LAKEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT CASE/INCIDENT NUMBER 13001278 STATEMENT Date: 06/30/2016 Time: 0900 Hours Location: Lakeville Police Dept. Statement of: Samantha Rucki ‘Statement taken by: Det. Kelli Coughlin Transcribed by: K. Parranto Q: Det. Kelli Coughlin A: Samantha Rucki Q: This will be a taped victim statement for case file 13-1278 location is Lakeville Police Department, the time is Approximately 0900 hours, date is 06-30-2016, K. Coughlin 4812 present. Victim statement is Samantha Victoria Rucki. R-U-C-K-I. Date of birth, 06-24-98, So how you been? A: Good. Q: Good? Hanging in there? Yeah, ok. Are you doing ok now? No? How come? ‘A: I know what i's going to be used for and | don't want to be involved in it Q: Mm hmm what's it going to be used for? A; It's going to go in my mom's trial | know it is. Q: Ok you are in a feally tough spot and | totally understand that. Um no’kid should ever have to be in this spot and you are in a tough one. But we are looking to see kind of what happened and how we got to this point. And |, my heart breaks for you Sam, it really does, Are you being forced to be here? A: No but it's definitely not on free will choice. Q: Ok what do you mean by that? A Gy basically said Ihave to, and | have to be here and | have to recant everything | said and it's gonna and that's the way its gonna have to be and they made me feel really quity about not doing it I started crying. Q: Ok, who is they? A: My dad and Tammy. Ok, ok. Well | just want to make sure that you are not here against your wil, ok. And | don't want to make you say eo gnats not true and | want, I just, ! just want, want the truth and I don’t want anyone to put words in your mouth. So this is kind of ike your chance to tell the story on what happened, the true story, just so we have the truth earynere Pecause you know some other people might say other things and which might not be the truth and only Know the truth. And | know you don't want to get your mom in trouble and | know you don't want to get your dad in trouble. But we're just looking to see how we got to this point. Are you safe?A: (inaudible) Q: I'm sorry, A: I'm at work all the time, yeah. ! Ok, ok. Have you been safe since you've been back home? A: Yeah Q Ok. Do you want to tell me what happened? AA; Just want to get it over with and I don’t want this being in the paper and | don't want this being used as testimony in her trial, and | know its going to be there. Q: Well Sam, | can't lie to you that it will be usé could say, um because unfortunately you know Sure that you are comfortable with this. And on tell, tell us what happened and how we got int not be the truth, does that make sense? A: Yeah Ok: You are very brave to come in here right now and do this. | know you don't want this in the media, | know you Treen you've had unfortunately your fair share of media coverage and you don’t need any more of that | would assume you just want to go on living a normal life? ‘A: Yeah C: Yeah. In order for us to help get you there we kinda need to get the story out there so this can all be said and done over with and then you can keep moving on with your life. Do you need # Kleenex’ got you some water too in case you need water, ok? Can you kind of tell me what it was like before the divoree living at home? ‘A: Itwas hell. It was constantly fighting and screaming, Q OK A: ItJust had to get done and I don't think anyone truly understood that it was getting bad (Q: When you say it was getting bad, was it just fighting between your mom and dad? A: No it was screaming constantly and it was getting to where it really scared the crap out ofall of us and we didn’t want to be at the house. Q: Ok so now when you say scare the crap out of you, what does that mean? A: Itwas constantly screaming and he was starting to get physical with her. Q: Ok did you see that? Yes Q: Ok what did you see? ‘A: He would just grab her really forcefully or he would kinda like move her around and-: Ok. And he would break things. : What would he break? Crosses, he broke an organ leg, Did he ever hit her? {think he probably did, | saw her like grab her really hard and (inaudible) everything ike that- Ok so you said you only saw him grab her- He'd grab her and then shake her. : And you said he probably hit her but did you actually- Q A: Q: A: Q: A: Q: A: Q A: | said