Who Wanted To Kill Nicki Lenway?

0:00Music

0:07Where's the victim? Who's shot? Who is shot? Where's the victim? On April 20th, 2022, my life changed forever. So we've got EMS coming right now. I was shot at point blank range two times. Right here, right here. This is the victim right here. First name Nikki, gunshot wound to the neck. All right. It's a miracle she's alive. It's a miracle if she wasn't killed. You breathing okay? Okay. All right. Someone wanted me dead. Honestly, it was a normal day. I had worked the night before. I worked the overnight shift. I am a forensic scientist for the Minneapolis Police Department. After getting my child to school, I slept.

0:59I picked him up from school, and then he had a visit with his father that night. What would you do while he's visiting with his dad? So I typically would run errands, go grocery shopping, or do the things that were easier to do without my child. When it's time for her to pick up her son, she steps out of her car, she can start walking, like dozens of other times that she's done this. I'm halfway in between my vehicle and the door, and this person comes running up from behind me. Shots were being fired, I fell to the ground, and the shooter stands over me and continues to try to shoot. I felt my neck and then could see the blood.

1:47I was just driving home and I saw a person run up to another person. And then I heard two bangs and that other person collapsed. It maybe looked like a robbery or something. There was so fast. That was the first thought. This must have been a robbery that was gone wrong. Was this a drive-by? A mistaken identity? Was she mugged? Maybe something related to work. You do work for the police department. Did you think it might have something to do with work? You know, I know a lot of people ask me that. I knew that this could happen, but I didn't want to believe it would. Whoever did that knows she was coming to pick up a kid.

2:33Did you recognize the assailant? No, I didn't. Could you tell the gender? Was it male or female? So I thought it was male. I was very sure it was a female shooter. What is going on?

2:48Erin Moriarty:Who could have done this?

2:59Erin Moriarty:Erin Moriarty reports. Who wanted Nikki Lenway dead?

3:07It was coming up, and I saw the two people. And then all of a sudden I heard, bang, bang. As Emily Clancy later told police, she couldn't quite believe what she saw and heard on the evening of April 20th, 2022. As she drove home from having dinner with a friend. I stopped right here at this intersection. As soon as the light turned green, Emily sped through the intersection and pulled up next to the victim. I opened the door, I said, are you okay? And she said, no, I've been shot. Nicole, Nikki Lenway Ford, was shot and bleeding in the parking lot of Family Wise, a parenting center. The 33-year-old was no stranger to violence.

3:52She worked as a forensic scientist for the Minneapolis Police Department. And right after being shot, she called 911. 911, what is the address of the emergency room? She's barely breathing, could barely say any words other than her name, and I said, get in the car. Emily took over the 911 call. I could see that there was blood coming out of her neck. And followed the dispatcher's instructions. They said, put a jacket or something around her neck, and I said, yeah, I have one right here. Within minutes, first responders arrived. Were you the one that called? Where's the victim? The dramatic scene was captured on police body cameras.

4:37Oh my God, oh my God! What's going on? She was scared, really scared. Got pressure on the neck. She got shot in the arm as well. She was in a lot of pain. She was having a hard time breathing. I just looked her in the eyes, and I said, Nikki, we've got this. We've got this. Just stay with me. I don't think we can ever recreate how powerful of a moment that was. I just wanted her to know that she wasn't alone in this. And if that was the only thing I could give to this poor girl, like, that would mean something to me. Okay. All right, dear. Can you walk? We're going to get outside. We're going to go into the ambulance.

5:19We're going to the hospital, all right? One of the most surprising things about the video is that you had to walk to the ambulance. I couldn't believe it. Were you aware of how badly injured you were? I don't think so. I think I was in shock, maybe. I didn't realize how bad it was. Try not to move your head left or right, okay? Nicole was loaded into the ambulance and soon lost consciousness. Breaking news tonight, a woman is in the hospital. The news spread quickly that a Minneapolis police employee had been shot. But Nicole's then boyfriend, MPD officer Donovan Ford, was at home. What is it like to get that phone call that the woman you love has just been shot?

