True Crime with Kimbyr - Part 1: Her Kids SAW Her KILLER! Pure Horror Inside The House

Episode Date: October 13, 2025

On this gripping episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, we unravel the haunting case of Niccole “Nikki” Halpin, a devoted mother whose search for safety ended in unimaginable tragedy. After moving to the quiet town of Safety Harbor, Florida, Nikki thought she had found peace. But one January night in 2004, a frantic call to her boyfriend ended with screams, chaos, and silence. Her two young sons emerged from the house after witnessing a nightmare no child should see. True Crime with Kimbyr dives deep into Nikki’s life, the chilling crime, and the investigation that followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was Thursday night in Safety Harbor, Florida. The name promises protection. And Nikki Halpin believed in that promise. A front yard with oak trees, a kid's bathroom with extra towels, a best friend coffee date every Friday morning. That kind of place where porch lights stay on and neighbor swap school pickup favors. But on a cool January night at 9.30 p.m., an engineer named Chris is booting up his desktop computer when a ping goes off

and something pops up. A message. Just two letters. H.B. It's from his girlfriend, Nikki, who just literally dropped him off. Before he can figure out what it meant, his phone rang.

It was Nikki. Only this time, all he hears is a scream, a thud, and the sound of someone else in her house. So he dials 911, but he gives them the wrong address. And when deputies knock on the door, two houses down,

two little boys in Nikki's house, House will learn in seconds what the word fear truly means. Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel and if you have never been here before, I'm Kimberlya. It's nice to finally meet you. And let's go back to Clearview Drive in Safety Harbor, Florida on January 8th of 2004. It was around 9.30 p.m. Nikki Halpin is a mother of two boys, Max is 9, and Drew is 7. And their nightly routine consisted of homework, video games. and settling in with a bedtime story or a bath.

And while everything seemed completely normal, that night it wasn't. And the first clue that something was off was that message. It was just two letters, HB, on Instant Messenger. And it came from Nikki's profile to her boyfriend, Chris. Of course, he's confused. But before he could figure it out, his phone rang.

And it was Nicky. But when he picks it up, all he could hear was chaos. And imagine for a minute, hearing the person that you love, screaming and struggling and knowing that she has her two young children with her and they're all alone. And there's nothing you can do to save them. That is what poor Chris was going through. But you don't know anything about Chris or how he and Nikki met or why he lives in a different house than her and the two boys. So of course, I'm going to fill you in. Nicole Virginia Gomm. Everyone called her Nikki. She came into the world on June 20th of 1971 in Virginia.

to her mom, Lorraine, who went by Lori, and her father, Nelson Gomb. But she didn't stay there long. Her real roots grew in Acton, Massachusetts. It's a small town with that classic New England feel to it. Old houses, good schools, and a tight-knit community. Nikki was the oldest of two daughters. She had a younger sister, Jennifer, that was three years younger than she was. And Nikki was a good baby, a happy baby, always smiling and giggling, the almond-shaped brown eyes and the brown hair,

that her mom cut into a short. bought Bob with bangs. That was the style. I swear I had the same haircut and you probably did too as a child. And if you have been the oldest sibling, you know what it means. Responsibility. People said that Nikki came out of the womb knowing how to take charge. Nicky was the one telling her little sister what to do. She would organize games. She would boss everyone around in a cute, lovable way, of course, that only the firstborn can. Her personality was magnetic from the beginning. And while her sister Jennifer was quiet and shy and reserved, Nikki was the complete opposite. She was bubbly, social, the type of kid who could walk into a room full of complete strangers and leave with five new friends.

Her sister was the opposite in looks as well. Jennifer had hazel eyes and curlier hair. And it's funny how that happens. Even with the same parents, siblings can look so different. Nikki wasn't afraid to speak up. And people love that about her. She had a laugh that made other people laugh. And she had this kind of energy, and I know you've met people like this, they just make you want to do whatever it is they're doing. She was a born leader. A lot of firstborns are. But Nikki wasn't just all about having fun. She was smart, dedicated. And her mom, Lori, noticed very early on how studious Nikki really was. In middle school, she would come home with her books. She would sit down and she would do her homework without any direction from her parents whatsoever. And she had that drive to learn and to

succeed. And her mom probably thought, okay, she's going to be going places. This is the serious one. This is the one who always has her nose in a book. The one that is going to go really far in her life, maybe even be a doctor or a lawyer, the president of the United States, because parents usually dream big for their little ones before the little ones can even have those kind of dreams and they push them. But then, in Niki's case, high school happened. And if you grew up in the 80s or early 90s like me, then you would know that high school was an entire different universe of its own. And why do I miss that? You hate it when you're in it and then you wish you could go back there once it's over. I think what made it so great was there was

