Posts tagged David Rucki

MacDonald announces plans to run for office in 2020

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MacDonald announces plans to run for office in 2020

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children and is currently under investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, announced today – in a lawsuit – that she “plans to run for office in 2020 and in the future.”

The news about MacDonald’s intention to seek public office in 2020 was buried in a 379-page lawsuit by MacDonald and other Minnesota Republicans challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota law regarding endorsements for public office.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018, having previously lost two bids for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016. One week after losing her third campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court, MacDonald refused to rule out the possibility of running again in 2020.  Continue reading →

Tuesday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Grazzini-Rucki

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Tuesday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Grazzini-Rucki

Tomorrow, July 9, 2019, at 8 AM (CST), Investigative Discovery (ID) will be broadcasting the episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book,  The Girls Are Gone.

The episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, called “Footprints in the Snow” was first broadcast on April 8, 2016, and was later rebroadcast on March 25, 2017. The episode has since been rebroadcast on multiple television networks over the last two years.

Grazzini-Rucki had tried to stop the rebroadcasts of the episode which found no documentation to verify Grazzini-Rucki’s claim that she was abused by David Rucki. Grazzini-Rucki had taken to Facebook, calling the show “rank propaganda” and encouraging people to register complaints.

In April 2017, Grazzini-Rucki announced she would be filing a defamation lawsuit against ABC, Inc, ABC’s “20/20”, and Elizabeth Vargas, the co-anchor of “20/20”. Grazzini-Rucki claimed she would be seeking “an ungodly amount” of money in her latest lawsuit, but the lawsuit was never filed. Continue reading →

UPDATE: Grazzini-Rucki tried to stop college payments for her children

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UPDATE: Grazzini-Rucki tried to stop college payments for her children

UPDATE (2:45 PM, Monday, July 8, 2019) – In a radio interview earlier today, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki denied she attempted to block her children from paying for their college education. Despite sending a letter to the courts requesting they “immediately stop” any payments from the trust for her children’s college expenses, Grazzini-Rucki said today “I was not blocking, I was only asking to be involved and know what was going on.”

Grazzini-Rucki also expressed frustrating that her letter to the court was made public. Continue reading →

Court: Grazzini-Rucki is ‘voluntarily unemployed’ and can pay child support

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Court: Grazzini-Rucki is ‘voluntarily unemployed’ and can pay child support

The Minnesota Court of Appeals released an opinion this week affirming previous court orders which determined that Sandra Grazzini-Rucki is “voluntarily unemployed” and she can pay $215 per month to support her minor children. Grazzini-Rucki had appealed multiple court orders from 2018 involving the divorce proceedings with her ex-husband, David Rucki.

Grazzini-Rucki was convicted in 2016 on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of her daughters – Samantha and Gianna Rucki. Grazzini-Rucki hasn’t made any child support payments since 2015 to support her other minor children.

The opinion released Monday from the Minnesota Court of Appeals highlighted what other courts have documented: Grazzini-Rucki doesn’t follow court orders, she “wrongfully disseminating [David Rucki’s] financial information,” and she committed “fraud” in other court proceedings.

Continue reading →

Wednesday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Grazzini-Rucki

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Wednesday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Grazzini-Rucki

Tomorrow, April 24, 2019, at 9 AM (CST), Investigative Discovery (ID) will be broadcasting the episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book,  The Girls Are Gone.

The episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, called “Footprints in the Snow” was first broadcast on April 8, 2016, and was later rebroadcast on March 25, 2017. The episode has since been rebroadcast on multiple television networks in the last two years.

Grazzini-Rucki had tried to stop the rebroadcasts of the episode which found no documentation to verify Grazzini-Rucki’s claim that she was abused by David Rucki. Grazzini-Rucki had taken to Facebook, calling the show “rank propaganda” and encouraging people to register complaints.

In April 2017, Grazzini-Rucki announced she would be filing a defamation lawsuit against ABC, Inc, ABC’s “20/20”, and Elizabeth Vargas, the co-anchor of “20/20”. Grazzini-Rucki claimed she would be seeking “an ungodly amount” of money in her latest lawsuit, but the lawsuit was never filed. Continue reading →

Friday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

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Friday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Tomorrow, March 29, 2019, at 10 PM (CST), The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will be broadcasting the episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the new best-selling true crime book,  The Girls Are Gone.

The episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, called “Footprints in the Snow” was first broadcast on April 8, 2016, and was later rebroadcast on March 25, 2017. The episode has since been rebroadcast on multiple television networks in the last two years.

Grazzini-Rucki had tried to stop the rebroadcasts of the episode which found no documentation to verify Grazzini-Rucki’s claim that she was abused by David Rucki. Grazzini-Rucki had taken to Facebook, calling the show “rank propaganda” and encouraging people to register complaints.

In April 2017, Grazzini-Rucki announced she would be filing a defamation lawsuit against ABC, Inc, ABC’s “20/20”, and Elizabeth Vargas, the co-anchor of “20/20”. Grazzini-Rucki claimed she would be seeking “an ungodly amount” of money in her latest lawsuit, but the lawsuit was never filed. Continue reading →

Tom Barnard critical of Trish Van Pilsum’s treatment of the Rucki family

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Tom Barnard critical of Trish Van Pilsum’s treatment of the Rucki family

In a recent interview with Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann for The Tom Barnard Podcast, host Tom Barnard strongly criticized Trish Van Pilsum for withholding critical information which could have helped reunite two missing sisters – Samantha and Gianna Rucki – with their family and friends within days of the children disappearing 2013.

Brodkorb and Mann appeared on The Tom Barnard Podcast to discuss their new best-selling true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, which details Van Pilsum’s unethical conduct as a journalist also broke the Rucki’s family trust with the media. This lack of trust contributed greatly to a lack of any substantive media coverage about the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki for nearly two years.

At the end of the podcast, Barnard directed his final remarks at Van Pilsum:

Trish, I have no idea how the hell you could do this cause, I’ve been around parents who’ve lost their children. Neither one of them came back, one of them died from huffing, the other one, Jacob [Wetterling], unfortunately, was buried for I don’t know how many years. How you could walk away from that and be comfortable I will never understand cause I could never do what you did. Never.

As noted in the interview, Barnard has worked in the past with Patty Wetterling to help promote public awareness about missing children, including the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling. Click here to listen to Brodkorb and Mann’s full interview for The Tom Barnard Podcast. Continue reading →

Trish Van Pilsum and missing children: how one reporter failed

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Trish Van Pilsum and missing children: how one reporter failed

On Thursday evening, news broke that 13-year old Jayme Closs had been found alive 88 days after she vanished from her home after her parents were murdered.

For 88 days, people wondered if Closs would ever be seen alive again. On the 88th day, the prayers of many were answered when Closs was found alive. A suspect in the kidnapping of Closs and the murder of her parents was also arrested.

We celebrate the return of Jayme Closs to her family and we pray for their healing and peace, as well as justice for those involved in the murder of her parents and in keeping Jayme hidden for 88 days.

The morning after Jayme was found, law enforcement had a press conference to provide updates to the public on the miraculous news. In his remarks, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald thanked the media for their role in helping the public remember that a 13-year-old girl was missing. Continue reading →

Thursday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

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Thursday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

On Thursday, December 27, 2018, at 4 PM (CST), The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will be broadcasting the episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the new best-selling true crime book,  The Girls Are Gone. Starting at 3:45 PM (CST), we’ll be answering questions and discussing the broadcast live on Facebook.

The episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, called “Footprints in the Snow” was first broadcast on April 8, 2016, and was later rebroadcast on March 25, 2017. The episode has since been rebroadcast on multiple television networks in the last two years.

Grazzini-Rucki had tried to stop the rebroadcasts of the episode which found no documentation to verify Grazzini-Rucki’s claim that she was abused by David Rucki. Grazzini-Rucki had taken to Facebook, calling the show “rank propaganda” and encouraging people to register complaints.

In April 2017, Grazzini-Rucki announced she would be filing a defamation lawsuit against ABC, Inc, ABC’s “20/20”, and Elizabeth Vargas, the co-anchor of “20/20”. Grazzini-Rucki claimed she would be seeking “an ungodly amount” of money in her latest lawsuit, but the lawsuit was never filed. Continue reading →

Third time’s not the charm: MacDonald defeated by Chutich

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Third time’s not the charm: MacDonald defeated by Chutich

UPDATE (5:30 PM, Friday, Novemner 9, 2018) – The unofficial results with all precincts reporting show Chutich received 1,054,847 for 55.88 percent of the vote, while MacDonald received 825,779 votes for 43.74 percent.

