Posts tagged Gina Dahlen

How the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling helped find the Rucki sisters

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How the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling helped find the Rucki sisters

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

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Additional criminal charges filed against Evavold in disappearance of missing sisters

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 →

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki admits past testimony in court was “dishonest”

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Sandra Grazzini-Rucki admits past testimony in court was “dishonest”

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki admitted in testimony this morning during her criminal trial that she had repeatedly been “dishonest” when she previously testified under oath in her divorce and custody proceeding with her ex-husband, David Rucki.

Grazzini-Rucki has been charged with eight felony counts of deprivation of parental rights involving 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.

While being cross-examined yesterday by Assistant Dakota County Attorney Kathryn Keena, Grazzini-Rucki read transcripts of her “dishonest” answers to numerous questions in court proceedings where she claimed she did not know the location of her missing daughters. Continue reading →

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial to resume on Monday

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Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial to resume on Monday

The first week of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial has ended at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings. I have been in the court for the entire trial over the past four days, and I’ve been present longer than any other member of the media who are covering the trial.

I am taking detailed notes of every legal development, along with documenting the atmosphere in the courtroom and the behavior of the key participants. The current estimate from the judge is that the jury will begin deliberating on the facts of the case on Tuesday. Continue reading →

Rucki daughters subpoenaed by Sandra Grazzini-Rucki to testify in court

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Rucki daughters subpoenaed by Sandra Grazzini-Rucki to testify in court

The third day of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial on eight counts of deprivation of parental rights continued this morning at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings. Grazzini-Ricki has been charged related to the disappearance of her two daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki, who ran from their home in Lakeville on April 19, 2013. Continue reading →

Judge rules key witnesses must testify against Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

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Judge rules key witnesses must testify against Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

The first day of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial on eight counts of deprivation of parental rights began today at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.

The bulk of today’s hearing was focused on the selection of a jury who will decide the fate of Grazzini-Ricki, who has been charged related to the disappearance of her two daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

The sisters ran from their home in Lakeville during a custody and divorce proceeding involving their parents on April 19, 2013.

Three additional people have been criminally charged with felonies related to the disappearance of the girls: Dede (Deirdre) Evavold, Douglas Dahlen and his wife, Gina Dahlen.

On November 18, 2015 – 944 days after they disappeared – the girls were found living on the Dahlen’s ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, in a search led by the Lakeville Police Department. Continue reading →

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial starts today

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Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial starts today

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki’s criminal trial on eight counts of deprivation of parental rights begins today at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.

Grazzini-Rucki has been charged related to the disappearance of her two daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki, who ran from their home in Lakeville during a custody and divorce proceeding involving their parents on April 19, 2013.

Continue reading →

Doug and Gina Dahlen want full immunity, testimony sealed

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Doug and Gina Dahlen want full immunity, testimony sealed

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 →

Samantha Rucki tells police her father was not abusive to her or siblings

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Samantha Rucki tells police her father was not abusive to her or siblings

David Rucki’s daughter has told police that her father was not abusive to her, nor did David’s daughter witness her father abusive to any of her siblings.

According to an amended criminal complaint filed late yesterday in Dakota County, Samantha Rucki, who is identified as “SVR”, was interviewed by the Lakeville Police Department on June 30, 2016. This is from the amended criminal complaint filed yesterday:

During the interview, SVR reported the following facts. Rucki never physically assaulted SVR and she never saw Rucki physically abuse any of her siblings. As to the events of April 19, 2013, it was her idea to run away and that she asked [Sandra Grazzini-Rucki] to come get her, SVR contacted her mom by phone using “burner”, phones” provided to SVR by [Michael Rhedin]. SVR and GJR were picked up by [Sandra Grazzini-Rucki]  and [Dale Nathan]. After dropping [Dale Nathan] off, [Sandra Grazzini-Rucki] drove SVR and GJR to [Deidre Evavold’s] residence in St. Cloud where the three stayed for a day or two. Thereafter, SVR and GJR were taken to the Dahlen residence and left there by [Sandra Grazzini-Rucki]. [Sandra Grazzini-Rucki] stated that she would be back in a couple of days to pick up SVR and GJR. [Sandra Grazzini-Rucki] did not return to pick up the girls and she never called them during the time they stayed at the Dahlen residence.

On April 19, 2013, the sisters disappeared during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents. Their mother, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, has been charged with eight felonies related to their disappearance. Continue reading →

More criminal charges filed against Grazzini-Rucki

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More criminal charges filed against Grazzini-Rucki

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office has filed additional criminal charges against Sandra Grazzini-Rucki for her involvement in the disappearance of her two daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

Two additional felony charges of deprivation of parental rights were filed against Grazzini-Rucki late yesterday. Grazzini-Rucki has now been charged with eight felony counts of deprivation of parental rights.

Her criminal trial is scheduled to begin next Monday at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings. Continue reading →

Judge denies another motion to dismiss criminal charges against Doug and Gina Dahlen

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Judge denies another motion to dismiss criminal charges against Doug and Gina Dahlen

For the second time this month, Judge Karen Asphaug has denied a motion filed by Doug and Gina Dahlen to dismiss the criminal charges filed against them related to disappearance of two sisters from Lakeville who were found living at their ranch in northern Minnesota.

The Dahlens have each been charged with two felony counts of deprivation of parental rights involving the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki, who disappeared during a custody and divorce dispute involving their parents on April 19, 2013.

The girls were found on November 15, 2015, and were missing for a total of 944 days.

Last week, Judge Asphaug denied a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against the Dahlen on the basis that the statutes defining deprivation of parental rights are “overbroad.”

Judge Asphaug also denied a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against the Dahlens based on their claim that the statutes defining deprivation of parental rights violates their free exercise of religion. Continue reading →