Posts tagged The Girls Are Gone

Judge dismisses harassment order filed against Brodkorb

November 30, 2018 Comments Off read Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, The Girls Are Gone

A judge in Pinellas County, Florida this morning dismissed the harassment order filed by Sandra Grazzini-Rucki against Michael Brodkorb.

The Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Stalking which was served on Brodkorb in October was dismissed at a court hearing earlier today in Clearwater, Florida by Judge Christopher LaBruzzo. Grazzini-Rucki first alleged Brodkorb was harassing her in Florida just one hour after Brodkorb appeared on the radio in Minnesota with his writing partner, Allison Mann, to announce the release of their new book, The Girls Are Gone.

Brodkorb has never been to Florida, nor did he travel to Florida for the hearing. His attorney, Marie Sartiano Schoeb, filed a motion to dismiss the harassment order and argued today in court that Florida lacked “personal jurisdiction” over Brodkorb and therefore the harassment order should be dismissed.

The court agreed and the Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Stalking was dismissed. Grazzini-Rucki now resides in Clearwater, Florida and she attended today’s hearing. Brodkorb was in Minnesota and would have testified over the phone if required by the court. But the court did not need any testimony from Brodkorb to dismiss the harassment order filed by Grazzini-Rucki.

Brodkorb said today he was happy the harassment order was dismissed. “I’ve never harassed Ms. Grazzini-Rucki in any state and I’m glad the court dismissed her latest efforts to silence the media,” said Brodkorb. “I want to thank my attorney, Ms. Schoeb, for her legal analysis and counsel,” added Brodkorb.

Ms. Sartiano Schoeb is a partner at the Law Offices of Morrison & Schoeb in Tampa, Florida. Continue reading →

Second printing ordered of ‘The Girls Are Gone’

November 20, 2018 Comments Off read Media, The Girls Are Gone

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann announced today that the second printing of their book, The Girls Are Gone, has been ordered.

Since being released last month, The Girls Are Gone has been a commercial and critical success. The Kindle Edition of The Girls Are Gone is currently listed on Amazon’s Hot New Releases for True Crime Biographies.

“It is exciting to see people not only reading the book but understanding the importance of this story,” said Allison Mann. “We have heard a lot of feedback from readers that have been shocked by the ability of some of the individuals involved to manipulate the legal system,” said Mann.

“It is encouraging to see the reach and impact we are having after only a month,” added Mann.

The Girls Are Gone is published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing and was released on October 23, 2018. The book 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. Continue reading →

Book Reading, Discussion, and Signing at Boneshaker Books

November 16, 2018 Comments Off read

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann will be reading from and signing their book, The Girls Are Gone from 6 PM – 8 PM at Boneshaker Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Book Reading, Discussion, and Signing in Minneapolis

November 13, 2018 Comments Off read

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann will be reading from and signing their book, The Girls Are Gone from 6 PM – 9 PM at the 331 Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Michael and Allison will give remarks at 7 PM

In the news: AM 1280 The Patriot

November 12, 2018 Comments Off read Media, The Girls Are Gone

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann appeared on Saturday’s episode of the Northern Alliance Radio Network with Mitch Berg on AM 1280 The Patriot to discuss their new book, The Girls Are Gone.

The Girls Are Gone is available for sale through numerous retailers in both paperback and ebook.

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

November 9, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

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.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 →

In the news: Writing About Crime podcast

November 9, 2018 Comments Off read Media, Podcasts, The Girls Are Gone

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann appeared on a recent episode of the podcast Writing About Crime to discuss their new book, The Girls Are Gone.

Brodkorb and Mann will read from and sign their book tomorrow, Saturday, November 10, from 7-8 p.m. at Eat My Words Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Girls Are Gone is available for sale through numerous retailers in both paperback and ebook.

In the news: The ComMN Law Podcast

November 2, 2018 Comments Off read Media, Michelle MacDonald, Podcasts, The Girls Are Gone

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann appeared on a recent episode of the podcast The ComMN Law to discuss their new book, The Girls Are Gone, and the status of the lawsuit filed by Michelle MacDonald, who is currently a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Aside from offering details about their book, Brodkorb and Mann provided insight into the scandal-plagued candidacy of MacDonald. Continue reading →

In the news: ‘In-depth story of Rucki family hits bookshelves’

November 2, 2018 Comments Off read Media, The Girls Are Gone

Please read the story below from the Lakeville Sun This Week about the release of our new book The Girls Are Gone. As noted in the story, we’ll be signing books at the Chart House’s Sip N Shop Local tomorrow from 12-6 p.m. in Lakeville, Minnesota.

