A thorough investigation into the murder case of Dawn Hacheney, a pastor’s wife who was discovered dead in her bed following an unexplained home fire, is presented in the NBC podcast “Dateline: Mortal Sin.” The pastor and his flock were surprised and heartbroken by her death. The case becomes much more perplexing when learning that she passed away prior to the house being set on fire. In order to bring justice to the victim and her family, the podcast also discusses the investigation that took place after the tragedy and the incrimination of the offender.
How Did Dawn Hacheney Die?
Dawn Marie Tienhaara Hacheney was born on December 5, 1969, in Seattle, Washington, to Donald and Diana Tienhaara. She grew up to be a bright and devout individual. The free-spirited woman seems to have had a happy upbringing, supported and loved by her parents as well as her siblings, Dennis, Daron, and Daric Tienhaara. She was born, raised, and attended Bremerton Christian School, where she earned her diploma in 1988. After that, Dawn spent a few years attending Northwest Bible College in Kirkland, where she eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree in arts.
Dawn hoped for a bright future and had lofty aspirations. Dawn obtained employment as a loan officer at Kitsap Federal Credit Union following her graduation. She was a deeply religious woman who had been seeing Nick Hacheney, a man who was just as, if not more, devoted to God. Their growing affection for one another and their shared beliefs brought them closer together. After one thing led to another, the couple made the decision to live out their days together. On April 20, 1990, Dawn and Nick exchanged vows in Silverdale in front of their loved ones. Nick started as a youth pastor at Christ Community Church in Bainbridge just a year later.
Dawn was employed as a loan officer at a local credit union in the meantime. They were so in love that they blended in with daily life with ease. During the early years of their marriage, everything seemed solid and perfect. That all changed, though, around Christmas 1997. On December 26, 1997, just seven years into their marriage, the police received several reports reporting that a residence had caught fire. In an effort to contain the crisis and stop additional harm, the first responders raced to the scene.
After extinguishing the fire and searching the house and its surroundings for any casualties, they discovered Dawn, 28, unconscious and laying on her bed. Her body was transported for additional testing after they quickly verified her death. The authorities discovered gas canisters and a space heater in the bedroom after doing additional investigation. Since Dawn had no smoke in her system, the toxicology findings suggested that the fire was not the cause of her death. Dawn was strangled with a plastic bag and died before the house caught fire.
Who Killed Dawn Hacheney?
Upon finding Dawn Hacheney’s body, the authorities quickly ruled her death a tragic accident without doing adequate investigation. The authorities contacted the husband as soon as they started looking into the situation more. They asked Nick Hacheney, her pastor husband, where he was at the time of the incident. He stated that the propane cans were a Christmas present from the previous evening and that he was out hunting when the house caught fire. The investigators accepted Nick Hacheney’s account even though they had doubts about him.
Due to a dearth of supporting documentation and timely advancements, the case languished. But after a few years, there was a glimmer of hope. A few years later, in 2001, Nick’s secretary Sandra Glass approached the authorities with some startling information about her boss, forcing them to reexamine the case. She revealed to them that even throughout Dawn’s lifetime and while she was living with them, she and Dawn’s husband had an affair.
Nick allegedly admitted to Sandra, shortly after his wife’s untimely death, that he had given Dawn some Benadryl after the Christmas festivities were over. According to Sandra, Nick allegedly admitted to putting a plastic bag over Dawn’s head and choking her. Sandra claimed that he then set the apartment on fire and departed for the hunting trip. As soon as the neighbours noticed smoke coming from the Hacheney residence, they quickly called the fire department to put it out.
The detectives looked into Nick and his background more thoroughly as a result of this allegation. Despite his seeming grief over his wife’s death, he didn’t wait long to start seeing other people for love purposes. In addition to Sandra, he is said to have had sex relationships with at least two other women, Nicole Matheson among them. According to reports, Nick started dating Nicole following the death of his wife Dawn. He went so far as to inform one of the women that he was granted special rights by God, including the ability to have intercourse with women.
In September 2001, after reviewing all available evidence and verifying every witness account, the police charged Nick Hacheney with first-degree premeditated murder. Five years after Dawn’s passing, justice was served when he was found guilty of her murder and given a life sentence. A few years later, in 2008, he was given a new sentence of 26 years and eight months in jail, which was later changed and reversed. It is said that in 2025 he will be eligible for parole.
