When 42-year-old Gwen Hasselquist is found dead in the Puget Sound on March 20, 2020, investigators in Pierce County, Washington quickly rule her death self-caused. But the evidence, and the timeline, tell a far more complicated story.
Hours earlier, Gwen’s minivan was discovered wrecked and abandoned on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge with all four doors open. A strange man at the scene claimed she had given him the van before disappearing into the night. Within hours, Gwen’s husband, Erik Hasselquist, told police she was safe at home — only to call 911 later to report her missing.
When Gwen’s body surfaced the next afternoon, she was still wearing the same clothes seen in Ring camera footage from her home, the same footage Erik showed police but never shared in full. The medical examiner ruled her death as self-caused, but her loved ones have never believed it. They point to inconsistencies in the story, bruises that don’t match a fall, and Erik’s behavior in the days and weeks after her death — including marrying another woman just three months later.
From the eerie scene on the bridge to the unanswered questions about Ring camera footage, the missing two hours, and a witness whose story kept changing, this case will make you question whether justice was ever truly served.
Join Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat as they dive into the mysterious death of Gwen Hasselquist… a case that’s officially closed, but may be far from solved.
Key Episode Moments
0:00 – 0:52 — Intro
0:53 – 2:18 — Van Found on Bridge
2:19 – 5:06 — Demetrius’ Story
5:07 – 7:24 — Police Visit Eric
7:25 – 9:10 — Ring Footage
9:11 – 11:16 — Gwen Reported Missing
11:17 – 12:52 — Body Found in Puget Sound
12:53 – 15:20 — Autopsy & Toxicology
15:21 – 17:04 — Suicide Ruled
17:05 – 18:58 — Questions About the Crash
18:59 – 21:24 — Missing Toll & Ring Data
21:25 – 23:30 — Erik’s Behavior After Death
23:31 – 25:18 — Dog’s Death & Social Posts
25:19 – 27:08 — Domestic Violence History
27:09 – 29:00 — Demetrius’ Background
29:01 – 31:18 — Erik’s Second Marriage
31:19 – 33:24 — Unanswered Questions
33:25 – 36:42 — Outro
——–
For even more stories like this one, join the Crime Junkie Fan Club today: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=episode_description&utm_campaign=signupfanclub
Follow Crime Junkie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimejunkiepodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeJunkiePodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrimeJunkiePod
Crime Junkie is created and hosted by Ashley Flowers.
About Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.
Follow Ashley:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ash_flowers
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyflowers.af/
Check out these other great crime channels:
@kallmekris The Most TERRIFYING Stalker Turned Murder Case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0AQ0Mbo5oY&t=8s
@bellafiori SOLVED: The Case of Koh Yu-Jeong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQyyy9LUvuU&t=1s
@christinaarandall What is REALLY Going on w/ Britney Spears?1 Spooky Conspiracy Theories, Clone, Fake Posts, & more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yls6mUfEf8&t=1s
@KendallRae She Killed Her Uncle Then Starred In A Horror Film… The Shocking Case of Shane Moore & Tucker Reed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYQextwoLk8
Watch Crime Junkie true crime podcast dedicated to covering the cases we just can’t get out of our heads. Every Monday, host Ashley Flowers on SloppBoxx.Com.
Husband has those black dead shark eyes. Monsters in people suits Ladies there is such thing as monsters.
I didn’t even know about this I live right here
The police should do a deep dive into Eric his phone Gwen‘s phone computer because he was online talking to this lady in Kenya before she even passed away and I’m not accusing anything but he could’ve had assist in getting rid of his wife so he would be free and clear to do whatever he wanted to because Gwen would be out of the picture.
They always think the grass is greener on the other side if you look at Eric, he looks like a weasel to me and they’re saying that keeps going through my head as a child. “Oh, what tangled weed weave when we’re out to deceive” that a weasel to me and that’s the first thing that came to my mind talking about her situation because once he got rid of her, there was no divorce court. There was no alimony her child support no dissolving assets. Oh he’s on easy Street but there’s always one little hiccup dead people talk and there’s no perfect crime‼️👍
I wonder “if” a nearby neighbor has a door ring camera that they captured of that night ❓
Guess the word and idea of “INVESTIGATION” does not exist here
Did they ask the husband to see the date of that recorded ring footage??? He very well could’ve used an old video!!!!
11minutes in and I’m leaning towards the husband hiring someone to get rid of her. Obviously my thoughts may change with the video, but the husband’s reaction; the officer not actually seeing her, the lack of proof she came home, and the van is missing from home..sounds more like the husband knows what happened & couldn’t be bothered. Maybe the initial guy had dumped her, went down to check, and then came back up where he encountered the officer.
Or, the husband threw her in, left the van to stage it, and this other guy is just a thief and was going to jump on the opportunity to steal it.
Have you tried reaching out to his parents again? I wonder if they have more info and would be willing to share more. It sounds like they don’t approve of their son’s decisions. I also wonder if his wife from Kenya might be open to speaking to you guys. I’m sure their relationship is rocky right now.