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Nick Firkus faces life behind bars tonight as 20/20 once again exposes his shocking 2010 cold case conviction. After 16 years, evidence proved the unthinkable: a husband’s deception hid a deadly secret. His second wife’s secret recordings sealed the case.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Victim: Heidi Firkus, shot dead on April 25, 2010, at age 25 in St. Paul, Minnesota
- Arrest: May 2021, after 13-year investigation sparked by financial red flags
- Conviction: February 2023, guilty of first-degree premeditated murder after 4 hours of jury deliberation
- 20/20 Encore: Friday, March 27, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, titled “Stranger in the House”
The Crime That Stumped Investigators for Over a Decade
On the morning of April 25, 2010, 911 dispatchers received a frantic call from 25-year-old Heidi Firkus screaming about a home invasion. Just 65 seconds later, her 27-year-old husband Nick called back claiming someone had broken in. Heidi was found shot in the upper back, unresponsive. Nick claimed a struggle over a shotgun with an intruder caused both weapons to discharge.
But something didn’t add up. The police found no signs of forced entry, no evidence of an intruder, and no DNA from anyone else on the gun. Yet without solid proof, the case went cold. For 13 long years, Nick walked free while detectives remained frustrated by what seemed like an obvious lie.
Nick Firkus convicted in wife’s cold case murder, 20/20 encore airs
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Financial Trouble Revealed the Hidden Motive
Investigators eventually learned a damning truth: Nick and Heidi faced eviction the very next day after Heidi’s death. The couple was drowning in over $15,000 in credit card debt, and Nick had deliberately hidden this from his wife. But even worse, Heidi never knew about the impending loss of their home, pointing to premeditation.
According to prosecutors, Nick killed his wife to escape shame. Ramsey County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lamin explained the motive clearly in interviews: it wasn’t just losing the house, but the realization he had lied to his wife, friends, and community for years. The weight of exposure became unbearable.
The Breakthrough: Case Details and Evidence
| Detail | Information |
| Victim’s Age | 25 years old |
| Death Date | April 25, 2010 |
| Arrest Date | May 2021 |
| Conviction Date | February 10, 2023 |
In 2019, Detective Nichole Sipes reopened the case, frustrated by inconsistencies. The FBI was brought in to analyze ballistic evidence and reconstruct the 911 call. Their acoustic analysis found no evidence of a third person in the home. The ballistics testing proved the shots were deliberate, not accidental during a struggle. Most critically, only Nick’s DNA appeared on the shotgun.
“The case always bothered me because the circumstances didn’t seem to fit what happened.”
— Detective Nichole Sipes, St. Paul Police Department
The Second Wife’s Secret Recordings Changed Everything
The turning point came when Detective Sipes learned that Nick had divorced his second wife, Rachel, in 2018. Rachel had become suspicious when she discovered the couple was facing foreclosure on property taxes, and Nick’s financial deception mirrored what happened before Heidi’s death. She made a bold decision: she secretly recorded conversations with her ex-husband.
In the recordings obtained by 20/20, Rachel confronts Nick about his lies. When she asks if his deception makes her think he could murder his wife, Nick responds, “That I could murder my wife?” The way Rachel and investigators interpreted his shocked response suggested he knew exactly what she meant. These recordings, combined with financial evidence and forensic data, gave prosecutors the leverage they needed.
What Will the 20/20 Encore Reveal Tonight?
ABC’s “20/20” episode “Stranger in the House” airs Friday, March 27, at 9 p.m. ET, as an encore presentation of the original 2023 episode. The special explores the 13-year investigation into Heidi’s murder, featuring exclusive interviews with Rachel Firkus, investigators, and prosecutors. The show examines how financial desperation, hidden debt, and a carefully constructed lie turned a seemingly open-and-shut burglary case into a murder conviction.
Meanwhile, Nick remains in prison serving a life sentence without parole. In February 2026, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld his conviction, rejecting his appeal. His family maintains his innocence, but the evidence, recordings, and forensic analysis paint a devastating picture. Tonight’s encore brings the cold case back into living rooms across America, reminding viewers how truth eventually emerges from darkness.
Sources
- ABC News – Comprehensive reporting on the 13-year investigation, conviction, and Minnesota Supreme Court ruling
- KARE 11 – Minnesota Supreme Court upholds conviction and detailed trial coverage
- NBC News – Analysis of financial issues and how they led to the murder conviction
