The attempted murder of Nicki Lenway: A look at the evidence

A crime scene investigator survives after being gunned down in broad daylight. The harrowing scene is captured on surveillance video. Who pulled the set off? See how investigators adopted a digital proof path to unravel the case.

The taking pictures

On April 20, 2022, Nicole “Nicki” Lenway was shot twice within the arm and neck and left for lifeless within the parking zone of FamilyWise, a parenting middle in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lenway had been on her technique to choose up her then 5-year-old son from a supervised go to together with his father, Tim Amacher.

An armed assailant wearing all black could be seen working up behind Lenway, simply moments earlier than pulling the set off, taking pictures her at point-blank vary and fleeing from the scene. The shooter escaped in a black Dodge Ram truck.

The 911 name

Lenway, 33, was no stranger to violence. She labored the night time shift as a forensic scientist for the Minneapolis Police Division. She usually discovered herself at crime scenes, however by no means the sufferer of 1.

Proper after being shot within the neck, Lenway known as 911, however operators could not perceive her gurgled cries for assist. Safety footage from FamilyWise exhibits Lenway moments after the taking pictures.

A Good Samaritan’s assist

Emilie Clancy could not consider what she noticed and heard from the intersection throughout the road. Clancy was driving by when she noticed a mysterious determine in black run up behind a girl (Lenway) and shoot her at point-blank vary.

As quickly as the sunshine turned inexperienced, Clancy sped by way of the intersection and sped up subsequent to Lenway. Clancy ushered Lenway into the automobile and took over the 911 name. Clancy utilized strain to Lenway’s neck and comforted her as she fought for her life. 

The race to save lots of one among their very own

Inside minutes, first responders arrived. The dramatic scene was captured on police physique cameras. Lenway was loaded into the ambulance and shortly misplaced consciousness. She had a perforated lung, extreme harm to her vocal cords and a bullet lodged between two of her ribs. Lenway was in essential situation. 

Investigators on the scene

As docs labored to save lots of Lenway, her colleagues on the police division set to work. On the crime scene, they discovered three discharged bullet casings and blood. Investigators headed contained in the FamilyWise parenting middle the place Lenway had been headed to select up her son. There they met the daddy of her baby – her ex boyfriend, Tim Amacher. 

A strong alibi

Officers caught up with Amacher as he was ending up his go to with their 5-year-old son Callahan. Amacher had been on the middle for hours, and he informed investigators he had no concept what occurred exterior to Lenway. 

One of many detectives on the crime scene requested Amacher what vehicles he owned. Amacher informed him he owned the Jeep he was driving and a Dodge Challenger sedan.

Trying to find solutions

Regardless of their efforts, investigators had been initially restricted. On surveillance video, they may see the shooter drove off in a black Dodge Ram truck.  However the truck had no license plate, and police could not inform who was driving.

The subsequent day, Lenway regained consciousness, and police had been capable of interview her within the hospital. They requested if she had any concept who would wish to kill her. Instantly, she informed police that she was satisfied her ex-boyfriend, Tim Amacher, had one thing to do with it. In an Interview with “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty, Lenway mentioned, “I simply knew it had one thing to do with Tim. I simply knew … I did not know the way he was concerned, however he was concerned.”

Who’s Tim Amacher?

Amacher was a well- preferred native taekwondo teacher, who was referred to as a superb pal and neighbor. For police it did not make sense that he may have achieved this, particularly since they knew Amacher was inside FamilyWise on the time of the taking pictures, giving him a seemingly rock-solid alibi. 

Caught in a lie?

Bear in mind when investigators requested Amacher what automobiles he had?  It seems Amacher owned a black Dodge Ram truck just like the one the shooter drove off in, however on the scene he did not inform that to investigators.

A second spherical of questioning

Police known as Amacher in for a second interview.  They confirmed him stills of the truck from that surveillance video. Seemingly unruffled, he insisted it wasn’t his. Amacher mentioned that his truck, not like the one within the video, had a license plate and Superman decal stickers close to each entrance doorways. In addition to, Amacher had an alibi — he was contained in the FamilyWise middle when Nicole Lenway was shot. How may he have shot Lenway and been the motive force when his time was accounted for through the taking pictures? 

Amacher continued to insist he had nothing to do with the taking pictures. 

An unlikely suspect

In his interview with police, Amacher informed Investigators that the one different one that had entry to his truck was Colleen Larson. When Investigators requested Amacher if Larson may need a purpose for desirous to shoot Nicole, he insisted that Larson was incapable of violence and shortly dismissed the query.

Larson was Amacher’s former taekwondo pupil and she or he was renting a room from him in his house. When police initially spoke to Larson, she denied being anyplace close to the FamilyWise middle when Lenway was shot.

A sequence of digital breadcrumbs

Regardless of their denial, police did not consider Larson or Amacher.

Investigators turned to FBI particular agent Richard Fennern, a know-how specialist. When Fennern took a better have a look at the case, he found that Amacher’s Dodge Ram truck had Wi-Fi, like a cellphone. And very similar to a cellphone, it created a digital path. 

Agent Fennern got down to discover out in all places that Amacher and Larson went on the day of the taking pictures. He adopted the digital path left behind by their cellphones and the truck’s Wi-Fi.  Utilizing these data, Fennern was ready to determine that at a sure level Larson was driving the black Dodge Ram truck that day and that black Dodge Ram truck was pushed to the FamilyWise parenting middle.

A raid reveals extra proof

A raid of Tim and Colleen’s home yielded extra proof – bullet casings matching those discovered on the crime scene. 

Arresting Colleen Larson

On April 28, 2022, Colleen Larson was arrested. She was charged with tried first-degree premeditated homicide. 

Arresting Tim Amacher

Investigators suspected Larson was not working alone. Fennern suspected that Amacher had intentionally altered his truck’s look to throw police off their path. Fennern found that a number of hours earlier than the taking pictures, Amacher had pushed the black truck with out plates and with out the Superman stickers to a drive-thru at a neighborhood Kentucky Fried Hen. Tim Amacher was arrested and charged with tried first-degree premeditated homicide and aiding an confederate after the actual fact. 

A confession from Colleen Larson

Police questioned Larson twice. The primary time she denied any involvement, however through the second interview, which was recorded, she broke down and confessed. “I took the truck and I drove over there … after which I shot her.” 

Despite the fact that Larson admitted to pulling the set off, she mentioned the entire thing was Amacher’s concept.

Larson informed police that after the taking pictures she removed the black garments she wore to disguise her id, however Amacher had disposed of the gun.

Amacher convicted

On Nov. 3, 2022, Amacher’s trial started. There have been no cameras within the courtroom. After an hour of deliberations, Amacher was discovered responsible of tried first-degree premeditated homicide and aiding his confederate, Colleen Larson. Amacher was sentenced to 18 years in jail. 

Larson pleads responsible

4 days later,  Larson pleaded responsible to aiding and abetting tried first-degree homicide, avoiding a trial.  At her sentencing listening to, somewhat than communicate for herself, Larson had her legal professional learn a press release. In it, she took full accountability for all that had occurred. Larson was sentenced to 16-and-a-half years, for doing what prosecutors consider, was Amacher’s bidding. 

A storybook ending and a brand new starting

Alongside all of the destruction, there are small miracles. Nicole Lenway has made a miraculous discovery and married the love of her life, Donovan Ford, a police officer. They’re anticipating a child woman collectively and are overjoyed. 

As for the kid, she shares with Amacher? Donovan informed Moriarty, “He is come out superb. That is a miracle too, simply him having the ability to take care of all of the stuff he is been by way of and nonetheless be the child he’s.”