ND jury finds former Aberdeen woman guilty of conspiracy to commit murder of her husband

Jurors in Bismarck, N.D., this week found Nikki Entzel guilty of plotting and attempting to cover up her husband’s death in 2019 in a case prosecutors said involved a love triangle and attempt to cash in on insurance policies.

It took about two hours for jurors to return guilty verdicts on three conspiracy charges -- murder, arson and evidence tampering -- in the death of Chad Entzel.

Burleigh County State's Attorney Julie Lawyer said the evidence in the case "was just overwhelming.

"With all the evidence as it was put together, that made a very compelling case for the jury," Lawyer said after the verdict.

Nikki (Heinz) Entzel, 41, who used to live in Aberdeen, and Earl Howard, 43, were accused in early 2020 of plotting the death of Chad Entzel, 42, and attempting to cover it up through several means including starting two fires. Howard about a year ago pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison. He was listed as a prosecution witness, but was not called to testify.

Evidence in the trial showed Nikki Entzel, in the days after her husband’s death, inquired with insurance companies about widow benefits and claims on renter and life insurance policies. The renter policy was only a few days old and worth up to $31,000, the prosecutor said.

Nikki Entzel inquired about life insurance benefits through her husband’s employer the day after his body was found, Interstate Power Co. benefits specialist Heather Schwartz testified. No benefits from the company’s basic life policy, which Schwartz said was worth between $113,000 and $120,000, were paid.

Jurors also heard testimony related to Nikki Entzel’s claims that her husband drank heavily and abused her. Friends, co-workers and Chad Entzel’s former wife, Susan Entzel, disputed that, describing him as a nonviolent man and a social drinker.

Lori Kraus, Chad Entzel's sister, said she was glad jurors did not believe Nikki Entzel's characterization of her brother.

"We hoped and prayed the jury would see Chad for the guy he was and not for who she said he was," Kraus said. "Obviously that came through loud and clear."

Lawyer, in her closing argument, said there was no doubt Chad Entzel was killed and attempts were made to burn his home to hide evidence. A number of factors pointed to an agreement between Nikki Entzel and Howard to pull that off, she said. One example was Nikki Entzel's use of fake furnace problems as a reason to buy renter’s insurance just days before the fire. She shared those documents with Howard by email.

“If you don’t have a plan to kill the husband and set the house on fire, why does he need a copy of her renter’s insurance?” Lawyer said.

The only reason he would need it, Lawyer said, was if “she needed to show him, hey it’s in place, the plans are done.”

Nikki Entzel purchased the insurance using a bank account held jointly with Howard, the prosecutor said.

The logs from the Entzels’ security system showed Nikki Entzel made several changes to the system on the night Chad Entzel died, Lawyer said. Nikki Entzel told prosecutors she went to the house at 1 p.m. on Dec. 31 to look for medications, a claim Lawyer said was not supported by evidence.

“They were there to kill Chad,” Lawyer said.

Lawyer concluded her case Tuesday morning after calling 44 witnesses in six days of testimony. The defense did not call any witnesses. It was never established who pulled the trigger or who set the fires to cover up the death.

In his closing argument, defense attorney Thomas Glass said the prosecution’s case was based on innuendo and speculation and questioned why jurors didn’t get to hear from Howard.

“Where is Earl Howard?” Glass asked. “I've never seen him take the stand. Why not? Why is a big question, and it’s unanswered. Unanswered questions raise doubt.”

After the verdict, Glass said it was an "extraordinarily tough case to try."

"The evidence the state had and her interviews without counsel were tough to overcome," Glass said.

During the trial, jurors watched an hours-long videotaped interview that then-Burleigh County Deputy Sheriff Aaron Silbernagel and state Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Joe Arenz conducted with Nikki Entzel in January 2020. The investigators, bit by bit, revealed information to her they said proved she was lying, and the back and forth ended with Nikki Entzel telling them she felt a sort of relief that her husband was dead. She did not have an attorney present at the interview.

South Central District Judge Douglas Bahr ordered a presentence investigation. Nikki Entzel could face up to life in prison. She has 30 days after sentencing to file a notice of appeal. Glass said he and his client hadn't discussed further steps beyond sentencing. He said he would encourage Nikki Entzel to speak at sentencing.

Lawyer and Chad Entzel's family members shared hugs outside the courtroom after the verdict.

"My son got his justice," his mother, Deb Entzel, told Lawyer.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: North Dakota jury convicts former Aberdeen woman of murder conspiracy