“On August 31, 1991, David Victor Rucki married Sandra Sue Grazzini in a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Patrick’s Church in Edina, Minnesota,” is the opening statement in the newly released book, “The Girls are Gone.”

Samantha and Gianna Rucki were 14 and 13 years old when they went missing from their home in Lakeville on April 19, 2013. The Lakeville Police department led the investigation. The sisters were found 944 days later at the White Horse Ranch in Herman, Minnesota, where they had been living with Gina and Doug Dahlen.

“The Girls are Gone” written by journalist Michael Brodkorb and paralegal with Elliot Law Offices in Lakeville, Allison Mann, provides in depth information about two sisters, the search for them and the court trial after they were found.

Mann and Brodkorb first met in 2016 while Mann was working at a law firm that represented the sisters’ father, David Rucki, and Brodkorb was covering the story for the Star Tribune. Their mother, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, was on trial for the role in the disappearance of her daughters. In July 2016, Grazzini-Rucki was found guilty on six counts of deprivation of parental rights.

Grazzini-Rucki was represented by Michelle MacDonald, who was a named a person of interest by the Lakeville Police Department. According to Brodkorb, MacDonald did not cooperate with the investigation at the time. MacDonald is currently running for Minnesota Supreme Court for the third time.

“We started formally working together in January 2017 and then we announced the book. It took us over a year to get it all pieced together,” Brodkorb said.

Mann added, they knew this story should be turned into a book based on the unique story, and it became a chance to set the record straight as to what happened to the Rucki sisters and what happened during the criminal trials.

Click here to read the full story from the Lakeville Sun This Week.

The Girls Are Gone is published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing is available for sale through numerous retailers in both paperback and ebook.

Star Tribune: MacDonald ‘has a history of controversy and legal trouble’

October 19, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Media, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald “has a history of controversy and legal trouble” according to a Star Tribune editorial endorsing MacDonald’s opponent for the Minnesota Supreme Court, Justice Margaret Chutich. MacDonald, who ran twice unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016, filed to run against Chutich in June.

The “controversy and legal trouble” referenced by the Star Tribune in their editorial will be discussed in an upcoming book, “The Girls Are Gone” which will be released on October 23, 2018.

Earlier this week, MacDonald disclosed one of her bigoted reasons for challenging Chutich for the Minnesota Supreme Court. In a story published Monday by the Star Tribune, MacDonald said she decided to challenge Justice Margaret Chutich this election because Chutich is gay. Continue reading →

Investigation by lawyers board into Michelle MacDonald continues

October 5, 2018 Comments Off read Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald, Missing in Minnesota

The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility is still conducting their investigation into alleged violations by Michelle MacDonald of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys, according to a letter from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

The investigation into the alleged violations by MacDonald was opened after Missing in Minnesota filed a formal complaint with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in June after MacDonald filed a “frivolous and vexatious” lawsuit against Missing in Minnesota, which appears to be in violation of an Order of the Minnesota Supreme Court which details the conditions by which MacDonald is allowed to practice law.

MacDonald is currently a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, having previously run twice unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016. Continue reading →

Grazzini-Rucki files another fraudulent harassment restraining order

October 2, 2018 Comments Off read Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, The Girls Are Gone

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

October 1, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Michelle MacDonald, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, The Girls Are Gone

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

September 21, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, The Girls Are Gone

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 →

New book on the disappearance of Rucki sisters to be released in October

September 13, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Media, The Girls Are Gone

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann announced today 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 Girls Are Gone will be published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing and will be released on October 23, 2018.

During the last two years, Brodkorb and Mann have analyzed court documents, reviewed investigative files, and conducted numerous interviews to provide a completed story about how and why two children vanished from their family and friends for 944 days. The Girls Are Gone includes interviews with members of the Rucki family, including exclusive interviews with Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

“Through the strength and courage of David, Tammy, and all five of the children we have been able to dissect and study what happened to provide a look into how and why it did,” said Mann.

Criminal charges were filed against four people, including the girls’ mother, for their role in the disappearance of the Rucki sisters. The Girls Are Gone chronicles key events during the criminal trials of the people who were later convicted or pleaded guilty for their involvement in this heinous crime. The book examines the other adults who aided in the conspiracy to hide the truth and the Rucki sisters.

The book also discusses the connection between Michelle 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: Sandra 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.

“Adults, many with families of their own turned a blind eye to the welfare of two children in favor of pursuing their personal vendettas,” said Brodkorb. “Fanaticism is the only word to describe it,” added Brodkorb.

Brodkorb and Mann will be on WCCO Radio today at 10 AM to discuss their book. The Girls Are Gone is available for pre-sale today and will be released on October 23, 2018.