that he probably had, Q: So he probably hit her ok but did you actually see that? A: No Q: No ok. Ok um did he hurt you, did he hit you or your sisters or brothers? ‘A: | can't speak for them but never like would slap me or anything, Q: So he never slapped you, did he ever hit you? A: no Q: No ok. A There were times where I thought he was going to but he never did. Then he got mean (inaudible) and uncomfortable and unsafe but- Q Ok ok did he ever push you, kick you, anything, any physical- A: Mm mmm Q: Ok not that you remember ok. How was it at home once dad left? ‘A: Twas quiet, um quiet again you could kind of live a life. (Ok how was the condition of the home? {twas fine, it was constantly clean. Everything was good it was the same as it was before Qa A: Q: Ok, ok how are your brothers and sisters handling the change? A: Itwas good because it was quiet again, you could have a life. Q: Oi ow about when you got taken away, you got putin with @ guardian ad liedem, ok you were away from mom, and dad for about a year-A: (inaudible) Q: Does that sound correct? ‘A: Something like that Ok who came up with the plan for you guys to run? A: (inaudible) it wasn't her idea, it was mine, Q: Ok how did you come up with this? ‘A: I don't know, it was like a fluke thir to be with her and no one would let us. {Just came up with it all inaudible) in the bathroom. | panicked. | just wanted ‘: Ok who gave you the phones that would be in contact with her? (inaudible) You got your own? have her phone number you can't just erase someone's phone number. : Mm hmm Ok because we found some multiple burner phones. Yeah and | gave it to her once we were found. Or when we were with her. : Ok * But I couldn't take i, away for a year and no one would let us talk to her (inaudible) it was horrible Did someone give you the bumer phones? |'m not gonna say. It wasn’t my mom though. A Q A Q A Q A: Q A Q: Ok was it Adam? Ok was it Mike? A: No it just wasn’t my mom, Q: Ok Sam | know this is really hard |- A: It's getting more people in trouble, it wasn't my mom. @ Ok but you have to remember though, that if this goes to trial, other people might say other things. ‘A: She's the one on trial, and it wasn't her. Q: Do you know Mike Rhedin? A: Yeah Q: And who is he? A « He was my mom's boyfriend for however long and if they are still dating or whatever.Ok so did Adam get you some of the phones- No :: To stay in contact- Q A Q ‘A: Thad one phone and he was | met the kid about like 3 or 4 times, ©: Ok Se how would you get to the store because you were pretty young at the time to get the phone? A: Well | didn't have anybody watching me from 2-7 every day. Q: Ok. So would you go to the store or- A would walk to Cub, walk to a library, walk to wherever and (inaudible) would Pick me up from the library every single night. (Q: Ok so if you said that this was your idea to run, how did you how did you make it happen? A: called my mom. Q: Ok A: I didn't know what to do | just called her. Q: Ok so once you called your mom what happened from there? &: We ran down to Lake Marion, me and Gianna ran down to Lake Marion | was going to leave her behind but she begged me not to, @ Ok so you ran down to Lake Marion, | understand that you didn't have shoes or coats or anything? A: No well we didn’t get all the way to Lake Marion, that's where we were Supposed to be heading. We didn't get- How come it happened so fast that you weren't didn't have time to grab shoes? (inaudible) we just ran, we didn't grab shoes, Was it cold out? : Yeah : Were you under a time crunch to get there? Ok so when you got to her, um where exactly di Q: A: Q A Q ‘A: No she wasn't, she just happened to be near it wasn't lke it was all planned out ahead of time. Q she pick you up at? ‘A: Some place between Lake Marion and the house. Q: Ok who was in the car when you got there? A: Dale Q Dale Nathan?: (inaudible) ; Ok what happened from there? We just drove around for a little bit, Ok what were you guys talking about? Nothing really, | couldn't talk, (inaudible) 2 > oF oO > Ok were you guys trying to figure out what to do or- don't even remember. Probably or something of that sort. o> Ok s0 after you drove around for a while then what happened? We somehow ended up in St Cloud, Ok did you stop at a gas station to drop off Dale? ' don't know what the place was but yeah somewhere along the line 