no cell phones, no social media. Your reputation was built in the hallways and at football games, not on Instagram or on TikTok. And Nikki walked and acted in high school with all the confidence in the world. And while I told you that she started off studious, she did in high school as well. Well, except for when boys got into the picture. It was game over. Nikki was officially boy crazy. And either we were that girl or we knew that girl. Posters of new kids on the block or maybe Brad Pitt taped up on our walls,

giggling with our best friends, passing notes folded into those perfect little triangles. Do you remember those? And calling crushes from family landlines and hoping that parents didn't answer. That was Nikki's vibe in high. high school. She was outgoing. She was very flirty. That's what her friend said. A really big flirt, but fun loving. She wanted the full teenage experience and she was making sure that she got it every moment. It's one of the only times in our lives when we can be really carefree because after high school, a lot of people get more serious about life. Usually that's due to college. And after graduating

from Mackdon High School in 1989, Nikki went on to the University of Massachusetts. It was her first real step into adulthood. And college in the late 80s and early 90s was a different kind of freedom. Again, without social media, you didn't know what college was like. You might have seen it on TV or read about it. But this was a whole new experience. You can think about the big dorm rooms, the phones, big campus quads, grunchies, oversized sweaters, and late night pizza.

And Nikki was excited about what was next in her life. in her life. She wasn't just book smart anymore. She was ambitious. She wanted to start building a real life for herself, mostly because her top goal, according to her mother, was to make money. When she graduated and went back home, she got a job working at a local bank. And that's a pretty good place if you want to be at least around a lot of money, right? But also possibly be around clients at the bank who had money. Handsome clients. That would be a place. That would be a place. And I'm only saying that because, well, on paper, it's a normal job. But this is actually where Nikki's life shifted in a huge way because this is where she met her future husband, Donald Halpin.

And if you're thinking gold digger, just wait. Because I've heard the phrase, all women are expensive. So pick the one in your price range. And I am kind of joking. But it wasn't really a gold digger thing for Nikki. This was a stability thing for her. She knew what she wanted. And after Dawn came into the bank that day, Nikki could not wait to call her mother and tell her how handsome this man was.

22-year-old Nikki tells her mom, I just met a man who looks like the Terminator. We're talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger, and this was the peak 90s Arnold, not the governor, not the older guy that you see today, but the buff movie star. Nikki saw Dawn and was smitten. He had these big crystal blue eyes. and she told her mom he was wearing a uniform that looked like he was a police officer. He was actually a prison guard. And Nikki was impressed. But there was one thing that could be concerning to some people.

Don was 41. He was almost 20 years older than Nikki. But again, stability is important. And she told her friends, she liked that Don had a good job, that he wasn't immature, like younger guys. And he wanted a family, which was something that. and Nikki really wanted as well. She could not wait to get married. However, Don had already been there, done that, multiple times. Don had already been married and divorced several times and had children of his own from previous relationships. So of course, this history of unsuccessful

unions and existing family commitments added another layer of complexity. But as Nikki got to know Don more and more, she really looked past all that, even though her loved ones did not. They thought about all the emotional baggage that Don may bring into a relationship and how all of that would impact Nikki's life. Nikki's mom definitely had a different version for her daughter's future, and Don just wasn't who she pictured with Nikki. But remember that since Nikki was little, she was the boss. She was going to make her own decisions, and she was determined to get what she wanted

regardless of what other people thought. And she was an adult who could make those decisions for herself. So despite people's doubts or criticism they gave. her, Nikki decided to go forward and date Dawn exclusively. And it only took about six months of them being together and Nikki was ready to take it to the next level to get married. She gathered her family around and announced that she and Don were engaged. And for someone in the early 20s, you can just imagine how big that was getting married young. That's already pretty huge. But there's more. Only one month later, Nikki found out she was pregnant. And all of

all along, she was sitting there thinking that she couldn't even have children. I don't know the specifics or the reasons, but she had been convinced that it would never happen for her, so this was a big dream come true. Their wedding day came in 1994, and it was something right out of a storybook. The couple chose a quaint little chapel in Massachusetts, and Nikki had a little twist to her wedding. She was running late, but not by a few minutes. She showed up a whole hour after the ceremony was supposed to start. And how did she arrive? In a horse-drawn carriage, full-on princess mode.

