VANCOUVER, Wash. — Transgender Vancouver teen Nikki Kuhnhausen, 17, was reported missing in 2019. Six months later, her remains were found and police arrested murder suspect David Bogdanov.
Should be Alive, a new six-episode true crime podcast created by KGW and VAULT studios, investigates Nikki’s murder and how detectives and prosecutors built a case against her killer. Nikki's murder subsequently inspired a movement that led to legislation outlawing the LGBTQ+ 'panic' defense strategy as a legal strategy in Washington state.
Here is a timeline of key events following Nikki’s disappearance that led up to the arrest of Bogdanov six months later.
June 5, 2019
Nikki’s mother, Lisa Woods, last talked to Nikki
June 10, 2019
Lisa reports Nikki missing
June 13, 2019
Lisa tells police officer Jake Carlowe that Nikki left her house around 6 a.m. with a Russian man and went missing
June 19, 2019
Tiffany McConnell calls and talks to police officer Brandon Degraw about a Russian man
June 23, 2019
Lisa calls 911 and tells officer Carlowe that Nikki used a phone belonging Faith Fjeldos, Nikki's roommate, and used to talk with “intended date”
Detective David Jensen with the Vancouver Police Department calls Lisa to verify the story about the phone. Lisa tells him about Snapchat
June 24, 2019
Detective Jensen makes time to meet with Faith and Tiffany, people Nikki was staying with
June 25, 2019
Detective Jensen meets with Faith and Tiffany at the Vancouver Police Department
June 26, 2019
Detective Jensen sends an emergency request to Snapchat
June 27, 2019
Police deliver a search warrant to Snapchat, which is answered the same day. Officers receive geolocations of David Bogdanov’s phone the night Nikki went missing. Snapchat shows David was at his brother Stan’s house and near an area south of where Nikki was staying.
June 28, 2019
Detectives make the first attempt to contact David. Nikki has been missing for 22 days
October 2, 2019
Police officer interviews David
December 17, 2019
Police officer interviews David and arrests him
New episodes of Should Be Alive drop every Wednesday starting May 25. Listen on your favorite podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Stitcher.