The Life and Death of Nikki Kuhnhausen | Full Episode | Forensic Files

foreign [Music] [Music] what do you think the most striking part of her young personality was to you her
confidence your confidence in who she was she could bring light to any situation
she was just full of beauty she was just like huh I'm unstoppable she stood out cheerful caring down for Adventures she
had hopes and dreams and aspirations for her life that there was a big future ahead for
her I was getting ready to go into work someone texted me called the police think he's gone
in the first week I figured she was just hanging out somewhere lost her phone or
something we start making pliers and putting up pliers I just knew that she was being held
against her will or or worse one of the first clues in this case came from 17 year old Nikki coonhausen
herself when investigators discovered messages on Snapchat a social media platform
about someone she had met that night a man named David bogdanov [Music] all right this is detective David Jensen
with Vancouver Police and I have with me David bogdanov to have your consent to record this conversation
[Music] walked up to her asked her why is she walking alone in the middle of the night
and she said she said she had some big fight with her boyfriend and she's really upset and I'll just try and be a
nice guy you know you're the last person to ever see her after she left with you no one ever saw
her again I don't know what I what I can tell you David is kind David is caring they had
made everyone laugh he was everyone's friend I try to keep my hopes high but after
six months it's a little hard for that when you heard that her remains were found what was your initial reaction
it was devastating investigators say David bogdanov killed 17-year-old Nikki kunhausen
after suspected killer David bogdanov made his first court appearance by the time we got to trial now we had
three different versions of what happened will testify to what happened that night
the whole time always just yelling for her to stop he was lying and he was full of anger she's trying to fight me and
just reaching back and scratching at my face he had no regard for her life at all there's a struggle going on here
trying to gouge my eyes there is a Viper death struggle going his actions and his words show that he
intended to kill Nikki and he intended to kill her because of who she was a transgender young woman
this is a narrative in a story that plays out all the time when trans people go missing they're usually found
deceased [Music] thank you [Music] thank you Lisa Woods will never forget the day her
life changed forever it was June 6 2019 that's when her daughter Nikki coonhausen seemingly vanished Lisa says
they talked daily before work I would call her every day and talk to her before my shift
she stopped answering immediately her mother's intuition kicked in Lisa had a bad feeling
that first day I took her sweatshirt and I made it into a pillowcase and I slept
with her picture and my Bible did you fear that something had happened I knew something had
happened Lisa filed a missing person's report at first friend Ariel Fox wasn't too
concerned lost her phone or something classic Nikki move knew all about Nikki's moves after all
they'd been best friends since childhood she's like the Lively friend that's just
always high energy when I first met Nikki she was still going by Nick she was definitely still Nikki at heart
we lived across the street from each other I want to say third and fourth grain Taylor Watts was a childhood friend as
well she stood out you know she was like cheerful was caring she was just icky becoming Nikki would be something of an
evolution but Lisa says she and her large family always knew very rarely did anybody call her Nicholas Nikki began
life as Nicholas but from a young age Lisa says Nikki had a strong sense of self there's this one picture with some
blonde wig on because the babysitter was a hairdresser and she snuck into her wigs so she always knew who she was yeah
she broke her arm and she had a pink cast her brothers were so mad that I let her get it because I'm like she picked
the color it's her broken arm it was around sixth grade that Nikki made her gender identity public she
decided that she was going to be Nikki all the time not just at home so she started dressing as herself as a woman
young woman as a young woman Lisa says Nikki was widely accepted for who she was especially among a certain In Crowd
the cheerleaders loved the way that she did her makeup and they wanted her to do
their makeup as well and she hoped that passion would one day turn into her dream job she wanted to be
Nicki Minaj's hair and makeup artist so that was her goal like Most teens Nikki loved to Post
online one day she came home and told me Mom I'm Facebook famous especially tributes to her Idol that other Nikki
how important do you think social media was to Nikki it was pretty important because she loves doing selfies she
