being solved.

Rachel Firkus: I had asked him ... "are you going to make an effort to find the person who did this?"

Rachel Firkus: As far as I know, he did not reach out to anyone. ... I know his lawyers told him to "just stay silent."

Police found it strange that Nick never made contact.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Throughout the course of this investigation, he never reached out to any of us to inquire about the progress.

Prosecutors Rachel Kraker and Elizabeth Lamin joined the investigation in 2015. 

Jamie Yuccas: Was this case ever considered unsolved for a long period of time?

Rachel Kraker: It was never classified as an unsolved case … because …

Rachel Kraker: There simply wasn't much new information coming in. 

Elizabeth Lamin: Heidi's family … would check in on her birthday …. Is there anything, any progress? 

But there would be progress when Sipes took over Heidi's case in 2019.

Jamie Yuccas: It appears that her fresh perspective made a significant impact.

Rachel Kraker: It was absolutely crucial 

Elizabeth Lamin: I believe Sipes truly revitalized the investigation.

Sipes delved deep — thoroughly reviewing the entire case file, including a comprehensive examination of a financial timeline she compiled with the assistance of the FBI.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: I had the advantage of revisiting all of these details several years later. 

Sipes discovered that Nick worked at his family's carpet installation business; they were subcontractors for Home Depot. Heidi was employed as a clerk at a financial services company in St. Paul. Together, they earned a combined income of approximately $70,000 per year.

Elizabeth Lamin: It seems like they were managing all their expenses well before they purchased the house. 

Communication Breakdown Leads to Financial Crisis for Couple

According to Sgt. Nichole Sipes, a couple's lack of communication about their financial troubles resulted in a foreclosure and eviction.

In 2007, Nick and Heidi Lamin purchased a home that put a strain on their finances. By the time Heidi passed away in 2010, they were deeply in debt.

Sgt. Sipes discovered that Nick had not paid the mortgage in 22 months. However, there was no evidence that Nick had ever informed Heidi about their financial situation.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Heidi had no knowledge of the foreclosure and eviction proceedings. She had not signed any paperwork or attended the eviction hearing.

Even their family and friends were unaware of the couple's financial troubles and upcoming relocation.

It is clear that the breakdown in communication between Nick and Heidi had severe consequences for their financial stability.

Experts emphasize the importance of open and honest communication in relationships, especially when it comes to financial matters.

Interviewer: Why do you think he kept her in the dark so long?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Shame. … I believe he was concerned about the shame of what he had done, how it would look … that he couldn't come clean with her. … You know, it had gotten too big at that point.

And when Sipes talked to the couple's friends, she learned why Nick wanted to hide their financial situation.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: He was described by his friends as being wise and being the person that they would go to for advice.

Rachel Kraker: Nick Firkus really presented as somebody who had some of those bigger, tougher life questions figured out. … What kind of person do you want to be? … What kind of relationship do you want to have with God? 

Interviewer: What does that tell you as you're investigating the case and you see someone in that type of personality?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: It just became easier to see that this was someone who did not want … his friends, his family … to know the extent to which he had failed.

Sipes says she discovered more of Nick's lies when she learned about a conversation Heidi had with a friend just the day before she died.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Heidi had informed us that Nick had claimed they were victims of identity theft. The estimated value of the theft was around $180,000 to $200,000.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: However, this turned out to be false. They were not the victims of identity theft. The entire story was fabricated.

As Sipes delved deeper into the investigation, she discovered that Nick and Rachel had gotten a divorce.

Rachel Firkus: I remember when Nikki Sipes came to my door.

It turned out that Nick had also been keeping secrets from Rachel.

Jamie Yuccas: Did Rachel ever mention why their marriage ended?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Yes, she did. There were financial problems between them. Nick had been lying about many things.

Rachel Firkus: This is a familiar story, and it didn't end well. It terrified me.

WHAT DID RACHEL FIRKUS KNOW?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Could there have actually been an intruder?

After extensively examining the Firkus case file, including crime scene photos, 911 calls, and Nick's video interview, Sipes reached a conclusion.

NICK FIRKUS (police interview): She was running away so it definitely hit her in the back...

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: The crucial details lie in what occurred in that foyer. And there was no third person present.

Jamie Yuccas: So, you never discovered any other individual's DNA?

Sgt. Anonymous Source: No. … No DNA evidence, no physical evidence, no sign of a struggle. To me, there were only two people in that house when Heidi was killed.

