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MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Gwen Hasselquist - Crime Junkie | Wave AI Podcast Notes

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Gwen Hasselquist

Mon Oct 27 2025

In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, the mysterious death of a mother of two is ruled a suicide. But her loved ones believe there’s more to her death than meets the eye. And as soon as we looked into her case, the cracks in the official ruling started to show.

Summary

Crime Junkie: The Mysterious Death of Gwen Hasselquist

Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Ashley Flowers (with Britt)
Podcast: Crime Junkie

Episode Overview

Ashley Flowers and Britt dive into the 2020 case of Gwen Hasselquist, a nurse and mother of two whose body was found in Puget Sound, Washington, at the onset of the pandemic. While authorities swiftly ruled Gwen’s death a suicide, numerous strange details and inconsistencies led her family—and Ashley and Britt—to question the official story. Through careful recounting, interviews, and investigative efforts, the episode spotlights unanswered questions and unresolved suspicions that linger around Gwen’s mysterious fate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Night of Gwen's Disappearance

Timeline & Initial Discovery ([01:55]–[13:38])
- March 20, 2020, with COVID-19 lockdowns beginning.
- State Trooper Daniel Knox finds Gwen’s family minivan abandoned and crashed on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge after midnight—passenger-side deeply damaged, doors open, shattered glass on the ground.
- Demetrius Jackson, found with an open beer near the van, gives inconsistent stories: he claims Gwen offered him a ride, left her van, and then disappeared near the railing.
- Demetrius alternatively says he never got into the van and saw a mysterious dark figure by the railing.
- The van is registered to Eric Hasselquist, Gwen's husband, who claims Gwen is home, shows a Ring camera screenshot of her leaving at 10:19pm, but says she returned.

"He tells Trooper Knox that he thought the woman gave it [the van] to him." — Ashley Flowers ([08:11])

2. The Family and Police Response

Home Visit and Contradictions ([10:37]–[16:40])
- Officers find Eric’s indifference to the stolen minivan strange.
- Children (ages 8 and 10) answer the door instead of parents.
- Eric claims Gwen is inside resting, having just been tested for COVID-19, but no proof or follow-up is provided.
- After police leave, Eric reports Gwen missing at 2:00am.

"At this time of night, at this time of the pandemic, there are no other witnesses to back him up or even to refute his story." — Ashley Flowers ([08:42])

3. Gwen’s Last Known Movements

Ring Cam Footage & Behavior ([20:48]–[23:24])
- Gwen appears disoriented in video, struggling to lock the door, possibly affected by clonazepam (her anxiety medication), the bottle of which is missing.
- She leaves the house in workout clothes, but there's no video of her returning.
- Her phone and wallet were left behind.

"She's not in pajamas or anything. She's in, like, workout clothes." — Ashley Flowers ([22:51])

4. Discovery and Autopsy

Gwen’s Body Found ([23:24]–[27:48])
- Afternoon of March 20: Gwen’s body is found by a kayaker, 7 miles from the bridge.
- She has a broken arm, multiple rib fractures, faint neck bruises, cuts inconsistent with self-harm, and broken/glass fragments in her clothing—all consistent with a bridge jump, according to the ME.
- Toxicology finds clonazepam in her system at a “possible overdose” level, but not necessarily fatal.

"The ME thinks that all of these injuries are consistent with a jump from the bridge into the water 195 ft below." — Ashley Flowers ([26:12])

5. Police Ruling & Family Doubts

Suicide Ruling and Family’s Perspective ([27:48]–[34:09])
- Officially ruled a suicide; Eric reportedly unemotional upon notification.
- Eric quickly posts about Gwen’s death and the family dog allegedly dying of COVID.
- Family members do not believe Gwen was suicidal; cite recent therapy, family plans, strong devotion to kids, and prior domestic violence allegation against Eric (2011–2014).
- Eric marries a new woman from Kenya less than three months after Gwen's death, with children calling her "mom" and referring to Gwen by her first name.