And guests said she looked radiant. She was glowing. And it was like she was stepping straight into the life she'd always wanted. Her wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous. It had those 80s puppy sleeves. And the neckline was just beautiful. It was low and it came down and then came up around her neck like a little collar. It was a traditional satin white gown with a beaded veil and it was just absolutely breathtaking.

They looked like a beautiful couple. She was about to be three months pregnant at the time. So this wasn't just a wedding day. It was the start of her family. After they tied the knot, Nikki leaned all the way into motherhood. Her sister said, it was like a switch just flipped.

Nikki went into mom mode. She decorated the nursery. She baby proofed the house, and she was reading book after book on parenting. She wasn't just excited to be a mom. She was obsessed. and she wanted to do it right. That November on the 21st, right before Thanksgiving,

Nikki gave birth to her first son, Max. He was beautiful, but his start in life was not easy. Max was born with hydrocephalus. It's a condition where fluid builds up in the brain. And I did do another case on this channel where we did have a victim give birth to a child with the very same condition. So I'm a little bit familiar about how devastating this is.

But Nikki was doing this is. was determined to fight for her child. Even though they told her, he might not even live very long. Max, who they ended up calling Miracle Max, survived all odds. But this meant long nights sitting by his side in a hospital and 39 brain surgeries. I can't even begin to imagine. It's not easy raising a baby with special needs, but everyone knew if anyone could handle the challenge, it would be Nikki. She was so strong.

She was so determined to give Max the best quality of life possible. But as many of you can possibly imagine, and I know some of you can, because you are living it with your own family, this was hard on her. It was hard on her and Dawn's relationship as well. You're caring for a child that needs to be looked after around the clock. It's also hard for you to be there for your partner. And Don was trying to be very supportive. Nikki was a loving and incredible mother. Max was nonverbal, and Nikki did everything she could to communicate with him to teach him how to communicate in his own way.

She taught him sign language, and surprisingly, he caught on, and he was finally able to relay his needs to her. And then, another surprise. Max eventually started to speak, something they didn't even think was possible or was ever going to happen. And there was something else going on this whole time. Nikki was pregnant and she gave birth through her second son Drew when Max was two years old. With such a blessing also came a tragic turn of events. While Max was being treated at a routine appointment, now she's caring for the newborn, she's still going to all these doctors' appointments.

The doctors gave Max the wrong medication for his hydrocephilis. And this made his condition so much worse. He was already in a very fragile state and now he was struggling. struggling even more. And this error led Nikki and Dawn to actually pursue legal action against this hospital in a lawsuit. That's a lot to happen in a very short amount of time. Max took up a lot of Nikki's time, but that did not mean that she did not give everything she could to her baby Drew. She was attentive to the entire family and always put her family's needs first. She was the children's biggest advocate. She was the mom marching down to the school,

making sure that they had programs to help Max so that he could learn and get his needs met so that he could have the best chance for his future. The whole time, they were still living in Massachusetts. But when Drew turned three, the family decided to make a big move. The truth is that things had been really stressful on Don and Nikki and their relationship wasn't the best. They were getting into a lot of arguments, mostly about things like finances or the kids or the time they weren't spending together, and they thought that maybe, if they possibly move somewhere else, away from the bitter cold and into the warmer climate in Florida, this was supposed to be better for Maxis Health. And they figured if everything went well, they could have a fresh start,

and maybe things would work out. So at the end of 1999, they moved to Safety Harbor, Florida, to a house at 15 Clearview Drive, a three-bedroom, two-bath, 2,200 square foot single-family home on the end of a cul-de-sac. This was a great area to raise children, and it was by a park, it had a pool in the backyard, it didn't have any rear neighbors, a big living room, vaulted ceilings,

a two-car garage, and a 28-acre lot. It was perfect. It was right off the edge of Safety Harbor, a body of water adjacent to Old Tampa Bay. Safety Harbor is in Pinellas County, Florida, right near Tampa. When Nikki chose Safety Harbor as a fresh start,

It wasn't just another Florida town. The name alone made it feel like destiny, safety, a harbor, a place that promised calm and stability and protection. This little town sat tucked along the west shore of Tampa Bay, and the population was just over 17,000 people. Not sprawling, not urban, but not so tiny that you feel cut off from the world. It had that small town Florida vibe. People waved when they drove by your house. Their grocery store cashier knew your kids' name. and if you miss trash pickup, your neighbor might actually drag your bin back up for you.

