From Attack to Justice: Female Crime Scene Investigator Survives Point-Blank Ambush. Watch the Video.

In the middle of an ordinary April evening in 2022, crime scene investigator Nicki Lenway found herself in a unique and potentially life-threatening situation. Someone approached her as she was walking to pick up her kid from a parenting program and shot him many times. Lenway was horribly injured in the horrific incident that took place in a public parking lot, yet he amazingly survived. This event is a horrifying illustration of real-life crime and intrigue, with all the markings of a film thriller.

Lenway had just picked up Callahan, then five, from the FamilyWise parenting center at about 7:30 p.m. on that fateful evening. She had only gotten halfway from her car to the center's entrance when a man in all black and a mask came up behind her. The masked attacker shot Lenway many times from close range in a rapid and vicious attack. Lenway was severely injured in the incident, but she managed to pull through. She later recalled the time immediately following the shooting in great detail to "48 Hours" journalist Erin Moriarty.

"I fell to the ground," she told us, "And the shooter stands over me and continues to try to shoot."

After the shooting, police immediately began searching for the criminal. FamilyWise and two other surrounding buildings had their surveillance footage analyzed. The initial sequence of photos depicted Lenway entering the facility with the black-clad assailant trailing close behind. The gunfire were also seen on surveillance from a bank across the street. The assailant jumped out of his vehicle and ran away from the scene.

The cops got their first promising lead, despite the lack of obvious license plates on the vehicle.

Once Lenway regained her voice, police questioned her about possible culprits. Her ex-boyfriend and the father of her child, Tim Amacher, was the obvious target of her finger pointing. Amacher has a stellar reputation in the community as a taekwondo instructor. His ex-wife Lenway made charges of abuse and a bitter custody fight involving their son that painted a different picture.

A major breakthrough was achieved by law enforcement as the inquiry progressed. They tracked down Amacher and discovered he possessed a black Dodge Ram pickup like the one used to depart the scene by the gunman. Richard Fennern, an FBI technology specialist, helped confirm that Amacher's truck had been used in the crime. But there were still unsolved issues, including who was driving while wearing a mask and why.

As additional clues pointed to Colleen Larson, the police began to investigate her. Amacher's current significant other was formerly one of his taekwondo students, Larson. When first questioned about the crime, Larson denied involvement. Larson, however, admitted her involvement in the shooting during a subsequent interview. She acknowledged to shooting Lenway while driving Amacher's truck but blamed the conspiracy on Amacher.

Amacher was tried in court on November 3, 2022, after his confession and was charged with first-degree premeditated attempted murder. He eventually pled guilty and got a sentence of 16 years in prison.

Tragically, not all crime sites are places that detectives go to in search of clues, as the case of Nicki Lenway's attempted execution demonstrates. They might become the victim or the scene of a crime at times. Lenway's survival and the investigation that followed serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers that lurk in the background of daily life and of the unrelenting pursuit of justice by law enforcement.