UPDATE: As of 4:00 PM on Monday, November 20, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki had not reported to jail. Stay tuned for updates.
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Sandra Grazzini-Rucki has yet to report to the Dakota County Jail today as required per the conditions of her sentence after being convicted for her role in the disappearance of daughters for 944 days.
Grazzini-Rucki was ordered to report to the Dakota County Jail in Hastings, Minnesota today by 8:00 AM. Staff at the Dakota County Jail confirmed multiple times today that Grazzini-Rucki had not reported to jail.
Today is the two-year anniversary of the day her daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki, were found living on a ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, in a search lead by the Lakeville Police Department. Grazzini-Rucki appealed her criminal conviction, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed her conviction earlier this month.
According to the ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Grazzini-Rucki will be permitted to execute the remainder of her sentence, a point both Grazzini-Rucki’s public defender and the Dakota County Attorney’s Office agreed she should be allowed to do.
A new sentencing hearing for Grazzini-Rucki has been scheduled for December 14, 2017, at the Dakota County Judicial Center.
Despite the ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Grazzini-Rucki was still required to report to jail today to serve a 15-day sentence on the anniversary of the day her daughters were found alive. A warrant will likely be issued for the arrest of Grazzini-Rucki if she refuses to report to jail.
Since she was sentenced in September 2016, two separate arrest warrants have been issued Grazzini-Rucki for violating the conditions of her probation.
Four adults charged for role in disappearance of Rucki sisters; all were convicted
The Dakota County Attorney’s Office charged four adults for their involvement in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters for 944 days.
Dede Evavold, a friend, and advisor to Grazzini-Rucki was convicted in September 2016 on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights related to the disappearance of the girls.
The judge said at Evavold’s sentencing hearing that she “showed no remorse or comprehension” for her actions against the Rucki family, adding that Evavold’s actions “disrupted a family for 944 days.” Evavold’s sister wrote a letter to the judge claiming that Evavold has an “undiagnosed mental illness” and blaming Evavold’s association with Michelle MacDonald for her difficulties.
Evavold appealed her criminal conviction, but her conviction was affirmed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals in October.
In January 2017, Gina and Doug Dahlen each pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of parental rights for their role in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters. By pleading guilty to one count, the remaining counts against the Dahlens were dismissed.
Doug and Gina Dahlen admitted in court they knew David Rucki had been awarded custody of his children and that they failed to contact to David Rucki or law enforcement that the missing Rucki kids were living on their ranch in Herman, Minnesota.
In May 2017, Doug and Gina Dahlen were each sentenced to one year in jail, but they served only 20 days in jail.
The decision by the Dahlens to plead guilty ensured that Assistant Dakota County Attorney Kathy Kenna successfully prosecuted all of the people criminally charged related to the disappearance of the Rucki sisters.
Follow Missing in Minnesota on Twitter and Facebook for updates on Grazzini-Rucki’s failure to report to jail.
