Star Tribune journalists win national police reporting award for ‘What Happened to Heather Mayer?’

The Star Tribune took home the Al Nakkula Award for Police Reporting this week for reporter Andy Mannix and photographer Renée Jones Schneider’s multiyear story “What Happened to Heather Mayer?”

The story investigated the death of a woman in the bondage, dominance, submission and sadomasochism (BDSM) community, and served as an exposé on how police, judges and lawyers failed to protect Mayer and other women from a serial abuser who preyed on their vulnerabilities.

The national award is selected annually by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Denver Press Club. The Star Tribune’s entry won over nearly 30 national media outlets that submitted entries this year. Contest judge Chuck Plunkett praised the long-form investigative piece in an announcement article on the university’s website.

“It was a really gutsy piece of journalism done with a lot of heart and a lot of empathy,” Plunkett said. “It’s clear they went the extra mile and then some to do right by the subject matter.”

The story investigated the case of Heather Mayer, a 33-year-old woman who was found hanged in a dungeonlike basement in South St. Paul. Police were quick to rule her death a “suicide” or “tragic accident,” but Mayer’s mother, Tracy Dettling, believed otherwise.

The piece detailed the significant abuse Mayer and other women suffered while in relationships with professional fighter Ehsan Karam, revealed how the police and legal system failed the victims and explained the dynamics of BDSM and where the line is drawn with abuse. BDSM is the umbrella term for consensual sexual role-play and includes bondage, dominance, submission and sadomasochism.

Some of the story came from court documents and police reports, but the most crucial details came as the two journalists earned the trust of Dettling and the other women involved. Fellow contest judge Tory Lysik praised the sensitivity in which the bold details were presented, a tone which she said other entries “struggled to match.”

Mannix said it was “heartening” to read the judges’ comments and that he felt like the judges understood why the story mattered.

“It was a risk — and there were times we wondered how the hell we’d ever get it in the newspaper — but Renée and I believed if we kept following this thread it would lead somewhere revelatory,” Mannix said. “Thank you to all the women who trusted us with their stories.”

Jones Schneider said she and Mannix “are grateful for this honor and for the women who took great risks to share their intimate stories.”

Hannah Metzger, another contest judge, was impressed by the thorough use of multimedia including text conversations, police videos and strong photography and videos.

“This story not only impacted Heather’s case, but it has the potential to influence how police and society at large view ‘nonperfect victims,’ ” Metzger said in the university’s article.

The award honors the late Al Nakkula, a 46-year veteran and police reporter for the Rocky Mountain News. Two judges congratulated the Star Tribune for mounting the piece from a local newsroom.

“I’m so proud to see local newsrooms stepping up as they are, and like the Star Tribune has done this year,” Plunkett said.

The Star Tribune’s Jennifer Bjorhus and Kelly Smith previously won the award in 2017 for their project, “A Cry for Help,” which documented the police-involved deaths of Minnesotans experiencing mental health crises.

Star Tribune editor Suki Dardarian said she is “extremely proud of the work Andy, Renée and our news staff did to bring this sensitive story to light.”

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition, and we are thankful for the willingness of our sources to share their very difficult stories,” Dardarian said.