Dede Evavold has only paid $375 of the $12,317 in 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.
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 of the girls. Evavold is appealing her conviction.
Evavold has only made two payments totaling $375
Since being sentenced for her role in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters, Evavold has been slow to make any payments to Dakota County.
Judge Karen Asphaug ordered Evavold 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.
The remaining balance covers additional fees and surcharges related to Evavold’s trial, incarceration, and probation.
On January 31, 2017, a “NOTICE OF DELINQUENT ACCOUNT” was filed with Dakota County and mailed to Evavold. According to the notice, Evavold was past due for making a payment of $12,317.
Court records show Evavold made a payment of $250 on February 8, 2017, and she made another payment last week of only $125.
Court instructed Evavold not to mention Rucki family on social media
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 represented herself during her criminal trial.
At her sentencing hearing, Judge Karen Asphaug instructed Evavold that she was forbidden from making references to the Rucki family on social media for the length of her probation – eight years.
“You will make no reference to any member of the Rucki family, and that includes the children, Mr. Rucki, Ms. Love, any member of the Rucki family. You will make no reference to them in your use of social media,” said Judge Asphaug during Evavold’s sentencing hearing on November 10, 2016.
Click here to watch a video of Judge Asphaug’s instructions to Evavold.
But since being released from jail, Evavold has written numerous posts which reference the Rucki family.
The first post titled “BACK FROM THE BIG HOUSE”, published by Evavold just days after she left jail. In the post, Evavold mentioned the Rucki family. Evavold also boasted about her time in jail and discussed advice she received from Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney, Michelle MacDonald.
Evavold has published a steady stream of posts on social media which make reference to the Rucki family, including a post which featured a picture of the Rucki’s home.
Both Grazzini-Rucki and MacDonald have promoted posts from Evavold since she was released from jail.
Evavold’s family said she has “undiagnosed mental illness”
Evavold lives in St. Cloud with her husband Darin and their two children. Evavold’s husband was in the courtroom for her sentencing, as were other members of Evavold’s family.
Her family did not attend the criminal trial.
Evavold’s sister wrote a letter to Judge Asphaug claiming that Evavold has an “undiagnosed mental illness.”
Missing for 944 days
On November 18, 2015 – 944 days after they disappeared – the Rucki sisters were found living on a rural ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, headed by the Lakeville Police Department.
The ranch is owned by Douglas Dahlen and his wife, Gina Dahlen, who were also criminally charged related to the disappearance of the girls.
In January, the Dahlens each pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of parental rights for their role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, Minnesota.
David Rucki was awarded full custody of all five of his children in November 2013, while two of his daughters remained missing.
Rucki was reunited with his daughters days after they were found and they live with him at the family’s home in Lakeville.
Evavold’s family said she has “undiagnosed mental illness”
Evavold lives in St. Cloud with her husband Darin and their two children. Evavold’s husband was in the courtroom for her sentencing, as were other members of Evavold’s family.
Evavold’s sister wrote a letter to Judge Asphaug claiming that Evavold has an “undiagnosed mental illness.”
Her family did not attend the criminal trial.
Evavold connected to Michelle MacDonald
Evavold previously served as Michelle MacDonald’s campaign manager for MacDonald’s campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014. MacDonald ran for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2016 against Justice Natalie Hudson and Evavold was listed as the chair of MacDonald’s campaign until May 2016.
According to MacDonald’s most recent campaign finance report, MacDonald owes Evavold $2,635.04 for public relations and mileage expenses.
MacDonald serves as Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney and was labeled as a “person of interest” last year by the Lakeville Police Department in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki – a label which law enforcement confirmed has not been removed from MacDonald.
MacDonald was labeled in April 2015 as a “person of interest” by the Lakeville Police Department in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki. MacDonald refused to cooperate with the Lakeville Police Department’s investigation into her possible involvement in the disappearance of the sisters – even after public statements from her that she would cooperate in the investigation.
Her criminal defense attorney, Stephen Grigsby, said in 2015 that he would advise MacDonald to not speak with the Lakeville Police Department.
MacDonald attended portions of Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial and her sentencing hearing, but MacDonald did not attend any of Evavold’s trial.