The houses were a mix, some more old Florida ranch-style homes with screened-in porches and pastel paint, and others like Nicky's, was more New England inspired, with oak and maple trees shading the yard. Nikki loved those trees because they reminded her of Massachusetts. Safety Harbor had streets that felt cozy. They were lined with sidewalks where kids actually rode their bikes. People left their windows open on breezy days, and it was the kind of place where you didn't just know your neighbors, but you actually trusted them. In the early 2000s, crime was really low. In Pinellas County, where Safety Harbor is located, it had crime, sure, but mostly in the busier parts of town like Clearwater or St. Petersburg, but Safety Harbor was different. It was the kind of place people chose on purpose to raise their

families or go to retire. And if you looked at the crime stats back then, you mostly saw minor things, a car break in, maybe a teenager's prank, a bar scuffle, but home invasions and violent crime practically unheard of. People kept their doors unlocked, literally. That's how much trust was in this community. The culture was very Florida small town. Moms pushing strollers down on Main Street, stopping a little boutiques. And on the weekends, you'd find people fishing off the pier and families spread out on blankets in the park. I say all this because I want to really paint a picture of what it was like to live there at the time. It was the type of place that even during the evenings, when it got dark,

the kids could run around outside after dinner and play flashlight tag. And the parents wouldn't even worry because everyone they knew were decent people. They were good people. And that's exactly why Nikki thought she was doing her very best when her family bought a house there. After the chaos of the hospital visits, carrying the weight of her world on her shoulders, she truly hoped that this would mend things.

There was no way to know that Nikki's new home would soon become the scene of a nightmare. Things were good when they moved. I think anything new feels great until the novelty wears off. And the arguments between her and Don, they didn't stop. Don had retired from his corrections job. So now Nikki was working about 40 hours a week. And it was a lot. She would complain that Don really wasn't pulling his weight anymore.

For example, she would come home from work. and Don would have been there all day long and she would notice that the chores weren't even done. The sink was piled high with dishes and everything was a mess and it just wasn't working out. So Don started doing a night job as a bartender and with that job came late hours

and eventually he started to drink. The man Nikki had once been so excited about was slipping into habits that left her carrying the load alone. She was the one working, providing, cleaning, holding it all together and by 2001, one, it was too much. The marriage cracked under the weight of Don's drinking and his absence. He wasn't there for the boys, and he wasn't the man Nikki had married.

So they decided to separate. And Nikki filed for divorce, and by 2003, they were officially done with Nikki granted primary custody of the boys. Luckily, she did have a support system because right when she moved to Safety Harbor, she clicked with one of her neighbors, Kim Schoff. and the two of them met because their youngest children went to Plum Elementary School together. Kim had two daughters and they were around Nikki's son's ages. Nikki and Kim started doing everything together. They would drop the kids off and have their morning coffee chit-chat.

And they would talk about their life and their stresses, their hopes and their dreams. And it wasn't long before they weren't just best friends. They were as close as sisters. And they had a circle of friends to hang out with on a regular basis. Nikki had confided in her friends that the entire time her and Don were going through their struggles Nikki could not wait to get divorced. Kim was divorced, and her life as a single mom,

it didn't look bad at all. It looked like freedom, like fun. And soon Nikki and Kim were having fun together. Both of them were single, they would get sitters, and they would go out and mingle. They had a routine where every Friday night, the two of them would go out dancing together. It was all about the two of them

having a really good time laughing and going dancing. It wasn't to meet men and date. And I think everyone needs that time to themselves away from their little ones because then you come back and you're rejuvenated in a way. You let loose, you have fun, and then back to the weekly grind again. Now there's something else. Remember that lawsuit that I told you about where the hospital from where Max was an infant gave them the wrong meds?

Well, that same year, the hospital settled a malpractice suit. and Nikki and Don were awarded $1.5 million, which was placed in a trust for Max's care. Because Nikki had custody of Max, the court made her the trustee. She was in charge of that money. The decision was based on the belief that Nikki would act in Max's best interest and ensure that the funds would be used appropriately for his care and upbringing his education for the rest of his life. And she took that responsibility very seriously.

This woman wasn't reckless. she was making sure that Max's life and future were secure. And that brings us to a turning point in Nikki's life. She's now a single mom, raising two boys starting over. Nikki leaned all the way into creating a home. She decorated, she landscaped, she turned the yard into a place where her boys could play. She wanted it to feel stable, not just for them, but also for her. When you've lived in hospitals, lawyers offices, and tense courtrooms,

A cozy little house in a quaint town feels like heaven. She loved it there. But it wasn't all about fun. Nikki's days were very full, and they revolved around her boys. Max still had health challenges, and Nikki gave everything that she could to help him. She was his advocate, his teacher, his cheerleader, and Drew, his younger brother, was healthy and full of energy. So Nikki had to balance both of their worlds. And people admired that about her.

