“65 Seconds”: Dateline Reports on Heidi Firkus Homicide February 2 2025

This Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CT, Dateline NBC presents an encore of “65 Seconds,” an in-depth investigation into the murder of 25-year-old Heidi Firkus in St. Paul, Minnesota. What initially appeared to be a tragic home invasion quickly unraveled into a disturbing case of deception, financial ruin, and murder. Correspondent Blayne Alexander revisits the decade-long fight for justice, uncovering the truth behind Heidi’s death.

With exclusive interviews and never-before-seen evidence, Dateline takes viewers through the chilling events of April 25, 2010, and the years of legal battles that followed. What really happened that morning? And how did investigators finally bring Heidi’s killer to justice?

The Fatal Morning: A 911 Call and a Gunshot

On April 25, 2010, at 6:30 a.m., a frantic 911 call from Heidi Firkus shattered the quiet morning in St. Paul, Minnesota. Heidi’s voice, filled with fear, told the dispatcher that someone was breaking into her home. Moments later, a shotgun blast rang out. The line went silent.

Just 65 seconds after Heidi’s call, another call to 911 came from the same phone. This time, it was Nick Firkus, Heidi’s husband, on the line. He told the dispatcher that he and his wife had been shot by an intruder.

When officers arrived, Heidi was dead from a gunshot wound to the back. Nick was wounded, suffering from a gunshot injury to his leg. A burglary gone wrong—at least, that’s what Nick claimed.

An Unconvincing Story and Missing Evidence

Nick Firkus told investigators that an unknown assailant had broken into their home. He said he grabbed his shotgun and rushed Heidi downstairs in an attempt to defend them both. According to his account, a struggle ensued with the intruder, causing the gun to fire twice—once hitting Heidi in the back, and once wounding Nick’s leg.

However, from the beginning, the story raised questions. There were no signs of forced entry, and no one in the neighborhood reported seeing an intruder flee. An earwitness, Brendan O’Connor, who was house-sitting next door, told police he had heard a muffled argument, followed by gunshots and a desperate plea: “You shot her, you shot me, please, please, no.”

Nick’s description of the supposed burglar failed to generate leads, and no suspect matching his sketch was ever identified. The case went cold.

Financial Ruin and a Hidden Truth

As investigators dug deeper into the couple’s background, they uncovered a critical piece of information: Nick and Heidi were in financial ruin. Their home had gone into foreclosure, and they were set to be evicted the day after Heidi’s murder.

Despite this, Heidi’s family insisted she never mentioned any financial troubles. Prosecutors would later argue that Heidi had no idea their home was being taken from them, suggesting Nick had hidden the crisis from her.

Nick’s claims that Heidi was aware of their foreclosure seemed inconsistent with reality. There were no emails, text messages, or any evidence indicating that the couple had discussed the impending eviction.

A New Wife and Familiar Lies

Nick Firkus moved on quickly after Heidi’s death. Two years later, he married Rachel Sanchez, a woman he met through church. For years, Rachel believed in her husband’s innocence—until she started seeing warning signs that mirrored his past.

Rachel discovered that Nick was once again struggling financially. She found a foreclosure notice hidden in their home, just like the one that had preceded Heidi’s murder. Concerned, she began secretly recording their conversations.

When investigators reopened Heidi’s case in 2019, Rachel came forward with her suspicions. Her testimony helped provide new momentum in the investigation, leading to Nick’s arrest.

The Arrest and Trial of Nick Firkus

On May 19, 2021—eleven years after Heidi’s murder—Nick Firkus was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. A grand jury later upgraded the charges to first-degree murder.

During the 2023 trial, prosecutors painted a damning picture. They argued that Nick, desperate to avoid humiliation over his financial failures, staged the burglary and killed his wife. His plan, they claimed, was to make himself look like a victim, so no one would discover the truth about their foreclosure.

A key piece of evidence was a 3D model of the Firkus home, created by the FBI, which demonstrated how Nick’s version of events was physically impossible. The defense, however, argued that Heidi knew about the foreclosure and that Nick had no reason to kill her. They pointed to tool marks on the door as evidence of forced entry, but forensic experts disagreed.

After an eleven-day trial, the jury found Nick Firkus guilty of both first- and second-degree murder.

A Life Sentence and No Admission of Guilt

On April 13, 2023, Nick Firkus was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Despite overwhelming evidence, he refused to accept responsibility. In a statement at his sentencing, he maintained his innocence, saying, “I do maintain and will maintain to my dying breath my innocence of this crime.”

For Heidi’s family, the verdict brought long-awaited justice. Her brother, Pete Erickson, expressed relief, saying, “We finally have accountability for what happened to Heidi. The truth has come to light.”

Final Thoughts on a Decade-Long Investigation

The murder of Heidi Firkus was a case that took over a decade to solve, and it hinged on one man’s web of lies. What started as a supposed home invasion unraveled into a carefully constructed deception, driven by financial desperation.

Nick Firkus spent years evading justice, but his pattern of dishonesty eventually caught up with him. It was his second wife, Rachel, who ultimately helped expose his past, leading investigators to the truth.

Heidi Firkus’ murder was not a random act of violence. It was a crime committed by someone she trusted—someone who was supposed to love and protect her. Now, after years of uncertainty, her family has closure, and justice has been served.

For those who want to see the full investigation unfold, Dateline NBC’s “65 Seconds” airs Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CT, with streaming available on Peacock.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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