ABC 20/20 “The Last Strike” December 26 2025

ABC’s 20/20 revisits a case of betrayal, arson, and murder in an encore presentation of “The Last Strike,” detailing the tragic unraveling of a North Dakota marriage at the hands of a deadly love triangle. When Nikki Entzel called to report a fire at her Bismarck home in January 2020, investigators responding to the scene soon uncovered a horrifying truth: her husband, Chad Entzel, lay dead inside, his body badly burned. What at first seemed like a terrible accident quickly turned into a homicide investigation as layers of deception came to light.

Correspondent John Quiñones leads the in-depth report, featuring his exclusive jailhouse interview with Nikki Entzel. She opens up about her relationships with both her late husband and her secret lover, Earl Howard, and discusses what she claims happened the night Chad was killed. Nikki’s account is placed against a backdrop of evidence that includes surveillance footage, digital forensics, and damning contradictions in her own story.

In addition to Nikki’s interview, 20/20 also presents interrogation tapes of Earl Howard, who provides his own version of events. Investigators say the duo plotted Chad’s murder and set the house ablaze to cover their tracks. The two-hour program reconstructs the timeline of the crime, showing how Howard was captured on camera purchasing supplies later used in the arson. Surveillance footage also places both him and Nikki in suspicious locations before and after Chad’s death.

The episode includes conversations with North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents Mike Meese and Joe Arenz, and Burleigh County’s lead prosecutor Julie Lawyer, who ultimately helped secure the convictions. Chad Entzel’s family, including his sister Lori Kraus and ex-wife Susie Entzel, also share their pain and perspective, shedding light on the man lost in this calculated and devastating plot.

With testimony, video evidence, and exclusive access to those directly involved, 20/20‘s “The Last Strike” is a comprehensive and chilling look at how a secret affair, when coupled with a dangerous plan, led to irreversible consequences. This rebroadcast originally aired March 17, 2023, and will re-air Friday, December 26, 2025, on ABC.