loves how many likes she got Lisa says Nikki also like fighting for the underdog I was called to the school
on many occasions because she had been suspended for hitting someone but it was always a situation where she was
defending someone else [Music] Nikki's parents had divorced when she was young mother and daughter remained
close as Nikki became a teen let me go get our nails done we would just drive around and go by the water and walk by
the water but in high school things would begin to change Nikki was going to school but she
would make it all the time and she'd be hard to get a hold of sometimes she just
wouldn't wake up she'd missed the bus Lisa says she knew what was wrong Nikki had started abusing drugs she said to me
Mommy I don't think I can do my homework without being high when she was 16. friends say Nikki had started using
methamphetamine that's when I realized I was talking to an addict instead of my daughter Lisa says there were many
attempts to get Nikki into rehab to help her kick drugs for good but nothing seemed to stick
for months Nikki continued to struggle just how dangerous Nikki's addiction was became apparent to Lisa in 2018. I got a
call at work from a detective Lisa was told Nikki had been shot six times Lisa raced to the hospital
expecting the worst but when she arrived she's so excited two of her girlfriends
were there and she had her makeup all the time and she was sitting up laughing and they were doing selfies and
I'm like I thought you said she was shot six times it was a miracle says Lisa none of
Nikki's injuries were life-threatening it missed every major arter internet inner thigh twice in the stomach and her
leg and the back of her calf Lisa says Nikki told her she was shot during a dispute over drugs what do you think it
says about Nikki she was able to survive being shot six times she was a tough cookie yeah
very tough the man responsible for Nikki shooting was never apprehended Lisa hope Nikki's
brush with death would serve as the inspiration for Nikki to turn her life around and did you think okay you know
we're on a different path now I did I mean she knew it was a miracle she knew now a year later Nikki was missing
and Lisa was hoping for another miracle [Music] [Music] the mother of a missing Vancouver
teenager not giving up hope that her child will be found safe in June 2019 Lisa Woods had just one goal finding her
daughter Nikki coonhausen all of Nikki's social media accounts had gone silent we start making pliers I remember there
were Flyers everywhere Clark County prosecutor Kristen Arno you couldn't go to the grocery store without seeing that
flyer news of Nikki's Disappearance in Vancouver Washington started to get more attention she vanished more than two
weeks ago and today was listed on the national Center for missing and exploited children website
police talk to Nikki's roommates and learned the last time they'd seen her was the day she vanished Nikki was
heading out the door to meet a man she'd met just hours before but who was he Clark County prosecutor
Colin Hayes says her social media messages provided investigators with their first clue about who Nikki was
seeing that night we had their Snapchat messages so we know that he picked her up it would have been somewhere 5 a.m
ish or so he doesn't want to pick up the crumbs he was this man 25 year old David
bogdanov who worked at his family-owned construction business their exchanges gave police their first glimpse of a
timeline when he and Nikki met that was the last time she was seen Alive by anyone else so detectives are looking to
talk to him within a couple weeks of Nikki going missing the investigators tried his home they
left cards I think they also tried calling him weren't able to get a hold of him they also sent Snapchat messages
but bogdanov did not reply it seemed he had vanished just like Nikki weeks grew into months without any leads
I just knew that she was being held against her will or worse in late September nearly four months
after Nikki went missing investigators finally heard from David bogdanov he said he had had phone problems and had
just gotten their messages detectives asked him to come in for questioning hoping he could help the investigation
until you talk to him and get the story you don't necessarily know if there might be maybe there was someone else
after that may have seen her so on October 2nd Bogdana voluntarily met with Detective David Jensen of The Vancouver
Police Department David were you aware that this is recording in their recorded interview bogdanov told Jensen he was
out drinking with his brothers on June 6th when he noticed a young woman it was on this Vancouver block around 3 A.M
that David bogdanov claims he first spotted Nikki alone he says he walked over to her to check to see if she was
okay they started talking offered her my jacket because it was really cold outside
bogdanov also offered Nikki a drink I said do you want some vodka because I got some if you want to have a drink