"He posted that Gwen was depressed about having COVID and that she just lost her will to live. But Gwen's loved ones don't believe that for a second." — Ashley Flowers ([27:49])

6. Reexamination & Unanswered Questions

Ashley and Britt’s Investigation ([34:42]–[52:08])
- Ring cam footage timing and completeness is in doubt—no timestamp/metedata; Eric says he deleted the original.
- Issues with clonazepam dose—expert (Dr. Heather Klintworth) finds blood levels only “edging to toxic,” not enough for 60 pills missing.
- Gwen’s glasses, necessary for driving at night, not worn or found.
- Potential traffic toll footage not retrieved, and police never verify who was driving on bridge.
- Accident damage and glass distribution raise questions: damage may not have happened on the bridge, wood debris found, possible prior crash site.
- Demetrius’ story inconsistent, mentions a “mystery person” never accounted for; police find him credible and never charge him.

"There might even have been an image of her or whoever was driving in the van that night... but the traffic cam was just a live feed, nothing was saved." — Ashley Flowers ([37:48])

7. Further Red Flags and Conflicting Accounts

Eric’s Behavior, Dog’s Death, and Timeline Holes ([53:19]–[57:45])
- Eric posts Facebook updates accepting early on that Gwen is “gone” before her body is found.
- Family observes Eric burning Gwen’s clothes and photos with children present, and largely refraining from participating in the search.
- Reports of Eric’s alcoholism, violent incidents (including an alleged 2024 domestic abuse complaint), and moving quickly to remarry.
- Suspicions about the dog’s death and disposal.

"Then within about a week, Eric burned Gwen’s clothes and photos in the backyard fire with his kids there." — Ashley Flowers ([56:14])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the rush to close the case:

"It shows you just how quickly a case can be closed when on paper it looks open and shut, even when nothing about the details add up." — Ashley Flowers ([01:55])
Reflections on evidence gaps:

"The only person who would know what happened on the bridge for sure, at least to me, is Demetrius. Now we couldn’t talk to him ourselves... he died in 2024." — Ashley Flowers ([48:01])
Eric’s own words:

"I want to be open with you, Rachel. I'm not trying to hide anything... I think maybe the reason this turned into a story is because I tried to hide the fact that she had committed suicide." — Eric Hasselquist ([60:34])

Critical Timestamps

Trooper Knox finds van & Demetrius → [03:30]–[10:37]
Eric’s odd responses and missing van → [10:37]–[13:38]
Gwen missing, bottle of clonazepam gone → [16:40]–[18:05]
Ring cam video discussed → [20:48]–[23:24]
Gwen’s body found → [23:24]–[27:43]
Autopsy results and suicide ruling → [26:12]–[27:49]
Eric’s rapid remarriage → [31:43]–[32:11]
Ring footage questions, timeline holes → [37:34]–[43:21]
Interview with Eric about Ring cam → [46:22]
Ashley on investigation failures: [47:01]–[55:12]
Eric’s additional troubling behavior → [54:58]–[57:45]
Eric’s own reflections → [60:34]–[61:18]

Unresolved Questions

Was Gwen truly suicidal, or are there reasons to doubt this conclusion?
Was someone else with Gwen, as suggested by Demetrius’ story? If so, who?
Did Gwen herself drive the van to the bridge, and if so, how, without glasses and possibly under the influence?
Why was Eric unconcerned about the minivan and later unresponsive about key pieces of evidence (Ring footage, COVID test results, military records)?
What happened in the missing hour-plus between Gwen leaving home and the van’s discovery?
Could this case have been thoroughly closed as suicide with these many ambiguities, gaps in records, and open lines of questioning?

Episode Closing Thought

Ashley and Britt emphasize the importance of exhaustive investigation and treating every suspicious death as a potential homicide until evidence clearly rules it out. They call for anyone with information to come forward, highlighting how incomplete investigations leave loved ones—and listeners—without the truth, and stress the legacy of stories like Gwen's.

"Good investigators tell me each case should be treated as a homicide investigation until you can prove it's not." — Ashley Flowers ([62:34])

Resources

If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the crisis line at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

For further details, see source material at crimejunkie.com.