6:12I had no words. I went flying down to the hospital. I was panicked. When Donovan arrived at the Hennepin County Medical Center, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. She was basically unconscious. She had tubes down her throat and all that. When you did finally get to talk to a doctor, what did they tell you? She's in bad shape. We're going to do our best to, you know, save her life essentially. Nicole had a perforated lung, severe damage to her vocal cords, and a bullet lodged between two of her ribs, she was in critical condition. I'm in law enforcement, so when they say critical, that means essentially they're close to the end.

7:02And where she was shot, typically people don't survive. I was praying a lot. As doctors rushed to save Nicole, outside the Family Wise Parenting Center, her colleagues at the police department got to work. Can you throw up some tape? We've got casings right over here. On the ground, they found three discharge bullet casings and blood. They quickly learned that Nicole had been at FamilyWise to pick up her son, who was on a scheduled visit with his father, her ex, Tim Omaker. Officers caught up with Tim as he was finishing up his visit with their five-year-old son, Callahan. He had been at the center for hours.

7:54In the community, Tim Omaker was well-liked and a respected local taekwondo instructor. Tim seemed worried about Nicole.

8:07Andy had an idea about what may have happened. He thought it had something to do with a case she worked.

8:20last name to her middle name. She shut down her social media. She had drive-bys of Minneapolis coming through her house all the time. She had me bring over my shotgun to her house. She was in fear. But police didn't find any obvious connections to Nicole's cases. They searched Tim's Jeep and asked if he owned any other cars. This is your only car? No, no, I have a Dodge Challenger, too. And then let him go. Police continue to look for evidence, canvassing the building and surrounding area, searching for security footage, and discovered the cameras from FamilyWise, a bank across the street, and an elementary school around the corner had captured every second.

9:11The first images are Nicole arriving to pick up her son, then someone dressed all in black running her down from behind. The moment the shots were fired, the shooter fleeing on foot and then driving off in a black Dodge Ram truck. But the truck had no license plates and police couldn't tell who was driving. The next day, Nicole regained consciousness and she told police that she was sure she knew who was responsible. I just knew it had something to do with Tim. I just knew. Well, of course, I'm going to be the first guy you guys look at. I didn't know how he was involved, but he was involved.

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11:24Taekwondo. The tenets of the Korean martial art include courtesy, self-control, integrity.

11:36The most skilled, like taemomaker, are called master. Nicole would come to believe that Tim was somehow involved in her shooting. But in the world of taekwondo... He was a very good instructor. Pat and Claire Zelmer were part of Omaker's tight group of friends and also familiar with his World Taekwondo Academy.

12:02Erin Moriarty:People would definitely refer to him as Master Omaker within his school. But they would also, if they were still students, and they were friendly outside of the school, he was still Master Omaker. People gravitated to Omaker, his physical skill, business savvy, easy confidence, a leader who seemed to have it all figured out. He's charismatic, driven, intense. He can draw people in and make them feel this connection with him.

12:36And his reputation continued after dark. The mayor of nightlife here? I would say that's a fair assessment. Very much so. Very much so. Charlie Detloff knew Tim well before he met Nicole and witnessed firsthand the power of Tim's personality. So I moved back here in about 2001. And was Tim Omaker already living next door? He was. He was living next door, but his mother... Tim was a helpful neighbor with a style and appeal you couldn't miss. He loved fashion, loved the right jeans and the right shirt and the right boot, and always had to be the best. Was he a good friend to you? Yeah, he was a great friend.

13:20And where was Tim living? Tim's bedroom was in the back corner here. And according to Charlie, there was a waiting list of women who wanted into Omaker's bedroom. Coming and going, yeah, they would pull up right here. The front light here was purple. And if that light was on, then the women knew that they could go in. Are you serious? I'm not kidding. It was almost like the, you know, the red light district. Juggling a lot of women at once? Yes, of course. Because it seemed like there was a different girl every night. What did women see in him? I don't know, because I didn't see it. But many other women seem to see much in Tim Omaker.