She was the mom who showed up at school. events, decorated for the holidays, who gave her children as much normal as she possibly could in the middle of chaos. She looked forward to her sacred Friday nights, though, when she had a chance to shake off the stress of the week. The doctor's appointments, the grind, the never-ending responsibilities. For a few hours, she wasn't Nikki the single mom. She was just Nikki. She could laugh. She could dance. And she could just let go of all the heaviness. Now, all of that brings me to the fact that even though she wasn't looking for a guy, she was the type of person that was fun and bubbling and outgoing,

and she had a really good sense of humor, and guys would naturally be drawn to her. So there was no lack of men coming up to her on Friday nights and wanted to dance with her, wanted to spend time with her, and she wouldn't always brush them off. She still believed that maybe she could fall in love again. After all, Nikki was only in her early 30s. She pictured that someday she would find someone

who she could share her life with. someone who would adore her boys. So she began going in online chat rooms. Remember those? I think it's kind of a version of what social media is today. You don't see a person's face. They just have a profile name. And you have to trust that they are who they say they are.

And you start to get to know them. And eventually if you click, maybe you would meet in person. Well, Nikki was doing that and connecting with people there. And she would also connect with people when she and Kim went out. She began casually dealing. dating here and there. And there were also a few more serious guys. So I will tell you about a couple of the more permanent fixtures so that you have a timeline and a history. First, there was Daniel Welch, the blue-eyed 31-year-old that did HVAC, you know, air conditioning repairs, and he had a steady

career. He was fun, and he and Nikki had really great chemistry. And because of that, she decided to spend more time with him. One of the reasons Nikki was drawn to Dan was because of his bond with her two children. As a loving mother, it was crucial for Nikki to find a partner who would accept her children and embrace them as his own. And Dan proved to be a figure in their lives. He would effortlessly connect with the boys. And for a while, it seemed promising. But Nikki and even her friends started to notice that she seemed more into Dan than Dan was into her. And that's always such a disappointment. Dan just wasn't matching her energy when it came to commitment. And after two years, the boys are now eight and six, and Nikki felt like she was putting a lot of time into this

relationship. So she kind of like gave Dan a little nudge. She was telling him she wanted more in the relationship. It was one of those things where it was like, look, if we don't want the same things, we're not getting any younger. So either we move it to the next level or Nikki had to move on and find someone that was on her same timeline. And unfortunately, Dan wasn't the one. And it was truly painful. I mean, when you have children and somebody met a man in your life, the breakup is hard because there's that extra layer because your kids are involved. But Nikki was resilient. She wasn't going to settle for someone who didn't truly want the life that she had to offer. Nicky picks herself up. She leans on her friends and she starts over. And not long after she met Chris Katano,

a 32-year-old engineer. And they connected online through a dating site. They bonded over being from the north and things moved into dating. He took her school. skiing, which Nikki loved because it was something that she hadn't done in years, but she'd grown up doing in Massachusetts. And that trip was so much fun. It felt easy. And it made her think that maybe this could be a new chapter, but everything was still very new. So there you have it. I gave you a background for now, and I want to jump to Thursday, January 8th of 2004. It's a new year, and Nikki has a new love in her life and a new sense of hope for the future. She and Chris decided to take Drew and Max out for dinner. And afterwards,

Nicky drops Chris off at his place, which is only about 15 minutes away. And then Nikki drives back home. Chris is getting settled in. He's going about his normal night routine, part of which means turning on his computer. This was the early 2000s. Remember that. Your computer didn't just wake up instantly. You had to wait for it.

It would like hum and then glow and turn on your instant message would pop up with all your buddies. Remember that? And just five minutes later, he hears a little ping from his instant messenger and he goes to the screen and he's confused because it's from Nikki's profile. But that's weird because she just left his house. She would still be on her way home. All the message said was HB, just two letters. And Chris was like, okay, did she mean to type hi? He was curious. So he responded asking Nikki if she'd blown through every red light to get home so fast. And then several minutes later, Chris gets another message from Nikki's profile.