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Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children and is currently under investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, was defeated tonight by Associate Justice Margaret Chutich in her third failed campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Chutich was leading MacDonald with nearly 60 percent of the vote, based on initial election results. MacDonald ran twice unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016. Dede Evavold, who was convicted of six felonies for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, was campaigning to elect MacDonald to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Continue reading →

Convicted felon campaigns for Michelle MacDonald

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Convicted felon campaigns for Michelle MacDonald

Dede Evavold, who was convicted of six felonies for her role in the disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville, is campaigning to elect Michelle MacDonald to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Evavold was convicted for her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki, who were abducted by their mother, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki during a custody dispute with her ex-husband David Rucki.

MacDonald served as Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney during the entire time her client’s daughters were missing. Grazzini-Rucki was also convicted of six felonies for her role in the disappearance of her daughters. Evavold served as MacDonald’s campaign chair and manager during her unsuccessful run for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014. MacDonald also lost her campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2016.

Despite being a six-time convicted felon, Evavold is prominently pictured (above in right circle) on MacDonald’s campaign website.  Since MacDonald announced her candidacy this past June, Evavold has attended multiple campaign events with MacDonald and has been activley promoting MacDonald’s candidacy on social media. Continue reading →

Grazzini-Rucki files another fraudulent harassment restraining order

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Grazzini-Rucki files another fraudulent harassment restraining order

Weeks before the release of a new book about her role in the disappearance of her daughters, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki has filed another fraudulent harassment order against one of the book’s authors, Michael Brodkorb.

Earlier today, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office served a Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Stalking on Brodkorb at his home in Eagan, Minnesota. The petition was filed in Pinellas County, Florida by Sandra Grazzini-Rucki on September 26, 2018. Grazzini-Rucki moved back to her home in Florida this past June.

Grazzini-Rucki was convicted in 2016 on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of her daughters.

In the petition requesting the injunction, Grazzini-Rucki falsely claims Brodkorb recently followed her, in Florida, in a black vehicle with Minnesota license plates. Brodkorb does not own a black vehicle, nor has he never been to Florida. Brodkorb was in Minnesota during the time Grazzini-Rucki claimed he was in Florida. Also in the petition are claims that Brodkorb has cyberstalked Grazzini-Rucki.

A court hearing on the petition filed by Grazzini-Rucki is scheduled for next Friday, October 12, 2018, at 10:30 AM in Clearwater, Florida. Continue reading →

Jail recordings confirm MacDonald knew Grazzini-Rucki took her children

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Jail recordings confirm MacDonald knew Grazzini-Rucki took her children

Recently uncovered phone conversations between Michelle MacDonald and Sandra Grazzini-Rucki recorded shortly after Grazzini-Rucki was arrested in Florida in October 2015, confirm MacDonald was aware her client was involved in the disappearance of her daughters – Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

MacDonald’s statements to Grazzini-Rucki, made while she was in an Osceola County Jail awaiting extradition to Minnesota, directly contradict MacDonald’s public statements about what she claimed both she and her client knew about the disappearance of the Rucki sisters.

Details from the conversations will be included in the upcoming book, “The Girls Are Gone” which is available for pre-sale now and will be released on October 23, 2018. The book also includes new information about the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki and the adults who conspired to keep the missing sisters and the truth hidden.

“The Girls Are Gone” also examines the connection between MacDonald, who is currently a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, and two people convicted for their roles in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters: Grazzini-Rucki and Dede Evavold. MacDonald was labeled a “person of interest” by the Lakeville Police Department in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki but did not cooperate in the investigation. Continue reading →

Evavold working for new trials to ‘adversely affect sales’ of upcoming book

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Evavold working for new trials to ‘adversely affect sales’ of upcoming book

Dede Evavold, convicted of six felonies for her role in the disappearance of two sisters, is working to get new criminal trials for herself and her co-defendants – not because she claims innocence – but to “adversely affect sales” of an upcoming book which provides new details on the crimes she and others committed. 

Last week, Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann announced the upcoming release of their book, The Girls Are Gone which provides new details about the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki and the adults who conspired to keep the missing sisters and the truth hidden.

The book examines the events which led to Sandra Grazzini-Rucki abducting her daughters on April 19, 2013, during a custody dispute with her ex-husband, David Rucki. On November 18, 2015 –944 days after they disappeared – the girls were found living on a ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, headed by the Lakeville Police Department.

In September 2016, Evavold was convicted of six felonies for her involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki. Continue reading →