just to relax a little bit and she said sure So I just gave her the bottle kind of tape with her he also gave Nikki his
contact information I did give her my Snapchat name I wanted to just exchanged Snapchat saying she didn't have a phone
with her bogdanov says he and Nikki then parted ways a few hours later Nikki sent him
the address where she was staying with friends bogdanov drove over and picked her up
[Music] he said he was going to help her find her phone because her phone was missing
later that morning bogdanov says he and Nikki found themselves alone in his car kind of just parked there in the
driveway chit chatting a little bit and then she told me that she's not a sheep bogdanov says that's when Nikki revealed
she was transgender I was shocked to find that out and and just uncomfortable and really really Disturbed and I asked
her to please get out of the car because this is just really weird for me she just got out of the car and I took off
he's pretty vague about the details at that point and just says that was the last I saw ever
while he was uncertain about some details of that night Arno says bogdanov was clear on one topic he went out of
his way to make sure that they knew that he found that anyone who was part of the
lgbtqi community that he found them disgusting lgbtqi is an abbreviation to refer to
lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer and intersex people and communities for me it's even disturbing when I'm
around gay person or somebody bi or transsexual or something also I just got disgusted and I asked her to just get
out bogdanov offered up another piece of information though he was never asked I
wish I could help you more but I don't know I'm not a kind of person to I'm not even a violent person you know at all
nothing bug donov's interview ended and he left the police station then on December 7th 2019 six months
after Nikki vanished a man walking on nearby Larch Mountain found something that would change this
case forever nobody goes about their day expecting that they're going to find a body
foreign [Music] Christmas card that morning because I had hoped that she was coming home
it was nearly Christmas 2019 and Lisa Woods was aching for one miraculous gift the safe return of her 17-year-old
daughter Nikki coonhausen she'd been missing for six unbearable months and I prayed and I prayed to bring my baby
home just bring my baby home to me unsettling to link discovery of a human December 7 2019 brought a swarm of local
authorities to thickly wooded Larch Mountain including Detective Joe Swenson from the Clark County Sheriff's Office
this was the trail that we actually entered into the area and there were items found immediately inside the tree
line underneath the dense canopy of trees the remnants of a human life had been scattered by animals down a Steep Ravine
there were a bunch of clothing items found down there specifically like a green jacket some underwear there was a
bandana there were more bones jewelry you also found a phone cord correct what's the significance of that
when we found the the phone charging cord it was tied in a knot but it was in a circle about four inches in diameter
Tangled inside the knotted cord were artificial multi-colored hair extensions so looking at the cord in conjunction
with the hair it seemed pretty obvious that if it were placed around somebody's neck that's how the hair would have
gotten caught up in it after combing the rugged terrain for two days detective suspected someone had been murdered you
know we had a couple of missing persons cases that were kind of on our mind we started talking with more detectives in
other agencies and learning hey this could be Nikki coonhausen and oh come to find out she's been missing for six
months that's when The Vancouver Police began another exhaustive search says Swenson
comparing evidence photos taken on the mountain to Nikki's personal photos found online looking for matches
and actually found a lot of images of her wearing the exact items that we had found up here
and so it was a good confirmation initially to be able to say yeah we're pretty sure this is Nikki
dental records verified the victim's identity it was Nikki coonhausen and it was murder the medical examiner
determined that Nikki had been strangled to death with that cell phone charger cord
sorry for interrupting your commute this morning December 17 2019 Vancouver police detective David Jensen once again
questioned the last known person to see Nikki alive David bogdanov a you said it
you're going to go to your job so I went to work yeah he went to work bogdanov stuck to his story
on the morning of June 6 after Nikki devoled she was transgender he said he was shocked and Disturbed and that's
when you're like I'm obviously I'm not into this and kicked her out of the van Center on her way
bogdanov said he then drove straight to work in nearby Portland Oregon so at the time that we talked I didn't
