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Husband Not Ruled Out In Unsolved St. Paul Murder

By Rachel Slavik, WCCO-TV

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- One year after a St. Paul woman was shot in her home, police are still looking for her killer. Nick Firkus told police his wife, Heidi Firkus, was shot at home while he was fighting off an intruder. Detectives have not ruled out Nick Firkus as a suspect.

"This is a very complicated case," said Senior Commander Bill Martinez of the St. Paul Police Department.

For the last year, Martinez has been focused on Heidi Firkus.

"Not a day goes by that we don't touch this case, we think about Heidi and try to bring some justice to her and closure to her family," said Martinez.

It was April 25, 2010, when officers arrived to her home on Minnehaha Avenue. She had been shot to death and her husband, Nick Firkus, was shot in the leg.

Nick Firkus told officers he was fighting off an intruder. A composite sketch was made and the public was asked to help.

"Typically we would get people calling saying, 'I think this looks like this guy. I think it looks like this guy,' but that has not happened," said Martinez.

"Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't," said Joe Friedberg, Nick Firkus' attorney.

Detectives have yet to rule out Nick Firkus as a suspect. They've asked him to speak to police a second time. The last time they questioned him was shortly after his wife was killed.

"So there are a lot of questions we have that we're still working to get answers to," said Martinez

But Friedberg said he's told his client not to talk.

"They're looking to find a few little inconsistencies that they can use to claim that he's lying and I'm not going to let that happen," said Friedberg.

Detectives would also like Nick Firkus to answer questions about the couple's financial problems. A search warrant filed last year shows the couple's home was about to be foreclosed on April 26.

However, the warrant said nothing in the home had been packed. Heidi Firkus' family also told investigators she wasn't aware of the money issues.

Nick Firkus' attorney said that's not true.

"These are kids that decided they wanted out. They were underwater on their house and they lived in it rent free as long as they could and were going to move to an apartment," said Friedberg.

"We aren't rushing judgment on him," said Martinez.

In a murder investigation, those closest to the victim are often put under the microscope, but Friedberg believes it's time for police to start looking elsewhere.

"Everybody said that they had a great marriage. I don't know what else we could do," said Friedberg.

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