Nicholas and Heidi Firkus, the St. Paul couple who were shot in April when a reported intruder broke into their home, had "severe financial problems ... including the foreclosure on the home, unpaid bills, large credit balances and a lifestyle of wanton spending outside of their means," according to a search warrant affidavit filed Monday.

The affidavit said Heidi Firkus, 25, who was killed by a shotgun blast to the back, apparently didn't know about the couple's dire financial situation or that they were to be evicted.

Police said Nicholas Firkus, 27, told investigators that he and his wife were upstairs when they heard a noise at the front door about 6:30 a.m. April 25. He took his double-barreled shotgun with him when he went to investigate. Heidi Firkus followed him.

Firkus told police that when he confronted the burglar the two struggled and the shotgun went off, killing his wife. He said he and the burglar continued to struggle and that he was shot in the leg, police said. The leg wound was superficial, the affidavit said.

Officers who arrived at the scene within minutes found no evidence of a burglar or of forced entry at the home in the 1700 block of W. Minnehaha Avenue.

Firkus initially described the suspect as about 6 feet 2 and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. He could not specify the suspect's age or race. On May 14, however, police released a sketch of the suspected burglar that had been provided to them by Firkus and his attorney, Joe Friedberg.

The two had hired a private artist to sketch the man, a practice that police spokesman Sgt. Paul Schnell said was "not commonplace." The sketch depicted a black man, 40 to 60 years old, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 and 200 to 220 pounds.

The affidavit said, "Investigators have tried to locate witnesses but have not interviewed anyone who saw an intruder. The neighborhood is densely populated and it was light at the time of the incident."

The search warrant affidavit filed in Ramsey County District Court and signed by District Judge Edward Wilson asks for full credit reports on Nicholas Firkus and Heidi Firkus. The reports were received on May 7, the affidavit said.

"Investigators have interviewed several members of Heidi's immediate family and her close associates," it said. "They have found no evidence that Heidi was in any way aware of the dire financial straights the couple was in, or the pending eviction/foreclosure scheduled for the following day. The house was fully furnished and nothing was packed."

The affidavit provides the first detailed account of the Firkus' financial situation. Schnell said Monday that it does not mean police are any closer to presenting their case to the county attorney's office for possible charges.

Pat Pheifer • 612-741-4992