A Tale of Two Lives: The Firkus Case Unravels on a Brand-New 20/20 Event

ABC News is rearing a deep-dive investigation into the chilling case of Nick and Heidi Firkus, revealing how a secret discovery in a sock drawer shattered a decade of silence.

What’s Happening:

• A two-hour television event, 20/20: Stranger in the House, documents the 2010 shooting of Heidi Firkus and the long road to justice.
• The program explores the initial narrative of a home invasion at the Firkus residence that left Heidi dead and Nick wounded just one day before their scheduled eviction.
• After years of no leads, the investigation focuses on Nick’s second marriage to a woman named Rachel and the evidence she uncovered at home.
• Led by anchors David Muir and Deborah Roberts, featuring exclusive interviews and hard-hitting investigative reports.
• Evidence reveals the couple was in massive financial distress, a fact allegedly kept hidden from Heidi until the morning of the shooting.
• Analyzing the distressed calls made by both Heidi and Nick that served as the foundation of the initial police response.
• The episode airs Friday, March 27 (9:00-11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC, with next-day streaming available on Disney+ and Hulu.
• A version originally aired April 14, 2023.

About the Minnesota Cold Case Files:

• The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office officially charged Nicholas Firkus with second-degree murder in 2021, over a decade after the initial incident occurred.
• Key evidence included a "bye-bye" recording and forensic analysis of the struggle Nick described, which investigators later determined did not match the physical evidence.
• The case gained national attention for the "double life" aspect, where one spouse manages to hide an impending foreclosure from the other until the very last moment.
• Nick Firkus was ultimately found guilty of first-degree and second-degree murder in 2023.
• If you missed the original broadcast of this investigative special, you can find the full library of 20/20 true crime events on Hulu.

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