2 > 9 > Ok how did Dale get home? No clue. a Ok so somehow you ended up in St Cloud, ok, where were you in St Cloud then? > \: At Dede's, : Ok had you ever met Dede before? No (Ok so who is Dede? don’t even know. Ok so how does your mom know Dede? They're whatever, | don't know what things she knows her from or how ‘she met her through all @ A Q A Q A Q: (inaudible) so she met Dede through all of this like what do you mean all of this? A: Custody- Q Ok ‘A: Through like the court and stuff Q: Ok, ok so what was the plan once you got to Dede’s? A: We didn't know. Q How long did you stay there?A: Aday. Q: Ok did your mom stay with you then? A: Yeah (Q: Ok what was your mom’s plan through all of this when you were with her? A: We were just hugging and holding each other because we hadn't seen each other in a long time. Q: What did your mom want to do for you? ‘A She just wanted to be with us and | wanted to be with her. Q: How come you wanted to run to begin with Sam? ‘A: Because | wanted to be with my mom. They weren't going to let me. I was so sick of ‘everybody. | just wanted to be with her and no one was listening, (Inaudible) and | just wanted to be with my mom Q: Ok. How come you didn’t want to be with your dad? A: Because it was living hell with him I wanted to be with my mom it was so much better there. Q: you mentioned because he yelled a lot and stuff? A: Yeah it was hard to lve at the house with him | just wanted to be at a place where I liked being and | wanted to be with her. Q: How come um you didn't bring Mia or — A: They weren't at the house. They were still with Nancy. Q: Ok, had you thought to bring them with, if they were home? A: wasn’t even going to bring Gianna with and I totally wouldn't of because | probably would have gotten charged with a kidnapping or something. if would have just gone myself. It wasn't my mom's idea on whe care with or whatever. Q Ok ‘A: They weren't there so that’s why they were gone. Q: What about Nico? ‘A: He wasn't there either. It was just me and Gianna. Q: Did the other kids ever tell you that they wanted to leave and- A: No Q: No. Ok so once you were at Dede's house what happened from there? ‘A: Nothing we didn't do anything (inaudible) Q: Ok who took you to the Dahlens?A; I don't know Q: Ok, so who set the Dahlens up for you to go to? ‘A: | am guessing Dede | don’t know who, 2.9K 80 you said that Dede and your mom took you to the Dahlens um how long dld your mom stay there with you? A; Like an hour or two ‘An hour or two? What was the arrangement? ‘That we'd only be there for a few days and then we would go back home. : Ok Said it was all going to get worked out. Ok so what did your mom say to you when she left? That she loved us and she'd see us soon. ‘And itwas your understanding that you were only going to stay there for a few days? We thought it all worked out. (Ok. When you were at the Dahlens did you ever hear from your mom? Not personally | didn't. Ok. Did she ever call? Q A: Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A: Not tome Q: Who did she call? A: | think she talked to Gina, | don't know. Q: Ok did you ever have any other visitors? A No Q: Like did any, like did Dede come visit or did Mike Rhedin come visit? A: No Q: Ok who um who, who brought you to that Fox 9 news interview? A: the Dahlens Q: The Dahlens did ok. Who set it up? A I don't know,: What did the Dahlens say to you? About what? About the interview, like how did that come about? (inaudible) Did you want to go to that interview? ‘They made it sound like it would help us. Ok so what was your understanding about going to the interview? That it would help us live with our mom afterwards. Ok so you said the Dahlens took you there, who was present in the room for the interview? I don't know what her name was. !: Ok are you talking about like the reporter lady? No there was another person that I don't even know who she was and (inaudible) after so- oe OO Oo ot : Ok do you know a lady by the name of Lori Musolf? No, mean | know my dad showed me pictures of some girl but I couldn't, it's been so long | couldn't tell you who itwas. Ok so you said that there was a lady that you didn't know in the room and then the reporter lady- A: And a camera guy Q: Acamera guy? A: Yeah And then you and Gianna. Ok. Um so did the Dahlens bring you right to the hotel room or No, how did that how