and she clarifies. She never typed the first message, the one with just HB, and says she'll call Chris in a moment to discuss. Now that's odd. Nikki calls Chris a few minutes later, and she's trying to explain something isn't right. She's like,

there may be someone inside my house or something because I did not write that message on instant messenger. Chris was trying to be logical about the whole thing and calm Nikki down. Maybe something fell on her, keyboard. Maybe those letters got stuck or something, who knows? But Nikki didn't feel safe. And then out of nowhere, Chris heard a blood-curdling scream from his girlfriend and then rustling around like there was some kind of struggle going on and he didn't know what to think. He knew that

Nikki's son had medical issues. So his first thought was maybe Max was in a medical emergency. Chris was on his landline but had a cell phone. So he picked it up while he's still on the phone with Nikki and he calls 911. Imagine being Chris in that moment. You're sitting at your desk. You're listening to the woman that you just had dinner with, scream for her life, someone you care about, someone you just started dating. When the dispatcher came on the line and asked what was happening, Chris explained, he was on the phone with his girlfriend and started hearing screaming and a lot of noise and he has no idea what's going on. As the dispatcher is asking Chris questions, he doesn't know if he should try to drive over there or what? The dispatcher was like, well, wait a minute. Does she have another number

we could call that I could call her on and see what's going on and maybe she'll answer? And he said, yeah, she has a cell phone. So they want to see if she'll try to pick up that line while the other one still open with Chris on it. The dispatcher tries to call Nikki's cell phone, but she doesn't answer. And Chris is getting more frantic because there's now silence on the line with Nikki. And he's calling her name over and over again, and the dispatcher tells him she's sending over the police and asked for Nikki's address. Deputy Brad Ferguson from Bedellas County Sheriff's Office is on patrol that night, and he got that call that there was a disturbance in the Baywood neighborhood at 12 Clearview Road. But that's the wrong address. And this is so infuriating. I could not stand it. I couldn't

take it. It's wrong. It was two houses down from Nickies. And this deputy is on his way there. while Nikki is in trouble and this wasted precious time. Debbie Ferguson parks, he gets out, he knocks on 12 Clearview, and a man comes to the door, and you have to look at this from the perspective of this officer. He doesn't know if this resident is going to lie to him because the guy's like, oh, there's nothing going on here? And he's like, well, I have to speak to everyone in this house.

And there were other females in that house. And one of them, I can't believe this, but it's true, happened to be named Nicole. So the officer had to speak to her to make sure that nothing strange was going on. And this got really confusing because Nicole is this teenage daughter living at 12 Clearview

and she's got a boyfriend that her family didn't like. So the deputy who has limited information is thinking that the boyfriend that's called 911 is this teenage girl's boyfriend. The father's trying to explain that the only disturbance they had was that they had told this boyfriend he wasn't welcome there. But none of this is relevant to Nikki at all.

And it wasted so much time, so much time, all because Chris gave the wrong address. It was 15 clear of you, not 12. But to be fair, Chris hadn't been dating Nikki that long, so he got mixed up. Now, I have a portion of this 911 call, so I'll play it for you so you could get some context. 911, what's here my dancing?

I'm on the line with the person right now. I heard it on the screen. Okay, let me get you through. Polly. Nikki, hello. I heard screaming. Nikki, sounds like somebody might be in the house. This is so urgent, yet they don't have a clue what has happened inside that home at the

end of the cul-de-sac. It took a few minutes. They walked around the house and nothing looked out of the ordinary. There was nothing obvious happening. The house was dark. No lights were even on inside. And then Drew and Max popped up from a window. And they looked terrified.

They had been hiding. And the neighbor waved to them. He makes the motion towards a front door telling them the cops were there, and it's okay. They're there to help and to come open the door. Since they recognized the neighbor, they went and did as they were told. But this is where things become very terrifying and also heartbreaking. And this is what stuck with me.

Seven-year-old Drew answered the door and nine-year-old Max is right behind him. And right away, the officer notices blood on Max's shirt. And that was quite a sight to see. It startled Nikki's neighbor. However, neither one of the boys looked like they were physically harmed. And Officer Ferguson looks at them, and he asks them, are you okay? And they say yes. And then he says, where's your mommy?

And little Drew actually points back into the house and says, Mommy is in her room and she's hurt. By this point, Officer Ferguson had already called for backup, so him and another officer entered the house. There's still Christmas decorations up, a little deer in the front of the house, snowmen, Christmas tree decals on the window in front. They move into the living room. There's new toys that were just recently unwrapped at Christmas, but not even taken out of boxes yet.

