TRAGEDY occurred when a local man’s lifeless body was discovered in a house fire.
However, police found out Chad Entzel was dead before the blaze even started.
Who was Chad Entzel?
Born on March 31, 1977, Chad Entzel was a 42-year-old little league coach and murder victim from Halliday, North Dakota.
He was remembered by his loved ones as “a guiding light for many of the youth he worked with.”
“His passion was not sitting in class, but rather working outside and being around people. He coached little league where he truly shined.
“He was a wonderful son, brother, uncle, friend, and husband.”
On May 21, 2016, Chad tied the knot with Nikki Heinz-Entzel and became a stepfather to her two sons from a previous relationship.
On January 2, 2020, Chad was found dead after suffering a fatal gunshot wound.
However, it was his wife Nikki’s emergency call about a housefire taking place at their home which drew cops to the Entzel residence in the first place.
He is survived by his mother Deb, his sister Lori, and his two nephews.
“He was so kind, didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody, always willing to give a helping hand,” his grieving sister Lori said of his memory to KFYR.
“My sons remind me of him quite a bit, so we try to talk about him as much as possible, so they don’t forget him. Really, he was my first friend.”
Who killed Chad Entzel?
Chad’s wife Nikki Entzel and her co-conspirator Earl Howard were arrested in connection to Chad’s murder.
Both parties were charged with counts of:
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Conspiracy to commit arson
- Conspiracy to tamper with physical evidence
While Howard took a plea deal and pleaded guilty, Nikki’s case resulted in a trial.
Part of Howard’s deal was the elimination of the conspiracy to murder charge, he only pleaded guilty to the latter two charges.
In February 2022, Howard was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
On October 4, 2022, a jury found Nikki guilty of all three charges.
On February 17, 2023, Entzel was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for her role in her late husband Chad’s murder.
Both Nikki and her co-conspirator Howard were prosecuted for their roles in Chad’s death but legal officials weren’t able to determine who actually shot and killed Chad.
How can I watch Chad’s episode of 20/20?
Chad Entzel’s untimely end is retold in an episode of ABC’s 20/20 titled The Last Strike.
On February 24, 2023, The Last Strike is scheduled to air via the above-mentioned network at 9pm EST.
The show’s anchor John Quiñones leads the broadcast as he collects first-hand testimonies from those who were involved with the Entzel case.
For those that miss Friday’s broadcast, there are streaming options available.
When the episode’s cable premiere concludes, audiences can head on over to watch the special by streaming it on Hulu.