did that work- A; (inaudible) 1: Ok ah what did the Dahlens do then while you- ‘: (inaudible) Ok so then you went to the interview, and then what did you do afterward? ‘Ok you went back to McDonalds or somewhere else? Q A Q ‘A: We went back, Q A: Farm Q : Ok were the Dahlen’s waiting for you somewhere?: Yeah at McDonalds, :: Ok, ok and then you went back to the farm? : Mm hmm, : Ok once you were back at the farm um did you want to call and talk to your mom? : Yeah rx Q A Q A Q: How come you didn’t? A: (inaudible) Q: Did you have access to a phone? A: Yeah Q: Ok and you knew her number right? A: | don't think | knew it ike by heart and stuff. She changed it or something. Her normal wasn't lke that number anymore, Q: Mm hmm. Did you want to calll and talk to her- A: Yes of course | always wanted to call and talk to her. : Mm hmm and when did you realize that your mom wasn't coming back? A. A few months went on and kinda figured that they weren't doing anything to let us live with her. | guess we were fine because it was calm again and we didn't have to worry about anything, Q: So when you were at the Dahlens um you said that you did have access to a phone- Yep Um did you ever call anyone? No : Did they ever tell you not to call anyone? No. ; How about like internet access you know- We had a computer. Ok were you able to go online and- Yeah : Ok what was the plan if you guys ever got sick lke if you ever had to go to the doctor or the dentist? > 29> OF DFO >TO eS | don't know (inaudible) to really think about it 10Ok did you ever go out shopping? When you were up at the farm? : Yeah the local (inaudible) Were you, were you being hidden just so people wouldn't recognize who were? (inaudible) we had the same hair color. : Um | remember you telling me when I was there that you guys went to church a few time: the beginning, Q: A Q A Q A: A few times. Q: And then you started having church at home. A: Yeah Q: Um was this just so you guys weren't out? A: This wasn't our choice | think it was one of the Dahiens. Q: Ok ‘: (inaudible) | didn’t mind it, 1 really like going to church, A: @ Ok um do you think it was just so that they could you know protect you so that they so you weren't out in the Public to be recognized or noticed? * Probably. | mean we went out, we went to like the diner that was close by and everything. : How many times did you go to the diner? “Like 5 (inaudible) : Ok did you ever go anywhere else? There was another restaurant that we went to a few times maybe but (inaudible) : Ok. How about school when you were there? : We did home school or whatever. I don’t know. Um did Mrs, Dahlen help you then with school work and stuff? A little bit we basically (inaudible) : Ok did she ever like um bring stuff home from the school district since she worked there? A: Q: A: Q: A: Q A Q: Ok and how did you get materials for that? A: Q A Q A: I mean not that | know of. Q Ok so how come you guys didn't like enroll in school there? M1‘A; Because they would have found us. @: Ok um | also remember when | was up there with you guys that there was like a like the Fanch, was um, having {ke @ bar-b-que or like alike | don't know if it was like a fund raiser or um just kind of lke ain awcrorees bar-b-que kind of thing since they rescue animals and what not, um | remember you guys telling me that you didn’t um- A: Go out for it yeah- ©: Yeah you didn't participate in in the bar-b-que that you were kind of lke in the house behind the scene. A: Twas, | mean they weren't like no you can’t go outside it just (inaudible) @: Ok so they kind of told you to you said it wasn't like advised so they kind of lke told you to to stay inside and stuff? ‘A; Yeah (inaudible) the cooking and stuff ! Ok alright what was the plan for when you tured 18 if we hadn't have found you? ‘A; I would have stayed there until Gianna turned 18, Q: Ok let's say that Gianna then tumed 18 then what? 7 ‘A: Then we would move somewhere out of state ike Fargo or something, try to get my if turned around. @ Ok A: (inaudible) that was the plan but didn't think that far ahead : Ok did your mom ever give them money for you? A: (inaudible) Gi Ok that must have been really hard for you, to think that you were only going to be there for a few days and then all of @ sudden you don't hear from your mom for a couple years. A: I felt (inaudible) Q: Did you kind of feel a little abandoned? ‘A: No I knew I would see her again one day. 2 Ok what about your brothers and sisters how were you feeling about them? guess it was better not to think about them. (Ok you know um Mr. Dahlen had made a comment um something similar to i's not free to stay here. Um- A; (inaudible) Q: Ok s0 you guys had to work at the ranch? A: Yeah. Q: Ok. Did you ever talk with them about leaving the ranch? 