Reporter: And they were?

Sgt. Anonymous Source: Nick and Heidi. 

As part of the new investigation, the source reached out to Nick's second wife Rachel. What did she know? 

Rachel Firkus: In 2020 she came to my door … And I was like,  "Why are you here?" And she was like, "To talk about Heidi Firkus." 

At first, Rachel, then divorced from Nick, says she was reluctant to talk.

Rachel Firkus: You're asking for a lot when you get involved in something like this. And I didn't want to. … But … I also knew that it was the right thing to do, and it was for truth. 

Rachel told the source Nick had lied about their finances during their marriage.

Rachel Firkus: I found a letter saying that we hadn't paid our property taxes. And that we were gonna get evicted in 2020 if we didn't pay them. And when I saw that, I was like, Oh, no. … Like he was definitely repeating the same things he did with Heidi with me.

During that time, Rachel says Nick's dishonesty started to make her question whether he had also lied about Heidi's death.

Anonymous Writer: And I said, "We gotta sit down and talk."

Anonymous secretly recorded the conversation on her phone.

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording): Your actions have caused me to just distrust you completely. 

Anonymous Writer: If there was gonna be a confession, I was gonna make sure that … I could prove that he said it. 

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording): And the fact that your lying was so easy for you to do in front of me over and over and over. Makes me think —

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording): That I could murder my wife?

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording): — that you could lie about something.

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording):  That I could murder my wife.

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording): Yes.

ANONYMOUS (on audio recording):  Oh— 

ANONYMOUS: When I listen, I think "this silence kills me."

Anonymous Writer: He's angry at me … How dare I think those things. … Why aren't you saying you didn't? … Tell me I'm not right. 

Anonymous later shared the recordings with Sipes.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: The behavior that he exhibited in his marriage with Anonymous was almost duplicative of … how he hid things from Heidi.

Prosecutor Takes Action to Bring Justice

Elizabeth Lamin, a determined prosecutor, made the decision that enough was enough. She knew that this man could not be allowed to roam freely any longer.

Charges Filed in Cold Case

After 11 long years, on May 19, 2021, a Saint Paul Police SWAT team apprehended Nick Firkus at his residence and formally charged him with second-degree murder. A grand jury later indicted him on first- and second-degree murder charges.

Relief for Heidi's Friends

Marcus and Katina Sarazin, close friends of the victim, expressed their immense relief.

Emotional Response from Friends of the Accused

Emily and Andrew Erickson, friends of Nick, struggled to comprehend the situation.

Seeking the Truth

Emily Erickson voiced her disbelief, stating, "You have to believe that a good man with no history of violence … killed the woman that he loved more than anything in life for no reason. … That's what you have to believe. We can't get there."

After remaining free on bail for almost two years, on Jan. 27, 2023, Nick Firkus went on trial. Prosecutors would not be allowed to call Nick's second wife Rachel to testify or use her taped conversation with Nick. The judge ruled her testimony, and the recording had no bearing on the case. 

Natalie Micheal: I went into it with an open mind. 

Natalie Micheal served on the jury. 

Jamie Yuccas: Did he appear like a man who would kill his wife?

Natalie Micheal: No, he did not. .. A lot through the trial … he was putting his head down … when they showed the photos of the two of them together, you know he seemed like he really was in love with her. 

Elizabeth Lamin: I think Nick was … someone who … lived two lives.

Prosecutors presented an unusual motive. They told the jurors Nick Firkus staged a burglary because he was desperate and ashamed his secrets were about to be revealed to Heidi and everyone else.

Elizabeth Lamin: All of his kind of cards of lies are about to crumble. … He would have been exposed as a complete failure, a liar … to his friends and community. And instead, he's a victim. … He walks away from this … supported by his friends, supported by his family. 

Joe Friedberg: Nick had no reason. 

Nick's lawyers Joe Friedberg and Robert Richman say that simply makes no sense as a motive. 

Robert Richman: There was nothing about murdering the woman who everyone agreed he loved that would help his situation.

And they say the state's contention that Heidi didn't know about the couple's finances simply was not true. 

Joe Friedberg: Nick … said she was in on all of the major decisions. … He would say to us that … they're making Heidi out to be an imbecile.

Natalie Michael: At first, I was wondering how she couldn't know … about the finances or some of the foreclosures or some of the things happening. 