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Transcript

Ashley Flowers (0:01)

Every mystery has an answer, but some have way more than one possibility. I'm Yvette Gentile. And I'm her sister Racha Pecorero. Every week on our podcast so Supernatural, we invite you to explore the unknown and to consider the many theories behind each unsolved mystery. We'll guide you as you question the world you think you know through investigations into spine chilling hauntings, unexplainable encounters, strange disappearances, and so much more. So if you're ready to be haunted by stories of the unsolved and of the unknown, listen if you dare to sew Supernatural every Friday wherever you get your podcasts.

Britt (0:49)

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Ashley Flowers (1:55)

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Ashley Flowers (8:42)

And no surprise. Like, of course, he doesn't have any papers proving that she gave it to him either, since he just showed up and decided she did. Yeah, but Demetrius tells Trooper Knox he just assumed that she wanted him to have it. Okay, his story's all over the place. And unfortunately, at this time of night, at this time of the pandemic, there are no other witnesses to back him up or even to refute his story. But either way, Trooper Knox isn't buying it. So he runs the registration on the minivan, and it comes back to a man named Eric Hasslequist who lives about 20 minutes away. But the van hasn't been reported stolen or anything, so they can't actually arrest Demetrius. So to figure out what's what, another officer who had made it to the scene by that point leaves Trooper Knox with Demetrius. And then this officer heads over to the address on file to check where, if Eric knows what's going on with his van. Now, by the time the officer knocks on Eric's door, it's around one o' clock in the morning. So it's not surprising when no one answers right away. Except through a window, he sees that two kids are inside, a young boy and a young girl, like both elementary school age. So through the window he's like, hey, are your parents home? The little girl just, like, shrugs. But then the kids do go and open the door to tell him that their parents are sleeping. And eventually their dad. Eric hears them talking to the officer and he doesn't, like, come out, which I think is a little bit strange. He just kind of yells from another room asking what's going on. Obviously, the officer tells him they're trying to figure out who has their minivan. And that's when Eric finally comes to the door. He Tells the officer, no one is supposed to have the van. The whole family is home. So he and the officer go and take a look outside where the van is usually parked. And of course, it's not there, but the family's other car is there, parked in the driveway with the lights on and the door open. Now, there's nothing in the officer's report about the other car looking broken into or damaged, just lights on, doors open.

Britt (14:24)

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Ashley Flowers (18:11)

I mean, he's not saying that outright, but he does tell police that before she went missing, Gwen was convinced that she had Covid. She had been tested for it before and she was, like, beside herself upset about it. Now, Gwen is immunocompromised, and some of the autoimmune disorders she had, like Sjogren's disease and interstitial lung disease, can affect the lungs, which would make her more vulnerable to Covid specifically. And Eric said that even though her tests hadn't come back yet, Gwen was, like, scared and overwhelmed by just the possibility that she had it. So he doesn't say that she had a history of suicidal ideation or anything like that, But I think when police put all these pieces that he's been giving them together, they begin to worry that maybe Gwen is out there and may be in danger of hurting herself. So right after police finish talking to Eric, like, still in the early morning hours of March 20, same day they found the van, they go back to Demetrius, who is in jail now. They show him Gwen's license photo and he's like, yeah, that's the woman who was with the van. That's the woman from his story, which, by the way, just before seeing this picture, that story changed a bit. So when he was in the back of Trooper Knox's patrol car, he gave a slightly different version of what happened on the bridge. This time, Demetrius says that he's walking across the bridge when the van pulled over, and when he tried to tell the woman inside, you know, now that we know it was Gwen, when he tries to tell Gwen that she couldn't park there, he's like, she just didn't respond. Now, he says there is still a mystery person in the back of the van. And that whole thing just, like, weirded him out. So in this version, he never even got in. He just walked away to, like, go have a beer. But curiosity got the best of him, so he went back to the van. And this is where the story stayed consistent. On the way back, he says he sees this dark figure on the bridge by the safety railing on the side closest to the water. And as he got closer, he realized that the figure was just gone. So now with this new story, I mean, which is kind of the same as the old story, like, at least the part that matters. And with everything that Eric told them about Gwen's state of mind, police asked Demetrius directly, like, did you see anyone jump off the bridge? And he says he assumed that she did, so he figured maybe giving him the van was the woman's, quote, dying wish.