These officers don't know if there's a threat still inside this home, so they have to clear every single room. They're walking through, and now they're in an office where you can see Christmas decorations were being put back into containers. It just looked like such a normal house and a normal existence, like it could be any of our homes. And by the way, Chris is still on the line with the dispatcher as officers are walking through this house, and he's still telling the dispatcher, I think somebody could be in there. I could hear someone. It sounded like a struggle. So essentially, Chris is an ear witness to what happened inside that house that night. He was even on the line when the officers were knocking on the windows and things like that.

And the dispatcher let him know, help has arrived. And she actually instructed Chris to hang up with her and go meet the officers back in Nikki's house so that he could provide a detailed report. When the officers get to Nikki's bedroom, there's a whole bunch of laundry in her bed which is folded in different piles. Her laptop is open and right on the top of her bed.

And when I saw that photo, I could just imagine her sitting right there with her back up against the pillow, typing on that computer. but she's not sitting there. However, she is on that bed. She's on the far right-hand side of the bed, lying on her side in a pool of blood,

and there is a lot of blood. It's battered everywhere, and there's a pool right under her head. This officer can see that there is a severe trauma to the left side of her head. A cordless phone is right next to her body. And Officer Ferguson literally screamed out to the neighbor to please

please take the boys over to his house. He did not want them to see their mother in this condition. But I'm going to tell you right now, if that was his goal, it was too late. They had already witnessed so much. And what's crazy is that Nikki is still breathing. But she suffered a very brutal beating and she's barely hanging on. Officer Ferguson calls for medical assistance and it only takes them mere minutes to arrive and they decide they need to airlift her to the nearest.

hospital so they could treat her injuries, which was Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg, about 30 minutes away by car. This house is now a crime scene, and homicide detectives are called in, and they don't know whether Nikki is going to live or die at this point. Robert Snipes and veteran detective Ed Judy, who's been on the force for almost 20 years, pulls up to the house. Their job is to figure out who did this and what exactly happened. And they have Chris as an ear witness. But they also have two little boys that were inside that house. But the problem is you are dealing with children. So their recollection and the way that they perceive things is not going to be how an adult does.

And they do not communicate. And especially Max, we know he does not communicate as much as Drew, the younger one, because Max is special needs. So these investigators have to focus on seven-year-old Drew. They know that they have to, but they don't want to traumatize this little boy, but he's ready. He wants to try to help them. First, they have to make sure that he understands the difference between a truth and a lie. And I've heard detectives explain this before, and that's important. Drew fully understood.

He knew the difference, and he explained what happened that night. They got home from having pizza with their mom's boyfriend, Chris. And then after, they brought Chris back to his house, and they went back home. Drew got settled in by starting his homework at the dining room table and Max and Nikki Sherry bedroom, since she's got to be there for him in the middle of the night, and they go back in the bedroom and Max starts playing a video game. The TV is on, and mom is on her computer sitting in bed with Max. And this is probably when she noticed the instant message that said HB and then called Chris Confused. So now we're getting a clearer picture of that night.

Drew said everything was fine, Mommy was doing chores, and then he heard her scream and saw her running from another part of the house into her bedroom where Max was. And there was a man. And there was a man, in black, following close behind her with something silver in his hand. Now, I have to pause for a minute because I can only imagine, and I don't even want to, but I can imagine how scared these little boys were. No one should have to witness this, especially very innocent children. Drew was asked what he thought the intruder had been holding, and he said, he didn't know, but maybe it was a metal baseball bat.

He just really couldn't tell, and he didn't know what the man looked like. because it was wearing a mask. Later, they asked him to draw a picture of this mask. And this is where the difference between a child and an adult really comes in. Because Drew was essentially drawing a picture of a wolf. So now they weren't sure if this person could have been wearing a Halloween costume or what. It was just heartbreaking. Drew was telling the detectives that his mother was screaming over and over,

even telling them to run and hide. And then it just stopped. While all this was happening, he went and hid, but poor Max was still in bed watching all this unfold feet away from his mother. Drew knew this, because when the man left the house, he got out of his hiding place. He went into his mother's bedroom where he found his mom lying lifeless on the bed and his brother covered in blood. And no, he wasn't using the type of words that I am. He was using the words of a seven-year-old. I'm just telling you what was relayed to these detectives.

The first thing that crossed my mind is they spared. The children. Whoever did this, they had such intense rage. It seems so personal. But at the same time, they don't want to harm the children and then they just leave. And these poor children, they were so terrified that they got together and they did exactly what their mom told them to do. They ran and they hid. Drew led his older brother, Max, into the bathroom. They locked the door. They climbed into the bathtub and they pressed themselves down, lying really still. until it was safe to come out. That's why they didn't hear the police officers knocking on the window for some time

and then finally heard their neighbor's voice, which was familiar, and that is why they came out. But they were traumatized. This affected them and would affect them for the rest of their lives. Max was talking before this incident, but after what he saw, he went back into a nonverbal state, and Drew had one last thing to tell officers. And this is the chilling part. They asked him if he knew who this man was.