have the benefit of all of your your phone records okay but but now there's been some additional analysis
stuff so you left your phone left and then went East out past large mountain what happened on that trip
his cell phone record suggested he had never driven to work that morning but actually traveled
in the opposite direction to Larch Mountain Metro took about him trip and then back again
okay all right so you're being arrested today for the murder of Nikki Castle whose remains have been discovered
through a strangled to death okay a few hours later detective David Jensen told Lisa
they had found Nikki and I felt that my knees and start screaming and he came in and held me
until I could gain my composure [Music] after I calmed down Dave told me I want you to know that I arrested David this
morning thank you I wanted to make sure he was charged and behind bars before I came and told you
charges were murder in the second degree and malicious harassment which is now called hate crime in Washington
what were your First Reactions when you heard he had been arrested I mean truthfully I was pretty surprised
clinical social worker Devin Davis Williamson and Lyndon walls are transgender activists they launched the
justice for Nikki task force most of the time in our culture in our country if a
trans person is killed there is not an arrest made we think it's right around 30 percent of trans people who are
murdered have someone arrested and fully prosecuted having someone held accountable I think
only that can start the healing and also bring attention to some of the things that the trans Community is
burdened with part of their burden says Lyndon is living with fear fear of being misunderstood
fear of being attacked a recent UCLA law school study concluded that transgender people are four times
more likely than non-transgender people to become victims of violent crime an explosion of hate the American
Medical Association has called an epidemic of violence [Applause] a transgender woman was found shot and
killed over the weekend [Music] [Applause] there was a vigil for her it was um really overwhelming to see
how much love that the trans Community had come together for my daughter and that's where I met Devin
she helped me find Focus been purpose she told me that she was going to make sure that nobody forgot Nikki's name
and it was going to make a difference with help from her new friends Lisa's Focus slowly shifted from the horror of
facing her daughter's violent death to the hope of finding Justice for her murder
Lisa was so driven to see Justice and to do right for her child and I think that's given Lisa
purpose and drive to stay alive she was a rainbow of light she was so confident in who she was
at a press conference just days after bogdanov's arrest Lisa Woods became an activist
I believe this man I believe he killed her because she was a transgender I believe that with all my heart by August
2021 David bogdanov's Day of Reckoning was fast approaching his murder trial was just two weeks away when prosecutors
learned he had changed his story dramatically you solemnly swear or affirmed and he would take the stand to
tell it himself geez jumping for my gut and all I can think is oh my God I'm gonna get shot right now
[Music] [Music] always there for everyone no matter what Vicky matsuk David bogdanov's niece does
not believe her uncle is capable of the murder he's accused of committing you would always get along with everyone
just days before the trial he reassured his sister Lily I just remember him telling us not to worry
he's ready to just face whatever is coming and Lisa was also ready I just prayed
I prayed for God to have his hands in it regret light is the microphone the courts applied a zoom feed as the trial
got underway in August 2021 each day family and friends rallied around Lisa wearing pink mask to court I
used to have a seat I think sitting in a room with the man that murdered your kid
is hard and possibly hard Now ladies and Gentlemen please give your attention opening statements began
with a bold claim from the defense our client did not strangle Nikki coonhausen causing her death because she's
transgendered Nikki coonhausen is now deceased because Mr bogdanov had to defend himself
against her attacking him and possibly killing him but the prosecution argued that was not the case the defendant
murdered Nikki after finding out she was transgender they insisted Nikki was the victim of a
hate crime the defendant murdered Nikki because his respect for human life was outweighed by his hatred for those who
are gay and those who are transgender the prosecution laid out its case with experts testifying about those Snapchat
exchanges leading up to the murder and cell phone records placing bogdanov's phone at large mountain just hours later
jurors were shown evidence found at the scene including that phone charging cord
the defense called just one witness the defense calls David now bogdanov himself
attorney Aaron McAleer questioned bogdanov about his religious upbringing and his views about
