Who killed Dawn Hacheney? New ‘Dateline’ podcast uncovers 1997 murder of pastor’s wife

“Mortal Sin,” a new true crime podcast hosted by “Dateline NBC” correspondent Josh Mankiewicz, seeks to uncover the shocking case of a pastor’s wife killed in a mysterious house fire.

Dawn and Nick Hacheney appeared to be “the perfect couple,” devoted to each other and to the church where Nick worked as a youth pastor, according to the podcast’s description. When Dawn died in a house fire, investigators originally determined her death to be accidental, but later revelations pointed to Nick as a suspect in his wife’s murder.

“Mortal Sin” explores shocking revelations of affairs, exorcisms and more.

What happened to Dawn Hacheney?

Born Dawn Marie Tienhaara, her family and friends remember her as a very intelligent and spiritual person. Dawn’s mother, Diana Parmele, appeared in a “Dateline” episode about her daughter’s case and recalled Dawn’s early years.

“Dawn was always my angel,” Parmele said.

Dawn married Nick Hacheney on April 20, 1990, per NBC. About a year later, Nick began work as a youth pastor at Christ Community Church in Bainbridge, Washington, which members described as an inviting community of believers. Dawn worked at a nearby credit union as a loan officer.

Craig and Annette Anderson, who attended the Hacheneys’ church, told “Dateline” that Nick was a funny, likable guy when they first met. However, they said the church began to dominate their lives when it turned its focus to receiving prophecies and casting out demons.

The day after Christmas in 1997, police in Bremerton, Washington, received calls that a home was on fire. After firefighters were able to put out the blaze, they found Dawn, then 28 years old, deceased in her bed, according to an episode from true crime podcast “Morbid.”

A brief investigation ensued, and police declared Dawn had died from an accidental fire, closing the case. For years, people believed Dawn’s death had been nothing more than a tragic accident, until a shocking revelation urged police to reopen the case.

In April 2001, a woman told Bremerton police she had been having an affair with Nick at the time of Dawn’s death, per “Morbid.” She claimed Nick confessed to drugging Dawn and starting the house fire to cover his tracks.

Where is Nick Hacheney now?

Investigators took the claims against Nick seriously, and he was eventually arrested and charged with the murder of Dawn Hacheney. Exactly five years after Dawn’s death, on Dec. 26, 2022, Nick was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 26 years and eight months in prison, per The Seattle Times.

Nick Hacheney has maintained his innocence and will be eligible for parole in 2025. In June 2023, Hacheney wrote an article for nonprofit news organization The Appeal about his time behind bars, which details his excitement to regain his freedom and his concern for the lack of long-term care for freed prisoners.

Is ‘Mortal Sin’ on Spotify?

The first two episodes of “Mortal Sin” are available now for early access to subscribers on Apple Podcasts, and the podcast will officially launch on Dec. 5 wherever you can stream podcasts, including Spotify.