But Natalie Micheal says the prosecution's case did not hinge on motive. 

Natalie Micheal: The prosecution said … it really is — was there an intruder in the house or was there not an intruder?

Robert Richman: It was our position … that there had been an intruder exactly the way Nick described to the police, on the 911 call.

NICK FIRKUS (911 CALL): Somebody just broke into our house and shot me and my wife … 

Robert Richman: At the scene —

Sgt. Jim Gray: The information that Nick have at the scene is that this intruder came into the house.

Robert Richman: At the hospital —

NICK FIRKUS (police interview): He just came in …

Robert Richman: — and to Sergeant Gray.

NICK FIRKUS (police interview): The guy that was there, I think he, he grabbed the barrel … 

Nick's lawyers say police didn't find the intruder's fingerprints or DNA at the scene because, as Nick told investigators in his interview at the hospital, the intruder was wearing gloves.

OFFICER (hospital interview): And what else can you describe from him …

NICK FIRKUS: Gloves.

OFFICER: He's wearing gloves. 

Joe Friedberg: You don't always leave DNA and especially when your hands are covered.

But prosecutors say there was something else missing from the scene besides fingerprints.

Jamie Yuccas: So what am I looking at here?

Elizabeth Lamin: This is a physical model to scale that was created by the FBI. 

They used a model to show the jurors there was no evidence of a struggle. 

Elizabeth Lamin: I felt that it was very important for us to be able to recreate how small that entryway is.

Jamie Yuccas (show and tell): Let's say the intruder gets in … they have the struggle….

Elizabeth Lamin: And they have this life and death struggle right in this area with nothing disturbed.

Jamie Yuccas: On the table?

Elizabeth Lamin: Exactly. … And then Heidi gets shot square in the back in a very clear shot.

An animation created by an unidentified source reveals that the fatal bullet that ended Heidi's life was most likely fired from shoulder level.

Elizabeth Lamin: The trajectory of the bullet aligns perfectly with the height of Nick's shoulder, suggesting that he was the one who aimed and fired the shot.

Nick's legal team claims that there is concrete evidence indicating the presence of an intruder.

Robert Richman: Furthermore, there were visible tool marks on the door, consistent with someone attempting to pry it open using a screwdriver.

Attorney Joe Friedberg argues that Firkus' next-door neighbor, Branden O'Connor, testified to hearing a voice.

Branden O'Connor: " ... you shot her, you shot me. Uh, please, please, no," or something along those lines...

Joe Friedberg: This indicates that there must have been another individual present in the house. Nick was conversing with a third person when he made that statement.

However, prosecutors suggest that O'Connor may have misinterpreted Nick's words while he was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher.

Elizabeth Lamin: Nick's frantic screams about being shot lasted for nearly seven minutes...

NICK FIRKUS (TO 911): Somebody just broke into my house and shot me and my wife.

NICK FIRKUS (TO 911): Please!

911 OPERATOR: Please stay on the phone with me, OK?

Nick Firkus opted not to testify in court. After an 11-day trial, the case was handed over to the jury for deliberation.

Justice for Heidi

As the state and Nick Firkus' defense team presented their closing arguments on Feb. 10, 2023, attorneys on both sides were hopeful the jury would make the right decision.

It was a hard-fought litigated trial. We had great, we thought, circumstantial evidence that what Nick said happened did not happen.

It's not enough if you have a hunch. There was no direct evidence that Nick murdered his wife.

In her closing argument, Prosecutor Kraker said Nick shot Heidi while she was on the phone with the 911 operator.

911 OPERATOR: Someone's trying, west ...

[Gunshots heard]

HEIDI FIRKUS: [Screams]

So, that call does end with a very, very loud noise, and the call goes dead. … And we believe … that that's the gunshot.

According to phone records, 65 seconds passed from that moment until Nick made his 911 call.

NICK FIRKUS (TO 911): Hello, please, please … somebody just broke in our house and shot me ...

Kraker reenacted for jurors what she believed Nick did before he made that call.

Witness Statement: I walked over in the courtroom … to roughly as far as Heidi would have been on the ground, crouched down, turned her over to check for her pulse to be sure that she was, in fact, deceased … Walked back over. Picked up the firearm … and demonstrated how he could … shoot himself … and … call 911.

