Shivangi Sinha
The initial circumstances surrounding Nicki Lenway’s shooting at the FamilyWise parenting center seemed to point away from Tim Amacher’s involvement, as he was inside the facility with their son at the time. However, as new information emerged, it cast doubt on the initial assumptions, suggesting there was more to the story than met the eye. CBS’s ’48 Hours: Who Wanted Nicki Lenway Dead?’ offers details about the case and an exclusive interview with Nicki herself. If you’re looking for answers and a comprehensive understanding of the case, we have got all the answers for you. Let’s begin, shall we?
Who is Tim Amacher?
Tim Amacher, a resident of St. Paul, had a background as a taekwondo instructor. He crossed paths with Nicki in 2012, and their connection evolved into a romantic relationship. They took the significant step of moving in together in 2013, but unfortunately, their relationship began to deteriorate, leading Nicki to move out in 2015. Just a month after Nicki’s departure, she learned that she was pregnant, which brought new complexities to their relationship. Tim expressed a desire to reconcile with her, and they made attempts to co-parent their son Callahan for some time but it eventually became very difficult.
The custody battle between Nicki and Tim took an ugly turn, especially when Nicki entered into a new relationship in 2017. Tim did not take kindly to this development, and according to court documents, he made ten reports to the police, alleging child abuse by Nicki and her new partner. However, all of these reports were found to be unfounded. In 2020, a custody trial was held, and the court awarded Nicki full physical and legal custody rights for their child, while Tim was granted only one supervised visit per week. Things changed for Tim in January 2022 when he was allowed unsupervised visitation with his child. Unfortunately, after just one interaction, Callahan confided in a social worker that Tim had coached him to lie about being abused.
Following the revelation the court took decisive action and revoked his rights to have unsupervised meetings with his child. As a result, he was only allowed to see his then 5-year-old son during supervised visits in a legally monitored center. It’s also worth noting that Tim had been involved in a live-in relationship with a young woman named Colleen Larson. They had met when she was a teenager and one of his taekwondo students. Their romantic relationship began once she turned 18, and she subsequently moved in with him.
Nicki was attacked by an unidentifiable individual on April 20, 2022 who shot her in the neck and arm while she was walking to a FamilyWise centre to pick up her son after his meeting with Tim. As Tim was inside the facility, the police could not identify him as a suspect. As their investigations continued, they successfully identified the vehicle used by the attacker to reach Nicki, which was a Black Dodge Ram truck. It was discovered that Tim also owned a similar car. When questioned about this, Tim claimed that the only person who had access to the car was Larson. In a statement provided to the police, Larson revealed that it was Tim’s idea to orchestrate the plan to kill Nicki, and he had devised the entire scheme. Additionally, Larson admitted to disposing of the clothing she had worn during the crime, while Tim had taken care of getting rid of the weapon. Even though Tim denied the allegations against him, he was arrested by the police after a search warrant was executed at his house and multiple firearms and .380 discharged cartridge cases were recovered. The same pistol was used to attack Nicki.
Tim Amacher is in Prison Today
Tim’s trial took place on November 3, 2022, and the jury reached a verdict, finding him guilty of aiding and abetting attempted first-degree murder and aiding an offender after the fact. Following the conviction, his sentence hearing occurred in January 2023, during which he received an 18-year sentence for his role in planning the ambush shooting targeting his ex-girlfriend, Nicki Lenway. Both Tim and his attorney, Larry Reed, maintained their stance of denying Tim’s involvement in the crime throughout the trial and subsequent proceedings. In a 7-minute statement, he maintained his innocence and said, “The prosecutor’s office did display a show of smoke and mirrors ending with an inference without any support, facts, or simply relying on just a smear campaign. So in other words, if we make him look like a bad guy, he must be a bad guy.”
Tim’s attorney, Larry Reed, made efforts to challenge the verdict and sentence by requesting a judgment of acquittal and a new trial. However, both of these motions were ultimately denied by District Judge Shereen Askalani. The judge said, “You have not taken any accountability, you have shown no remorse.” Nicki’s legal team had been striving for a 27-year sentence for Tim in an attempt to secure a longer punishment. However, they encountered a legal limitation based on Minnesota law. This law prohibits judges from imposing consecutive sentences on defendants for both aiding and abetting a crime and aiding an offender about the same offense. As a result, Tim received the highest sentence available within the constraints of the law, which amounted to 18 years.
In a victim statement, Nicki said, “I fear for the day he is ultimately released. He will not stop. He is self-serving. And I know losing this battle will only fuel his rage further.” According to Minnesota’s legal requirements, Tim needs to spend 12 years, which is two-thirds of his sentence, in prison before becoming eligible for supervised release by when his son would be 18 years old. He has already received credit for the nine months he spent in jail, so at present, he is in prison and won’t be eligible for parole until the year 2034.
Read More: Colleen Larson: Where is the Attacker Now?
