Shraman Mitra
When Rachel Firkus met Nicholas “Nick” Firkus for the first time, she believed he was the man of her dreams. In fact, Rachel and Nicholas went on to have a happy marriage and became proud parents to three wonderful children. However, Rachel soon began having doubts about her husband’s involvement in his first wife, Heidi Firkus’ death. ABC’s ’20/20: Stranger in the House’ chronicles this shocking demise and follows the investigation that led straight to Nick Firkus.
Rachel Firkus Once Planned on Building a Life With Nick
People who know Rachel describe her as a loving, caring, and generous individual who is always ready to lend a helping hand. She is also known for her kind and amicable behavior, which helps her maintain positive relationships with everyone around her. Incidentally, the Minnesota native got to know Nick Firkus on a personal level through her sister, Sarah, and her brother-in-law, David Olson, who were both close friends of Heidi. In fact, Sarah considered herself one of Heidi’s best friends, and she was the one to vehemently insist that Nick was a wonderful man who loved and took care of his first wife without fail. Hence, neither Sarah nor David minded when Rachel fell in love with him before deciding to tie the knot in 2012.
It was on April 25, 2010, approximately two years before Rachel and Nick married, that the latter’s first wife, Heidi, was murdered brutally in their St. Paul, Minnesota, home. She had called 911 to report a possible home invasion on that fateful day, only for the operator to soon hear a gunshot, following which the line went cold. Once first responders arrived at the scene, they found Heidi deceased from a bullet wound in her back, while Nick had a superficial wound on his leg. When questioned, he insisted he was wrestling the intruder for control of the gun when it accidentally went off and hit both him and his wife.
However, Nick became a suspect in this matter when the police found no signs of a forced break-in or any missing items, indicating the incident was a planned inside job. Furthermore, his DNA was found exclusively on the murder weapon, while the police found no evidence of the reported intruder. Still, the investigation took years, and at one point, it seemed like the case might grow cold.
In the meantime, Nick married Rachel, and they welcomed their first child just a few months later. Neighbors who were acquainted with the couple claimed they appeared utterly in love, and they even went on to become proud parents of two more wonderful children. Yet, with time, Rachel began doubting her husband’s involvement in Heidi’s murder and decided to confront him about it. Yet, because she feared for her life as well, she sent their children away and even decided to record the whole conversation before getting into it. Although Nick said nothing incriminating while talking to his spouse, it was apparent he was hiding something about the whole situation. This worry kept nagging Rachel until she could not take it anymore and divorced him in 2019. Subsequently, about two years later, in 2021, the police arrested Nick and charged him with murder.
Rachel Firkus is Thriving in Her Life Today
Rachel actually attended Nick’s extensive trial and was relieved when the jury convicted him of first-degree murder, and the judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole in 2023. It seemed like there was no love lost between the two, and she was determined to move on and remain strong for herself and her children. Additionally, she appeared on the ’20/20′ show, where she spoke about her own experience and revealed how the secretly recorded conversations with Nick proved integral to the investigation.
At present, from what we can tell, Rachel still resides in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she owns and operates her own cosmetics company, be Lovely. On top of it, she is also a vocal advocate for victims of human and sex trafficking. In fact, reports indicate that Lovely donates 10% of each sale to organizations that work for victims of trafficking and other social injustices. It honestly is lovely to witness Rachel’s success, and we wish her nothing but the best in both her personal and professional life for years to come.
Read More: Where Are Heidi Firkus’ Parents Now?
