Murder of Darlene VanderGiesen
Darlene Kay VanderGiesen (died February 1, 2006) was a Deaf American woman murdered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Initially reported missing, her dismembered remains were later recovered in rural Rock County, Minnesota, and in the Sioux Falls landfill.
Wright was the first woman in South Dakota history to face the death penalty, but following the trial, she was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
[8] On February 1, 2006, VanderGiesen left her job[9] and met Wright at a local Pizza Hut parking lot and entered her car, under the expectation the two would be planning a Valentine's Day surprise for Collins.
[10] VanderGiesen was reported missing to the Sioux Falls Police Department on February 3[11] after failing to show up to work for two days.
[7][9] Her abandoned car was found in the Pizza Hut parking lot, with her keys, wallet, and identification missing.
[9] Police conducted a search warrant at Wright's home on February 7 and turned up multiple pieces of evidence,[9] including bone and tissue fragments in the basement that were later identified as VanderGiesen's through DNA testing.
[1] The state sought the death penalty, making Wright the first woman in South Dakota history to face capital punishment.
[5] DNA taken from VanderGiesen's remains was matched to samples taken from Wright's shirt, car, and basement, and a carpet discarded at a Sioux Falls landfill.
[5] Blankets recovered at both the landfill and in Rock County, as well as a rope tied around VanderGiesen's neck, matched those in Wright's home.
[16] Prior to trial, Wright underwent a psychological evaluation, which assessed her reading level equivalent to that of a third grader and found that she had limited verbal communication.
Jurors were asked questions pertaining to their views on race (Wright is African American; VanderGiesen was white), sexual orientation, deafness, and capital punishment.
[4] Circuit Court Judge Brad Zell cited three previous death penalty sentencings imposed on deaf defendants.
[24] Wright's defense argued that she had only carried out the burning and dismemberment as a practical means of disposing or the body rather than "for some perverse pleasure".
[27][28] Wright filed a writ of habeas corpus in 2010, seeking a new judge to review the case and citing ineffective assistance of counsel.
[20] The murder and subsequent trial were covered in a 2010 episode of Forensic Files in the show's 14th season, entitled "Hear No Evil".
