True Crime Fan Asks 'Dateline' Star to Officiate Her Wedding

Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz officiates wedding for Seattle writer & true crime megafan Sara Runnels & her husband Adam Zack

 

“You want me to get a husband??? The thing that killed everyone on Dateline???” (via Twitter / X @omgskr)

 

Humor writer Sara Runnels went viral for this tweet about Dateline back in 2022. (It was so popular that we can still hear shouts of ‘the husband did it!’ echoing across the internet.) 

 

Now, Runnels’ tongue-in-cheek tweet has come back around in a surprising and delightful way: 

 

Runnels did get herself a husband, and she asked Dateline correspondent Josh Mankiewicz to officiate their wedding!

 

(Keep reading for the plot twist!)

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sara K. Runnels (@omgskr)

 

 

“With a viral tweet like this,” Runnels said in an Instagram post after the ceremony, “it only made sense that I found an officiant that would absolutely kill it at our wedding.” 

 

Crime reporter Mankiewicz certainly fit the bill!  

 

Runnels and Mankiewicz already knew each other from social media when she asked him to officiate the wedding, but they'd never met face-to-face. The two had become friends online two years ago, after Mankiewicz saw her viral tweet and reposted it.

 

Related: How to Ask Someone to Officiate Your Wedding - Our Favorite Way to Say 'Will You Marry Us?'

 

They’d stayed in touch on and off, and Runnels DMed him to pop the question when she and husband-to-be, Adam Zack, finally had a wedding date.

 

Mankiewicz says that the invitation to officiate initially came as a surprise: 

 

“And then out of the blue, she asked me if I would officiate at her wedding, which struck me as either a very bad idea or a very good idea,” he told Huffpost (interview linked below). “I decided it was a good idea.” 

 

After getting approval from the executive producer at Dateline that he could step in as wedding officiant, Mankiewicz agreed to perform the ceremony and get ordained online to officiate. 

 

Then he hopped on a plane to Seattle to meet Runnels and Zack in person for the first time, and soon after, helped them exchange their marriage vows. 

 

“I predict a long, happy, harmonious life together for these two,” Mankiewicz said. “The only advice I gave to them was to continue doing what they’re already doing, which is, clearly, you know, connecting with each other all the time, every day.” (via Huffpost)

 

 

See more highlights from Mankiewicz and Runnels’ interview in Drusilla Moorhouse’s article for Huffpost: ‘Dateline’ Correspondent Josh Mankiewicz Officiated The Wedding Of A True Crime Fan He’d Never Met

 

Then, read about Sara Runnels and Adam Zack’s relationship timeline and wedding celebration in Jenny Block’s article for The New York Times: No More ‘Single Girl’ Posts for This Comedic Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sara K. Runnels (@omgskr)

 

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Get Ordained Online to Officiate Weddings for the Stars in Your Life, with Help From AMM!  

 

Get ordained online free with AMM and learn how to become a wedding officiant to officiate weddings for friends and relatives! 

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Why AMM? American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive nondenominational internet church that ordains and trains ministers to officiate marriage ceremonies. We are a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit church, and help people from all backgrounds and beliefs become ordained ministers for weddings. Our online ordination is free, accessible, and never expires.

 

Officiating weddings is an incredible honor, and a great way to show your love and support for the people getting married. As a wedding officiant, you will help to create memorable ceremonies and memories that last a lifetime.

AMM Ministers can legally officiate weddings in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options). After getting ordained with AMM, you might need to register your ordination with your local county clerk’s office. Click the link above to get started! 

 

 

Become an ordained minister online with American Marriage Ministries and officiate wedding for friends and relatives. (Photo: franckreporter / iStock)

 

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