Category Deirdre Evavold

ABC’s ’20/20′ episode: One year later

March 27, 2017 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Douglas Dahlen, Gina Dahlen, Legal Developments, Media, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

On April 8, 2016, ABC’s “20/20” first broadcast “Footprints in the Snow”, which focused on the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki. The sisters were taken by their mother near their home on the night of April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents – Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and David Rucki.

Last Saturday, ABC’s “20/20” rebroadcast the episode with updated information.

Since the episode first aired last April, there have been multiple developments involving many of the people interviewed. Continue reading →

For sale: infamous ranch where missing Lakeville sisters were held

March 20, 2017 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Douglas Dahlen, Gina Dahlen, Legal Developments

UPDATE: This post has been update to include the current sale price for the White Horse Ranch.

While they await sentencing for their role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, the owners of a rural ranch in northern Minnesota where the two missing sisters were held for over two years are selling the infamous property.

The White Horse Ranch, located in Herman, Minnesota is being sold by Doug and Gina Dahlen, who pleaded guilty in January for their involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki. The sisters were taken by their mother near their home on the night of April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents – Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and David Rucki. Continue reading →

Dede Evavold to appeal conviction for role in hiding children

February 8, 2017 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold, who was found guilty for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, is appealing her conviction, according to documents filed yesterday afternoon with the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Evavold was charged in December 2015 related to her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki. The sisters were taken by their mother near their home on the night of April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents – Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and David Rucki.

She was convicted in September on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance the girls.

Evavold will serve as her own attorney

Evavold is not an attorney, but is an activist, who also ran a blog focused on exposing what Evavold and her supporters believe are injustices and corruption in the judicial system.

She served as her own attorney during her criminal trial and she will serve as her own attorney for the appeal. During her criminal trial, Evavold did not offer any evidence on her behalf, nor did she cross-examine any witness or give an opening or closing statement during her trial.

Evavold is a strong opponent of family courts and attended numerous court hearings in Dakota County involving the Rucki family, providing assistance to Grazzini-Rucki and MacDonald.

The court document for Evavold’s appeal were served and delivered to the court by Tim Kinley, the former host of a cable-access show which focused on alleged “corruption” in the court system.

Evavold paid the $550 fee to file the appeal, and publicly available court records show Evavold made a $250 payment toward the over $12,000 in restitution, fines, and fees assessed by Dakota County related to her conviction.

Continue reading →

Dede Evavold delinquent on paying restitution, fines, and fees

February 1, 2017 Comments Off read Analysis, Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold has yet to pay any of the restitution, fines, and fees assessed by Dakota County after she was convicted last year for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville.

She was convicted in September on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance of the girls. Continue reading →

Dede Evavold bizarre post likely probation violation

January 29, 2017 Comments Off read Analysis, Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold, who was released from jail last week after being found guilty for her role in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki from Lakeville, has mentioned the Rucki family on social media, a likely violation of her probation.

Evavold was charged in December 2015 related to her involvement in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters, who were taken by their mother near their home on the night of April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents – Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and David Rucki.

She was convicted in September on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance of the girls. Continue reading →

Dede Evavold released from jail; remains on probation for eight years

January 25, 2017 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold, who was found guilty for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, was released from jail yesterday after serving 118 days in jail. Evavold has been in jail since she was convicted last September.

She was convicted in September on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance the girls.

Evavold will remain on probation for eight years

Evavold must pay $10,000 to the Minnesota Crime Victims Reparations Board. She must also pay two fines of $944, which represents the 944 days the Rucki sisters were missing.

Evavold is also prohibited from having any contact with minor children and she must undergo a forensic psychological evaluation and cognitive skills evaluation.

In October, Evavold wrote a threatening handwritten letter claiming “that from jail, I can use the truth” to “completely destroy [the] blackened reputation” of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, and elected officials from Dakota County.

Evavold’s request to serve the remainder of her jail sentence for 2016 and 2017 on electronic home monitoring was denied twice by Judge Karen Karen Asphaug. Continue reading →

Court denies second request from Evavold to jail serve sentence on home monitoring

January 3, 2017 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

For the second time in the last month, Dede Evavold’s request to serve the remainder of her jail sentence for 2016 and 2017 on electronic home monitoring has been denied.

Evavold was charged last December related to her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki who ran from their home on April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents. She was found guilty in September on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance the girls.

Judge said Evavold “showed no remorse” for her crimes

Judge Karen Asphaug said Evavold “showed no remorse or comprehension” for her actions against the Rucki family, adding that Evavold’s actions “disrupted a family for 944 days.”

Evavold was sentenced last November in Dakota County to serve 180 days in jail and she will remain on probation for the next eight years for her role in the disappearance of the two sisters from Lakeville.

Evavold is a close friend and confidant of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, the mother of the Rucki sisters, who she met during Grazzini-Rucki’s divorce with David Rucki. In July, Grazzini-Rucki was found guilty on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her involvement in the disappearance of her daughters.