14:03How did you meet Tim? I met Tim by going to his gym. And when did you start dating? Shortly after. Nicole was responsible and grounded. Tim's close friends quickly understood the attraction. There was something special about her. She's smart. She's pretty. She's outgoing. She's got it all. At first, I actually really wasn't interested, but he was very persistent. You know, he just kind of wore me down, and I kind of, I started enjoying our time together. And he was older. Right. He had experienced more life than me, and it was exciting. They moved in together in early 2014, but friends say Tim still wasn't faithful.

14:51Did you try to warn her about Tim and his women? About his womanizing? Yes, absolutely. There were a lot of red flags. A lot of jealousy? Yes. They fought constantly. It was almost like a perpetual argument verging on a fight. Did you ever see him violent or hurtful toward her? I did not, no. But Nicole would tell investigators Amaker was violent. I mean, one night he threw me up against the wall holding my neck. Why did you stay even as long as you did? I ask myself that all the time. I don't know. I think I felt trapped. And, you know, he just got into my brain so badly. She says that on a trip to Las Vegas, an angry alcohol-fueled Tim threw a lamp across the room.

15:51It was terrifying. I locked myself in the bathroom. September 2015, Nicole, then 26 years old, had more than enough. But she says now that breaking away from Tim was anything but easy. I packed my bags and I started walking out. And he pulled me back into the house by my ponytail and dragged me into the bedroom. And after that, I was like, I am done. Nicole moved out and an 18-year-old student of Tim's moved in, renting out one of his rooms. Her name? Colleen Larson. Seemed absolutely lovely. Nice girl. I think she's very smart. Probably book smart, not street smart. Colleen had begun studying with Omaker when she was barely a teenager.

16:46Tim's friends say she seemed infatuated with him. He's her instructor. He's her master, you know, for 10 plus years at this point.

16:56Erin Moriarty:It just seemed like she was, like this little puppy dog wanting to impress him. Like a child and an adult in that respect. Yes. They say Colleen seemed delighted to be living with a man she had idolized since she was young. As for Nicole, she hoped to have no further contact with Tim. But very soon, they all got some unexpected news. I found out I was pregnant, and he wanted me to get rid of the baby. And I just told him I couldn't. And I was in a state of panic.

17:48Right now, I'm going to ask you if I can search you for weapons real quick, okay? For weapons? Yeah. Detectives needed to know all about Nicole's relationship with their son's father, Tim Omaker. I would have weapons here. There was a shooting that happened. Okay. What's that? Nothing to do with me. The investigation would track a trail that led back to the fall of 2015, when Nicole first learned she was pregnant with a Taekwondo master she alleged had abused her. It just got more and more volatile. We were so excited for them to be having a baby.

18:24Erin Moriarty:That's a momentous and a happy thing to normal people. But the only thing normal was the irrepressible joy of a new mother. She named him Callahan. He was born on June 20th of 2016. He was a big boy, and he was perfect. And then she gave him the last name Varmaker. Nicole was the primary caregiver, but sometimes Cal stayed with his dad. Did you feel that co-parenting was working? I felt like it could. But he wasn't always reliable, says Nicole. When she needed him most, Tim was halfway around the world. Tim went to Thailand and totally bailed on Christmas and New Year's. Tim may not have been a hands-on dad, but someone else was ready to step in.

19:23Colleen Larson, his longtime Taekwondo student, who was renting that room in Tim's house. She was very kind to Callahan. She was a good caregiver to him. And with unpredictable hours with the Minneapolis Police Department, the arrangement seemed to work for Nicole. My son really seemed to like her. When the once young taekwondo student turned 18, her relationship with Tim Omaker quietly changed, according to Charlie. Did you get the sense he was in love with Colleen? No, not at all. I think she was very much in love with him. Charlie says Tim called the relationship easy. She would call him master, call him the house.