911 OPERATOR: Where's the guy that shot you?

Witness Statement: At 65 seconds … there was more than enough time for all of that to happen.

To prove their theory Nick shot himself in the thigh, they point to marks left by shotgun pellets at the bottom of the front door.

Witness Statement: When he shot himself, we believe that Nick was about here (puts model facing the front door)

Witness Statement: Which is how you would brace yourself, probably against the door … if you're doing it to yourself.

But Firkus' attorneys challenged the 65-second timeframe. Attorney Robert Richman says phone records also show Nick misdialed two numbers before getting through to 911, making it impossible to shoot himself.

Attorney Robert Richman: What they reenacted was … 65 seconds, which was … ignoring the two misdials, which happened at 38 seconds.

Attorney Robert Richman: The fact that we cannot find the intruder … is not evidence that there was no intruder. … And if anything, because of the next door neighbor, because of the tool marks … because of the 38 seconds, we feel that the evidence supports that there was an intruder.

Witness Statement: This isn't blind belief.

Nick's friends Emily and Andrew Erickson were convinced the prosecution failed to prove Nick was the shooter. 

Andrew Erickson: We were open to hearing … an inconsistency of what Nick said … but that didn't happen.

On Feb. 10, 2023, the jurors got the case and in five hours returned with a verdict.

Emily Erickson: My last text to Nick was … it has to be innocent. There's no way that they got to guilty this quickly. … We rushed to the courthouse, and we were so wrong.

Nick Firkus was found guilty on two counts of murder — premeditated and intentional. 

Katina Sarazin:  I believe justice was served.

The Sarazins were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. 

Marcus Sarazin: Justice may have been slow … but fortunately, the jury got it right. … it feels like this is the beginning of healing … it's the beginning of a — of a new chapter. 

Elizabeth Lamin: Heidi's mom actually said … That for so many years they had to live with Nick Firkus' narrative. … And they knew it was wrong, but they just didn't have another narrative. And to finally be able to … have him finally held accountable it meant a lot to us …

For Sergeant Sipes, there is still the mystery of what led to the couple's financial problems.

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: We weren't able to definitively say what the money was spent on.

Jamie Yuccas: Does that frustrate you?

Sgt. Nichole Sipes: Greatly. I think it would help complete the picture for some people. 

On April 13, 2023, Nick Firkus was back in court for his sentencing hearing and to hear victim impact statements.

Peter Erickson (in court): Growing up, Heidi was the quintessential little sister to me.

Peter Erickson Is Heidi's brother.

Peter Erickson: Because of the lies we were told as early as the day after her murder … it's been virtually impossible to find closure to our grief.

Nick refused to admit guilt. 

NICK FIRKUS (in court): I do maintain and will maintain to my dying breath my innocence of this crime … my body stands condemned to serve another man's sentence. But my soul, my soul remains free.

Judge Leonardo Castro imposed the maximum sentence.

JUDGE CASTRO: It is the sense of law and judgment of this court that you be committed to the commission of corrections for the remainder of your life without the possibility of release … Good luck to you sir, Godspeed.

Family Reflects on Loss and Hope

When Rachel Firkus thinks about her children, she can't help but feel the weight of their loss. "My kids are always what I think of first," she says. "They lost in this too, because one day they had a dad that they thought was somebody, and the next day he's not that person anymore."

Rachel's husband, Nick Firkus, is currently appealing his conviction. The family has been through a difficult time, but Rachel remains hopeful. She believes that her children will find strength in their own voices, something that Heidi, Nick's first wife, never had the chance to do. "I like to think I have a connection with Heidi," Rachel says. "She didn't get to have the voice that I have now. And so I can only hope that my voice is something she would be proud of."

Katina Sarazin, a close friend of Heidi's, also reflects on her memory. "Heidi was a genuine, loving, sincere young woman who wanted to live life to the fullest," Katina says. "She wouldn't want people to become bitter or angry because of what she had to experience. I think that Heidi would want people to choose to love regardless of circumstances."

The Firkus family's story is a reminder of the importance of resilience and hope in the face of adversity. While they continue to navigate the challenges ahead, they remain united in their determination to find healing and strength.

Produced by Asena Basak and Paul LaRosa; Jordan Kinsey is the field producer; Ryan Smith and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers; Richard Barber and Michael Baluzy are the editors; Anthony Batson is the senior producer; Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor; Judy Tygard is the executive producer.