Shivangi Sinha
In early January 2020, Niki Entzel contacted police to report a fire at her home. When emergency crews arrived, they discovered the remains of her husband, Chad Entzel, inside the burned house. At first, authorities believed the death may have been the result of an accident. However, further investigation revealed that Chad had been shot and that the fire appeared to have been deliberately set, raising immediate suspicions. In the days that followed, investigators uncovered a trail of evidence that pointed back to Niki and an accomplice and suggested the crime was committed for personal and financial gain. The case, including the investigation and its disturbing details, was examined in ABC’s ‘20/20: The Last Strike’.
Nikki Entzel Called 911 to Report a Fire When Her Husband’s Remains Were Found
Nikki Sue Melissa Heinz grew up in North Dakota and first met Chad Entzel through an online dating platform. Chad had recently gone through a divorce, and the two quickly formed a close relationship. Before long, they decided to build a life together and were married on May 21, 2016, surrounded by close friends and family. Nikki had two sons from a previous relationship, Marcus Heinz and Christopher Heinz, whom Chad embraced as his own. The family settled into a home in Bismarck, North Dakota, where life appeared stable and promising. During this time, Nikki was gaining confidence and independence, especially after launching her own baking business.
Nikki and Chad appeared to be living a happy, stable life together. Between December 26 and December 30, 2019, she told him she would be traveling to attend work-related conferences and meetings, and he fully supported her plans. Shortly after she returned, everything changed. On January 2, 2020, Nikki called 911 to report a fire at their home. When emergency responders arrived, they discovered Chad’s remains in the bedroom. Almost immediately, investigators noticed inconsistencies at the scene. The fire appeared to have originated in two separate locations, the basement and the bedroom, while Chad’s remains were found in the bedroom. It raised serious questions about how the fire had started and what had truly occurred.
Investigators used luminol at the scene, which revealed traces of blood leading from one side of the bed to the other, where Chad’s body was found. An autopsy later determined that Chad had died from two gunshot wounds. Police brought Nikki in for questioning, during which she appeared distressed, became emotional, and denied any knowledge of who could have harmed her husband. However, investigators later obtained CCTV footage showing Nikki entering and leaving the house on December 30 and 31, 2019. When confronted about the footage and asked who was with her, Nikki claimed the man seen was a friend of Chad’s who had been helping with construction work at the home.
Nikki Entzel Admitted That She Heard Chad Entzel Being Shot While She Sat in Her Car
Nikki Entzel alleged that Chad Entzel struggled with alcohol use and that he had been abusive. She even suggested that he may have taken his own life. However, when police spoke with Chad’s family and friends, they said they had never seen signs that he was living in fear. Investigators later analyzed data from Nikki’s phone and discovered numerous text messages, many of them romantic, between her and a man named Earl Howard. This was the same individual seen entering and leaving the house with her. Further evidence showed that during the time Nikki told Chad she was attending work meetings, she was actually in Minneapolis, Minnesota, spending time with Howard. Surveillance footage later captured the pair exchanging a kiss at the Mall of America.
Prosecutors later revealed that just four days before the murder, Nikki had taken out a renter’s insurance policy valued at $26,000. She was also the sole beneficiary of Chad’s $600,000 life insurance policy. When police questioned her again with this information, she continued to deny involvement but gradually shifted her story, claiming that Earl Howard had entered the home, argued with Chad, and shot him. She stated that she remained in the car during the incident on December 30, 2019, and that over the next two days, they attempted to set the house on fire to destroy evidence. Sge provided multiple, conflicting versions of events. On January 7, 2020, she was formally charged with conspiracy to commit murder, arson, and tampering with evidence.
Nikki Entzel is Being Held in a North Dakota Prison Today
A few days after Nikki Entzel’s arrest, police also took Earl Howard into custody. He alleged that Nikki was the one who shot her husband and said he later helped her by setting the house on fire. Investigators were unable to determine who fired the fatal shots but concluded that Nikki and Howard shared equal responsibility for the crime. Nikki’s trial began in October 2022, by which time Howard had already accepted a plea deal. Prosecutors argued that she had conspired to kill her husband for financial gain and planned to leave for Texas to start a new life with Howard. She was convicted on all charges. In February 2023, Nikki was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Under North Dakota law, she must serve at least 85 percent of her sentence, making her eligible for parole around 2053. Further details of her incarceration are not publicly available.
Read More: Earl Howard: Where is Nikki Entzel’s Boyfriend Now?