20:09Yep, master Omaker. And ultimately kind of became, you know, like a maid or a servant to him. Then in the summer of 2017, Nicole's life took a dramatic turn. Do you remember when you first met Nicole? Absolutely. It was the kind of love at first sight that only a cop on the beat could have. First time I ever saw her was on a burglary call. I definitely took notice at that point. Why? She's gorgeous. And to Donovan Ford, intriguing. She processed the scene. So she was a member of the real CSI. Oh, yeah. He knew that I was a single mom and he was divorced. When I just mentioned his name, you lit up.

21:00Why is that? He is truly the love of my life. He has been the biggest blessing to myself and my son. And he's been through a lot with you, hasn't he? He has. Nicole's already difficult relationship with Tim only got worse when Tim discovered she was dating Donovan, who was fast becoming part of Callahan's life. Did the way he dealt with Cal change after you started dating Donovan? It did. He wanted him all the time. And Tim didn't want Donovan around his son. He accused Donovan of saying negative things about Colleen. Then Tim called Donovan and left this angry message. Man up for once in your life and quit hiding behind your badge.

21:52And then I started getting text messages. Like this one, where Tim claimed Donovan was destroying his family. It ignited what can only be called a war that would grow treacherous, and it wouldn't be a short one. How would you describe the last six years? It has been chaos. Nicole claims Tim tried to destroy her. Like, I'm going to take everything from you. Did you believe him? I did. The Black Belt's new weapon of choice was the legal system. It was the relentless number of motions before the court. He reported Nicole to Child Protection Services multiple times, accusing her and Donovan of physical and sexual abuse.

22:42Children's services show up at your house. Yes, I had them in and out of my home for three years. Tim filed for custody of Cal and Nicole filed for an order of protection from Tim. Not a single one of the allegations against Nicole or Donovan was found to have substance. Did you see anything that concerned you or made you think that Cal had been abused? No, nothing. No, he was a well-loved child. But Tim didn't stop there. He also filed complaints to the police department about Donovan. You were investigated then? And what was the finding? Nothing happened. It continued? Yep. Allegation after allegation.

23:27And then in May of 2018, Amaker alleged Nicole ran over his foot with her car. I was charged with domestic assault. The proud crime scene investigator was now a humiliated defendant. I never thought I would be at the defense table. How long was the jury out on that? Less than 15 minutes. I was found not guilty. But the battle for Callahan raged on, and the child got caught in the middle. You could tell he was very conflicted. Callahan was a pawn. It wasn't about Callahan or Callahan's well-being. It was about inflicting the maximum amount of damage on Nikki. In the fall of 2020, the trial for custody of Callahan began.

24:18When it was over, the judge awarded Nicole sole legal and physical custody. Tim was allowed just one supervised visit a week. Tim Omaker, once a champion, was now boxed into a corner. He was allowed no contact alone with his son. And cops thought that might be a motive for him wanting Nicole dead. I've been here the whole time. I don't know what happened up there. Police would hone in on the crime scene. Remember that black Dodge Ram truck that the shooter drove off in? Turns out Tim had lied to the cops. He owned a truck just like it.

25:09Erin Moriarty:Need more time with 48 Hours? Go deep behind every true crime episode with first-hand accounts from 48 Hours Investigations. Were you at all prepared for what happened in this case? Shock is the word that comes to mind. Get inside the twists and turns and get in on the case. Listen to Postmortem from 48 Hours, now available wherever you get your podcasts.

25:38A good homicide detective will tell you it's just good to know what vehicles anybody owns, whether they're a witness, whether they're a suspect, whether they're a victim, because people use their vehicles, and that's how you can figure out things. That's how you can pursue leads. On the night of Nicole's shooting, Assistant Hennepin County Attorneys Patrick Lofton and Jacob Fishman say that police were determined to find out who was driving that black Dodge truck. A black Dodge Ram is a very, very common car. And authorities had asked him what he owned. Wait, what do you mean? This is your only car?