Ashley Flowers (57:45)

I can't confirm what happened to the dog and what Eric did with the dog after because we didn't get another chance. Like by the time we learned this, we didn't get another chance to talk to Eric, but to me, it just feels like this dog's death just. It adds another layer. I mean, you got Gwen's clothes, her photos, now even her dog, all gone. And from there, Eric appeared to be trying just to move forward. You know, life is for the living and all right. And Eric may have needed some distance to heal because he also told us starting in March of 2021. So a year later, he and his new wife spent long stretches in Kenya where she was from like three to six months at a time. And then they would come like for a month or two back to the States while the kid stayed with his parents. And at some point while he was living in Kenya, he texted that former co worker that I mentioned and let them know that his wife gave him the go ahead to take another wife, which he claims is common there. And yes, polygamy is legal in Kenya. But that might have been a point of contention for Eric and his parents because In June of 2024, while he was back in the U.S. eric got arrested at his parents home after a drunken fight with his dad. According to a criminal complaint, Eric's parents learned about an affair that he had in Kenya that resulted in a pregnancy and they asked him to leave the house. Apparently he agreed, but by the end of the day, Eric hadn't left. So his dad checked on him, found him drunk, and when his dad told him he had to go, Eric got angry and attacked him. Police were called, they gave Eric a breathalyzer. He blew a police 244, three times the legal limit. He gets charged with disorderly conduct and domestic abuse. That case is still open and Eric pled not guilty. But this behavior from Eric doesn't seem new based on what we heard from loved ones. And her best friend told us that they'd had conversations, her and Gwen, about Eric drinking again, about him threatening suicide and having been violent in the past, including that incident in the military when he was living on the base, which she says Gwen claimed led to him being discharged. Now we asked Eric if he'd be willing to share his military records with us. He said no. We tried to FOIA them but we were denied. Still, Gwen's friend claimed that her relationship with Eric had gotten so bad by the end that she even worried it would end in a murder suicide. But Eric didn't paint that same picture. In an email to our reporter, he insisted, insisted that he didn't hurt Gwen. Now when we tried to talk to him, like I said, a second time, about these allegations, he declined our request for a follow up conversation. He told our reporter that he wanted to stop talking about Gwen's death so he can focus on healing. But I do want to leave you with one Last piece of information straight from Eric.

Britt (65:26)

And Crime Junkies. My name is Chase and I'm a family law attorney in California. As you can imagine, I handle a lot of domestic violence and child child abuse cases. But I want to take a moment to share with you how your podcast has not only saved a life, but also become an integral part of my work. For confidentiality's sake, I'll keep some details vague, but please know that this case was as dire and as severe as they come. My client had endured repeated abuse, each incident escalating with horrifying intensity. Eventually she found her way to my office where she filed for Domestic Violence Restraint Restraining order. But here's where things took a turn that I'll never forget. A month or two later, she came to me with a decision to go back to him. As we all know, this happens far too often in abuse cases, but I knew with chilling certainty that one more escalation in the pattern would likely end in death. After pleading with her trying to show her the reality of what she was risking. She was determined to return. And that's what I said in a moment of. Of pure desperation. Before I write your eulogy, I'm asking you for one favor. She agreed. I asked her to go home, turn on Crime Junkie, and listen to as many episodes as she could over the next week, specifically those about domestic violence. I told her to reflect on those stories and come back to me with her final decision. Here's where your podcast worked its magic. As you can probably guess, she came back with a changed heart. The decision she made was not to go back. Your podcast, with all its raw truth and compassion, opened her eyes through I'm literally crying. Your podcast, with all its raw truth and compassion, opened her eyes to the reality of her situation in a way that nothing else could. Now she's a lifelong crime junkie listener, as am I. And I, I can't thank you enough for the role you played in changing her life. I share your podcast with every one of my clients who's experiencing domestic abuse because it helps them understand they're not alone and that the first step to leaving their abuser by walking into my office is the most courageous and life affirming choice they can make. Thank you truly for what you do. Your podcast is not just informative, it's life saving. And for that, I'm forever grateful. Yeah.