12A: | think it was more them going if you didn't work you would have to leave (inaudible) Q: Ok so they, now correct me if | am wrong, but they had conversations with you about you need to work or you're gonna have to leave? Like if we ever like talked back or something like that. Ok “Like @ punishment (inaudible) lke they tried to scare us by like you have to leave (inaudible) Mm hmm so there was rules? A Q A: Q: A: Yeah Q: Ok what were the rules? A (inaudible) Q Ok Pig nat YOu had to do your chores that you had to be up by like 6:30 every moming you had to read the bible you had to go um- : Ok were you all ok with that? : We got used to it after a while, : Ok. Did um did Doug or Gina ever make you feel uncomfortable? mmm : Did they ever hit you? Q: A Q A: Q A: No Q: Did they ever get to the point where they got mad and yelled? A: Yeah Q: Ok. How did that make you feel? A: Like | was back at home. Q : Like you were back at home? Ok did situations like that make you want to leave? “Yeah | guess for a little bit (inaudible) for the Did you ever talk to Michelle McDonald? A: (inaudible) Q: Ok do you know who she is? A: Yeah. 13Q: Ok who is she? ‘A: My mom's attorney and stuff : (Um and | remember when | found you too you were talking about um the process of being like emancipated and stuff. Who told you about that? A: (Inaudible) | was 14 and living at Nancy's. @: When you were at the Dahlen’s did did they lke let you see the news articles or anything- Yeah | just got angry cuz everything else. " Ok s0 did they talk to you about when your mom got arrested and stuff like that? | think they told us but- 2 > : Did they continue to tell you um that your dad was abusive to you and stuff ike that? No : Ok. (inaudible) ‘What? Well | have to ask you about it Sam because as a 14 year old- No I didn’t write it- Ok then who wrote it? Did your mom write it for you? No * And | know you don't want to get anyone in trouble and that’s not my goal here | am trying'to figure out You are going to use it in court to put her in jail A Q A: Q: A @ A Q A: Q The thing is Sam that she is already there injai, WE Lie. A: I know but I don’t want her to go back. Q: And | honestly don’t know if she will go back, I, | don’t know, A: They're trying really hard. It's not fair. Q: Do you know what your mom was doing while you were at the ranch? A: Yeah my dad told me that she was partying and whatever but- Q: How does that make you feel? A: She deserves to have a little fun (inaudible) and she wasn’t allowed to do anything. Q: tha os that make you feel a litte sad though that she's that she was out partying with different guys and you were at the ranch wondering if she was ever going to come back? 14A: I knew she would come back ‘eventually or | would find her. @: Ok A: (inaudible) | was never going to see her again | knew | was going to one day be with her but- Q: Because as a 14 year old, a 14 year old doesn't use- A: Iknow Q: These kinds of words you know. And obviously this is your writing here, correct and obviously | know that you wanted to be with your mom, that’s obvious, but obviously you know she helped you write, write that A: (inaudible) Q: Ok well who, who was at the table when you- A: (inaudible) @: ‘Dede and your mom? Ok. Now when you were, when you were with your mom for that year prior to being taken away and putting into the guardian ad litem um would she constantly talk to you about how bad the court system is and stuff like that? ‘A: Not all the time but if | asked about it yeah. Q: Ok. Did she keep telling you that your dad abused you? A: No Q Ok A: During that year | really tried hard to stay out of it and | wanted to have a normal life and | wanted to be with my friends. Q: Mm hmm. A: | don't not believe what she says because I've seen it when the guardian ad litem sits and tells you that your mother hates you and that she's left the country what do you expect? Well it sounds like you got from this whole