Continue reading →

Evavold sentenced to jail, probation for role in disappearance of Rucki sisters

November 10, 2016 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold was sentenced today in Dakota County to serve 180 days in jail and she will remain on probation for the next eight years for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville.

Judge Karen Asphaug said Evavold “showed no remorse or comprehension” for her actions against the Rucki family, adding that Evavold’s actions “disrupted a family for 944 days.”

Continue reading →

Dede Evavold threatens Dakota County public officials from jail

October 31, 2016 Comments Off read Analysis, Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold, who was convicted last month on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, sent a letter to court staff from jail this month which containing numerous threats targeted at public officials in Dakota County.

Evavold is currently being held at the Ramsey County Workhouse in St Paul, where she will remain in custody without bail until her sentencing hearing on November 10, 2016.

She was charged last December related to her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki who ran from their home on April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents.

Evavold is a close friend and confidant of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, the mother of Samantha and Gianna, who she met during Grazzini-Rucki’s divorce with David Rucki.

Continue reading →

Evavold found guilty for her role in disappearance of Rucki sisters

September 29, 2016 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Douglas Dahlen, Gina Dahlen, Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Deirdre (Dede) Evavold was convicted this afternoon on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

It took the jury at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings less than an hour to convict Evavold on all criminal counts she faced.

Evavold showed no emotion when the verdict was announced, but she later broke down and started crying when Judge Karen Asphaug remanded Evavold into immediate custody.

A Dakota County Sheriff’s Deputy needed to help Evavold stand, as she was visibly shaken and distraught. Evavold was removed from the courtroom and booked into jail in Hastings.

Evavold will remain in custody without bail until her sentencing hearing on November 10, 2016.

Continue reading →

Dede Evavold’s criminal trial begins today

September 26, 2016 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Deirdre Evavold’s criminal trial on six counts of deprivation of parental rights begins today at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.

Evavold has been charged with a total of six felony counts for her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

Samantha and Gianna Rucki disappeared on April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents.

Evavold is a close friend and confidant of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, the mother of Samantha and Gianna, who she met during Grazzini-Rucki’s divorce with David Rucki. Continue reading →

Grazzini-Rucki sentenced to jail for role in disappearance of daughters

September 21, 2016 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Douglas Dahlen, Gina Dahlen, Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki was sentenced by Judge Karen Asphaug to serve 34 days in jail and for the following six years, she will serve 15 days in jail on November 18 for the next six years – the anniversary of the day her daughters were found, for her involvement in the disappearance of her two daughters for over two years.

Grazzini-Rucki, who was immediately taken into custody, will also be on probation for the next six years, and she is prohibited from having contact with any of the victims.

Grazzini-Rucki was found guilty in July on six counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance of her daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki. The sisters ran from their home on April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce proceeding involving their parents. Continue reading →

How the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling helped find the Rucki sisters

September 4, 2016 Comments Off read Analysis, Deirdre Evavold, Douglas Dahlen, Gina Dahlen, Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Like many of you, I was saddened to learn the news yesterday that Patty Wetterling had confirmed the body of her long-lost son, 11-year Jacob Wetterling, had been recovered.

According to media reports, Danny Heinrich, who has been labeled a “person of interest” by law enforcement in the disappearance of Jacob, led authorities to the remains of his body.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office confirmed last evening that Jacob’s body has been recovered, but it was Patty Wetterling’s statement earlier in the day which ended the search for her son, a search which began over 26 years ago. Continue reading →

Additional criminal charges filed against Evavold in disappearance of missing sisters

August 30, 2016 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office has filed additional criminal charges against Dede (Deidre) Evavold for her involvement in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville.

Four additional felony charges of deprivation of parental rights have been filed against Evavold, who has now been charged with a total of six felony counts for her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

Samantha and Gianna Rucki disappeared on April 19, 2013, during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents.

Evavold is a close friend and confidant of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, the mother of Samantha and Gianna, who she met during Grazzini-Rucki’s divorce with David Rucki.

Continue reading →

Doug and Gina Dahlen want full immunity, testimony sealed

July 13, 2016 Comments Off read Analysis, Deirdre Evavold, Douglas Dahlen, Gina Dahlen, Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Attorneys for Douglas and Gina Dahlen, who each have been charged with two felony counts of deprivation of parental rights involving the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki, want their clients to be granted full immunity before they will allow them to testify against the girls’ mother Sandra Grazzini-Rucki in her criminal trial next week.

In a motion filed by Travis Keil, who is the attorney for Douglas Dahlen, and in a similar motion filed by Kyle White, the attorney for Douglas’ wife Gina, both attorneys want their clients to be granted “transactional immunity” instead of the “use immunity” which is currently being offered by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.

The attorneys also raised an objection to proceeding with “use immunity” as they claim it is a violation of the Dahlens’ statutory privilege to prevent a spouse from testifying against their spouse, and also a violation of the “priest-penitent” privilege. The Dahlens claim they consulted with their pastor before allowing the sisters to stay at their ranch in Herman, Minnesota. Continue reading →