Dateline: Missing In America - Dateline presents: Mortal Sin

Episode Date: December 5, 2023

Hey, Dateline fans! As a bonus, we’re giving you a special preview clip of our new podcast series Mortal Sin. In Dateline’s latest original podcast series, Josh Mankiewicz tells a twisted tale about a seemingly perfect couple, sex, lies, religion…and murder. If you like what you hear, you can listen to the first 2 episodes now for free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts to get access to new episodes 1 week early. Subscribers can also listen to all Dateline podcasts ad-free: https://link.chtbl.com/mtlsin_fdlw

Hi, I'm Josh Manquets from Dateline, with a special preview of our new podcast, Mordel Sin. It was the morning after Christmas, 1997. Bremerton, Washington, just across Puget Sound from Seattle. Holiday Lights twinkled in the foggy air. A building contractor named Jeffrey Richardson was up early. He was headed to his assistance home to pick up some paperwork. He pulled up to the man's house on Jensen Avenue at about 7 a.m. As he got out of his truck, Richardson hurt a loud crackling noise from somewhere behind him.

Then what sounded like glass breaking. That's when he saw it. Flames and smoke leaking out of a window at the house across the street. He banged on the door and yelled, fire. There was no response. Engine 3 from the Bremerton Fire Department rolled up in 5 minutes. Firefighters contained the blaze and made their way to the main bedroom. It had been completely scorched. The ceiling joists were black with soot and ash, and they were starting to collapse into the room. On the charred bed, investigators saw a body in a sleeping position.

At about 1015 AM, a 27-year-old man named Nick Hackney arrived. He identified himself as a pastor from a church on nearby Bainbridge Island and said he'd been on a hunting trip earlier that morning. Nick looked at the smoking rack of a home and told a cop, that's my house. And then he heard the grim news. There was a body in the bedroom. Nick Hackney put his head in his hands. And then he said he knew who it probably was. His 28 year old wife, Dawn.

Word quickly spread among Nick's flock at his church. Nick's young wife of just seven years was gone. It was also heartbreaking, so shocking, so dreadful, and so unfair. They didn't know the half of it. This is a story about religion. They're singing their hymns, they're saying their prayers, and they're getting caught up in something

just a notch at a time until it seems like it's too late to turn back. It's about the power of prophecy. And one of the charismatic gifts is the gift of prophecy where you hear an inspirational word from the Holy Spirit or from the Lord. She made a comment to him. She said, I'm ready to go.

She said, if I were to die, I'm ready. Oh, and it's also about sex, a lot of it. So you could serve God by providing physical comfort to one of his servants. Right. And finally, this is a story about murder. There is God, there is also a devil. And this was the devil.

Yes. Thanks for listening. Search Mortal Sin to listen to the full episode now completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers get early access to new podcasts. And can listen to all Dateline podcasts, add free.