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.