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. Her cause of death could not be officially determined but was ruled to either have been due to suffocation or blunt force trauma. Daphne Wright, the ex-girlfriend of VanderGiesen's friend, was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping on April 11, 2007. The investigation revealed that VanderGiesen had been taken to Wright's home, where she had been murdered, burned, and dismembered with a chainsaw. 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.
Background and disappearance Darlene Kay VanderGiesen was originally from Kansas but raised in Rock Valley, Iowa. She graduated from the Iowa School for the Deaf in 1983 and moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1992. She was active in the South Dakota Association for the Deaf and played softball on a deaf club team. In September 2004, Sallie Collins moved into an apartment complex in Sioux Falls. Collins, who is deaf, chose the location because many of the residents were also deaf. One such resident was VanderGiesen, and the two began a friendship. Daphne Wright, Collins's girlfriend, reportedly became jealous of the friendship, although it remained platonic. Wright argued with VanderGiesen weeks before the murder, accusing her of attempting to break up the couple. Wright also sent emails, insulting VanderGiesen and warning her to stay away from Collins. Sometime later, VanderGiesen told her family that the two had reconciled and that they were friends again. On February 1, 2006, VanderGiesen left her job 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. This was the last time VanderGiesen was seen alive.
Investigation VanderGiesen was reported missing to the Sioux Falls Police Department on February 3 after failing to show up to work for two days. Her abandoned car was found in the Pizza Hut parking lot, with her keys, wallet, and identification missing. Initially, police and VanderGiesen's family worried that she might have been taken by a man she had met on the Internet. Police interviewed a male acquaintance but ruled out his involvement. Family and friends congregated at VanderGiesen's apartment, where they interacted with Wright. VanderGiesen's mother recalled, "She came to me and told me who she was. She gave me a hug, and she said she was sorry that Darlene was missing, that they were friends and she would be praying that we would find Darlene soon". VanderGiesen's sister showed police the emails that Wright had sent. The emails were traced to Wright's home but were sent using a pseudonym. Another acquaintance told police about the argument. Police conducted a search warrant at Wright's home on February 7 and turned up multiple pieces of evidence, including bone and tissue fragments in the basement that were later identified as VanderGiesen's through DNA testing. On February 10, Wright was arrested at a Sioux Falls Hotel. During questioning, Wright admitted to the feud with VanderGiesen and to sending the emails but said they had reconciled and denied involvement in the murder. Wright was charged with aggravated kidnapping, first-degree murder, and second-degree murder. At her arraignment on February 14, Wright pleaded not guilty. The state sought the death penalty, making Wright the first woman in South Dakota history to face capital punishment. On February 11 and 21, partial remains belonging to VanderGiesen were recovered from the Sioux Falls landfill. Her body had been partially burned and dismembered at the torso and legs. On March 28, additional remains were located in Rock County, Minnesota, in a ditch on the side of Rock County 6. A plastic bag had been tied around her head. An autopsy reported that either blunt force trauma to the back of VanderGiesen's head or suffocation may have been the cause of death. 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. Wright's roommate testified that she witnessed Wright removing the carpet after VanderGiesen disappeared. Receipts were found suggesting Wright purchased a chainsaw, as well as trash bags found with VanderGiesen's remains. 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. 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. The psychologist noted although Wright was fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), the language had limited signs for legal concepts, further complicated by Wright being prelingually deaf.
Trial
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