A HOMICIDE investigation went cold for years after a woman was killed in what appeared to be a deadly robbery.
Police eventually learned Heidi Firkus’ husband Nick staged the home invasion and carried out her murder.
Who is Nick Firkus?
Nick Firkus is a convicted murderer from St. Paul, Minnesota, who was born on February 25, 1983.
Back in April 2010, he alleged that he was a victim of a home invasion that claimed the life of his 25-year-old wife, Heidi Firkus.
A few months later, he met Rachel Watson, whom he married in 2012.
“I definitely felt sorry for him that he had gone through such a trauma,” Rachel recalled during an interview with ABC News.
Nick and his second wife welcomed three kids and moved into a house that was purchased for them by his parents.
Additional information on Nick’s personal life is unclear at this time.
What happened to Heidi Firkus?
On April 25, 2010, Heidi contacted 911 dispatchers when it appeared she and Nick’s home was being burglarized.
That Sunday morning, police arrived at the Firkus residence to find Heidi dead from a gunshot wound to her upper back.
Nick was also injured from a gunshot wound to his thigh.
While giving his statements to local authorities, he claimed an intruder broke into their house.
According to him, he grabbed his shotgun and confronted the burglar while he was breaking in.
He said a struggle ensued and that’s when his weapon was “accidentally” fired at both him and Heidi.
Heidi’s probe went cold for over 10 years after Nick perpetuated several false accounts to investigators.
On May 19, 2021, Nick was arrested in relation to his wife’s homicide and he was charged with second-degree murder.
Cops obtained several financial documents that led them back to Nick and disputed his previous statements.
They also suspected the lack of evidence from the crime scene to be a part of his plan to cover up his orchestration of the false home invasion.
On February 10, 2023, he was found guilty of both first-degree and second-degree murder.
Where is Nick Firkus now?
On April 13, 2023, Nick was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
He remains incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.
Although he was convicted, he still maintains his innocence regarding Heidi’s homicide.
On the day of his sentencing, Nick told the court: “I recognize the pain and loss shared by everyone here today.
“It is a pain and loss that I have felt every day for the past 13 years and continue to carry with me today.
“While I understand the jury’s verdict and the sentence you must give, I do maintain and will maintain until my dying breath my innocence of this crime.”