horrible ordeal it sounds lke you got a lot of misinformation. A: No she said that we were up in my bedroom at Nancy's and she sat and told us that my mom basically left the Pry and she wasn't going to see us ever again and that she wanted to know where the money was being hidden ifmy mom had any off sea accounts. Gi eah that’s what | meant is that she was giving you misinformation that’s what I meant that you got a lot of misinformation throughout this whole ordeal. A: So it makes you very bitter to people like that. (Q: Mm hmm. You know um Sam | know you're a really smart gil and I know you wanted to be with your mom more than anything else in this entire world | mean I totally get it, you know I was, | mean obviously | was young like you one time. and growing up and yeah | was more close to my mom than | was my dad. | mean | think gils I think roe are just more close to our moms than our dads for the most part, um but at 14 honey, Ijust don't know how, you could come up with whole plan to- 15‘A: I did though. I know you don't believe me but I did So your mom must have knew though somewhere to go to take you though A: Itold her where to meet us ! was the one that called her I did. Q: Ok. Do you need a Kleenex? A: No Q: Ok. So why was Dale with her then do you know? A: I don't know they were doing something for the courts | am guessing Q: Ok. ‘A: That's what I remember, they were doing something else and | remember calling her. Q: Mm hmm. So had you mentioned to this to this to her prior to like- A: No | didn't think it was going to happen | thought honestly that | would be back with her before anything else happened. | thought eventually over the next few months while this was happening that we would be moving back in with her and everything would be good and back around. : So while you were talking to her on these phones, these burner phones, um did you men, did you tell her that you wanted to run away before that night- A No because it wasn'ta plan it wasn't, we weren't supposed to be moving out of Nancy's just randomly one day. It ‘was not something you could plan in advance because it was a real shock > us too © Mm hmm ok. So | think | asked you this already as well but um who set up the Fox 9 interview then cuz then if your mom and Dede wrote this for you — ‘A: don't know who set up the interview, who contacted them, I don't know, Q: Ok so- A: just showed up. : Ok so how did you get handed this? (inaudible) before we left at Dede’s. Ok. So it only would lead one to believe that the interview was probably already set up if they gave you this? : Ok what was this for? That was for like the courts or something wasn't Q: A Q A: That wasn't for the Fox 9 thing. Q: A Q: No | am not exactly sure. A * | think that was, that wasn't meant for like the Fox 9 thing. 16Ok As far as I know it wasn't meant for it Ok so what did you think this was meant for? | thought it was going to go to the courts or something, A Q A ‘Q: Ok, ok. How did you get money to buy those burner phones? A; [had money before | left my mom’s house, Q@ Ok ‘A: I wanna say | had like $200 bucks Q: What did your mom say when you got to her and stuff and that she was trying to find arrangements for you guys um how was she feeling about the other kids? ‘A: I don't even remember (inaudible) or something. | couldn't tell you what we were hearing or anything, ©: You know when | was talking to you guys you guys had a lot of um a lot of concerns about the courts when you were talking with me um- A: (Inaudible) screwed up Q: Ok um and | understand your perspective on that because you are in one heck of a custody battle, you got taken away, two parents- A: Itis wrong, everyone agrees with me. Q: Mm hmm so | totally understand why you would have a skewed view on the court system | totally get it Sam, But Some of the things you are telling me about the corruption and stuff, who told you about that? A: Well when | would go to the library | would google our names and see if we popped up on sites. OK ‘And we popped up on this one site and | started reading it to see. : Do you know what site it was? Carver County Corruption Ok did your mom ever mention Carver County Corruption? “After the fact, yeah, What about the red hearing alert? ''ve never heard of it before, that's the new one isn’t it? It'sa— >2>O2F OD FO BO ‘Tammy showed me that one just recently. 7