lgbtqi people yeah I was I was taught that uh it is a sin and it's not okay it's not David's lifestyle but if David
comes across anybody whoever it is there's no hate bogdanov told the jury what happened
when he and Nikki were alone in his car and what was Nikki doing at that point she was smoking something out of a pipe
bogdanov said Nikki asked him to join her in the back seat before he did he said he wedged the gun he carried
between the driver's seat and center console I transitioned it to us making out with her touching or anything else
yes okay who was touching who is a little bit of both at first um where was she touching you
heard she started touching me um my private area bogdanov said the sexual encounter
escalated quickly and that's when he realized Nikki was transgender bogdanov's testimony may be disturbing
to some viewers I was in shock I just been deceived I freaked out and I uh push her push her back and
you start freaking out saying you didn't tell me you're a dude and you started yelling at her too
so she's a disgusting disgusting piece of piece of crap he said he told Nikki to get out of his
car and he said she reacted with violence this guy picked up her foot and tried to just kick him with her foot
from passenger side and she just jumps up and goes towards the center console towards my gun I'm thinking you know I
just was deceived by this person and this person's high on meth and all I can think is oh my God I'm gonna get shot
right now the suggestion that Nikki might have gone for the gun kind of defies logic bogdanov said he
tried to restrain Nikki by grabbing her jacket but the material was too slippery to get
a good grip he claims in a desperate attempt to save himself he reached for a cell phone charging cord
I grabbed that cable and put it around her and pull her back like that and hold her hold her from going keep
going forward for the gun bogdanov said he placed the phone cord around Nikki's arms and chest during
their struggle but as he pulled the cord slipped up to her neck the whole time she's trying to fight me
and just reaching back and scratching at my face trying to gouge my eyes so at some point that she stopped struggling
yes the ligature that was used to kill Nikki was a phone cord that was tied to a space of 3.97 inches
which ends up being about like this and if you can imagine the physical sensation of having your throat
constricted to a space this size and then have it triple knotted [Music] after realizing Nikki was dead bogdanov
said he panicked first thing I think is I need to call the police and then I think that
they're not going to believe me you know I've been up all night not sober there's drugs in the car there's a dead
person's in the back seat at that point I thought I need to get rid of the body this was a very humiliating thing that
happened to me just wanted to put this behind me like wishing it was that it never happened bogdanov said that's when
he drove Nikki's body to Larch Mountain hey I pulled her out of the car and it was
that spot by the road the hill just went down really steep I just kind of moisturized pushed her down that
then can you tell the jury why why you left the country bogdanov told the court he left the country just hours after
killing Nikki buying a last minute ticket to Ukraine I was scared an emotional wreck I was thinking
I need to I need to quit my drinking and that I likely would have not have been in this situation if I
hadn't been drinking and just wanted to get away the fact that he had multiple different stories that he had had at
least two opportunities to give this explanation to detectives and hadn't the fact that he'd dumped the body the fact
that he ran from the country all things kind of point to a guilty conscious and not someone who thinks that their
actions are Justified good afternoon both sides made their case one last time during closing arguments
[Music] transgender it's not about fear this case is not about self-defense I want to
start by saying defense attorney Matthew Hoff strongly disagreed Nikki coonhausen
is not here today not because she was transgendered but because Mr bogdanov was put in a life and death situation
learn more about the life and death of Nikki coonhosen at 48hours.com she just loves the camera you know
[Music] it seemed like the camera liked her back Nikki was just Nikki she kind of led the
way I just followed she was very empowered and very steadfast in her identity and I think
very strong probably in a way that Society struggles to handle trial and more than two years after
Nikki coonhausen's death would jurors believe David bogdanov's claim of self-defense
David is not the person that they made him out to be David is kind David is caring or the prosecution's case that he
murdered Nikki after he learned she was transgender she was so strong in her identity and
that's ultimately why she was killed the jury deliberated for more than two days we weren't sure how it was gonna go