They came into the house and heard his mommy, not thinking they were actually going to get an answer. He said, it's the man that knocks on the windows. How chilling is that? Of course, they want some clarification. Who is this man that knocks on the windows? The little Drew must have been spent because all he told them was that this was the latest

he had ever been allowed to stay up at night. Detective Ed, Judy remembers looking over at the clock and seeing that it said 1.41 a.m. and it just broke my heart. But that is all the information they had. At this point, the boys are actually handed over to child protective services, even though their father lives nearby in Clearwater. The fact is this person was wearing a mask. And that led the detectives to believe that the boys possibly knew who he was and that's why he was hiding his identity. So one of the first suspects on their list was actually the boy's father, Don Halpin, Nikki's ex-husband.

He lived close enough. They had a rocky relationship. He isn't present in the boy's life as much as she wished he could have been, and he didn't get full custody. Plus, he wasn't in control of the settlement funds. That right there was a motive. This one safe and quiet cul-de-sac was now full of police cars, yellow crime scene tape, officers, homicide detectives, and chaos. That's the scene Nikki's boyfriend Chris pulls up to that night. Yes. He was the one who called 911.

At this point, everyone close to Nikki and her boys are persons of interest. Chris was told to go there and to make a statement, but this was also a chance for detectives to size him up. They think he could have followed Nikki back home. He could have been on his cell phone and been the one hurting Nikki all along and pretending that he was just an ear witness to the horror. They don't know.

When Chris gets there, he's frantic. He jumps out of his car, He's yelling Nikki's name. He wants to know what's going on. He's asking the officers what happened. And of course, no one knows who he is at first. So they're telling him, you can't come through here. But then when he explains, he was the one that called 911,

the detectives decide to speak with him. Now, just for the record, Nikki's still in critical condition. She's been placed in a medically induced coma. She's in the ICU. And the local police are corresponding with police in Massachusetts to get officers to go over to Nikki's parents' house and notify them in person to let them know what's going on.

But let me go back to Chris first. From his interview, we get times. 9.33 p.m., five minutes after Nikki left Chris's place, he gets that instant message from her name, which is Nikki's cooking. But she would have still been driving. So he asked her how she got home so fast. No answer. Until she's actually home and back on her laptop.

She responds with, hi, I didn't write that, so I better look around the house. Chris then typed, who wrote it then? And Nikki told him, I'm calling you. If we put this together with what Drew said, this is probably why Nikki was seen running back into her bedroom because she took the cordless phone, which we know was sitting on the bed, and she's looking around the house

because she was suspicious, somebody was on her computer looking through her messages with her boyfriend. Chris told the detectives that Nikki was scared, and she wanted him to stay on the phone with her while she looked around the house. Then he heard something like a closet door open and that's when you could tell she must have encountered someone according to him because not only did she scream, but he could hear wrestling around

and he could hear a bunch of footsteps and running and that is why he called 911 on his other phone while keeping her on the line so that he could still hear what was going on. Thankfully he had two lines. Not everybody has two lines. I mean nowadays maybe you have you and your partner's line. But right away, Detective Judy feels like Chris, could have done more if that's what really happened. He's trying to put himself in the same situation and thinking, there is just no way that I would have stayed in my house on the phone with my girlfriend if I knew that someone I loved and cared about was potentially being attacked and she's screaming

and she's got two little boys in the house. So the detective, this seems really odd. I mean, this man is on a cell phone. He can leave. So Detective Judy confronts Chris with all that information and I do have the audio of what Chris said. But it was that he was afraid. He thought maybe someone was at his door too and about to attack him.

And I was thinking, what? How would the intruder be in two places at once? There's a definite struggle. And I picked up my cell phone with that on the phone and I called 911. I was actually scared at that point because I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know if somebody was outside my door

looking for me too, something like that. Chris moves up the list of people that could have done this to Nikki. They need more information. So they ask him if they can follow him back to his house and he could provide them with, you know, the instant messages. And what was surprising to them is they asked him for his entire computer. And of course, they want to be able to download and everything. They want to preserve evidence.

And this man is hesitant to turn it over. But Detective Judy was pretty blown with him. He's like, look, if you have nothing to hide and there's nothing suspicious going on here, there should be no reason for you not to want to turn over your computer.