there was possibility of a hung jury finally on day three they informed the judge they had reached
a unanimous decision we the jury find the above named defendant guilty of the crime of Murder
in the second degree as charged in count one ready Forum count two we the jury find
the above named defendant guilty of the crime of malicious harassment I hate crime in Washington it's a win
it's a really big one I'm just happy to get Justice for Nikki's family later Lisa would ask the judge to impose
the maximum sentence I wanted to show hanuki it could have been and so many things that were stolen
from us so many Milestones that she'll never get to do and I miss her every day [Music]
before handing down the sentence Judge David Gregerson addressed the court saying he was quote struck by the darker
nature of this crime encounters up old childhood Legends of the boogeyman of trust gone terribly wrong
fighting back tears the judge continued for almost 15 minutes the movement towards something resembling Justice
may be seen as a step in the greater overall movement from Darkness toward light
in this Court's view that can and should be Nikki coonhausen's Legacy bogdanov was sentenced to the maximum 19
and a half years for Nikki's murder with 12 concurrent months for the malicious harassment charge
I think it was appropriate in this case it doesn't necessarily seem like a long amount of time when you think about what
he took from Mickey and Nikki's family after sentencing family friends and supporters gathered outside the
courtroom she was just a baby she was just a teenager he took her life and you know
he got the maximum and that's what he deserves Nikki's story has allowed us to take a
giant leap forward Lisa and Nikki's supporters have tried to find a way for her Legacy to help and protect others
finding a way to memorialize Nikki and Empower other trans teenagers to pursue their dreams I think
is is the next step I want to thank Nikki's family and that happened with the passing of legislation in Washington
state known as Nikki's law I'm happy to sign this bill it's designed to prevent defendants
charged with violent crimes from relying on a victim's gender identity or sexual
orientation the so-called gay or trans Panic defense Nikki's law makes it impossible to use What's called the
trans Panic defense in court where someone says that they were so out of control when they found out that someone
was trans that you essentially aren't culpable for your actions Washington is one of 16 states to pass similar
legislation Nikki's supporters hope her law will inspire even more states to follow suit what's it like to know that
your daughter's legacy there's a law named after her I'm glad it will help other people I want her
Destiny something to someone who may contemplate hurting another transgender person Devin and Lyndon are proud of
what they achieved with the justice for Nikki task force and hope Nikki's story will help the transgender Community My
Hope Is that this work has has created a domino effect and this will hopefully lead to
other trans kids and teens having a different life outcome as Lisa moves forward without Nikki She
carries a special reminder of her daughter a necklace she wears every day I just
got this from my birthday from my son Alex and he made it to put Nikki's ashes in you always have Nikki close to your
heart yes [Music] how do you want Nikki remembered for her loyalty to what she believed in staying
true to who she was staying true to her her family and friends no matter what unconditional love
for everyone [Music] the Chadwicks they lived well a wealthy California couple Peter and her were Missy
there's a little bit of blood splattered Around The Manhunt the catcher Saturday

A young woman disappears after a Snapchat rendezvous. Her murder inspired a new law. "48 Hours" contributor Jamie Yuccas reports. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

Brief Summary

Nikki Coonhausen, a transgender teen, was murdered; her story highlights the investigation and trial of David Bogdanov, revealing societal issues around hate crimes.

Key points

Nikki's Disappearance. Nikki Coonhausen vanished in June 2019, leaving her mother desperate for answers.
The Discovery of Remains. After months of searching, Nikki's remains were found, leading to a murder investigation.
Justice for Nikki. Lisa Woods becomes an activist after her daughter's murder, seeking justice for the transgender community.
Opening Statements in Court. The trial begins with bold claims from the defense regarding Nikki's death.
The Defense's Argument. The defense claims Nikki attacked Bogdanov, leading to a fatal struggle.
The Jury's Verdict. After days of deliberation, the jury finds Bogdanov guilty of murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It was devastating.

When you heard that her remains were found

2:52WatchNov 14, 2023

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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