Do you know who killed 29 year old Derby Wagner in 1987? On the night of March 22, 1987, in Racine, Wisconsin, 28-year-old Derby Wagner-Richardson was working her shift as an overnight security guard at Styberg Engineering. She was known to be responsible, so when she missed her 1 a.m. check-in, her employer was concerned and contacted the police. The responding officers found evidence of a struggle at the facility, indicating that Derby had likely been taken against her will. The search for the missing woman ended tragically around 8:30 a.m.
when police located her vehicle in an alley not far from her workplace. Inside the trunk, they made a grim discovery: Derby's body was bound, with tape covering her mouth. She had been killed by severe slash wounds to her throat and wrists.
The investigation into the brutal murder immediately focused on her estranged husband, Fred Wagner-Richardson, who was 41 at the time. The couple was in the midst of a contentious divorce and had significant real estate holdings to divide. The marriage had a history of violence; just two months before her death, Fred had been convicted of battery against Derby. Fearing for her safety, Derby had obtained a temporary restraining order against him. The day before her murder, the couple had a tense meeting with their lawyers to negotiate the final terms of their divorce. The meeting ended so poorly that Derby told her attorney she was in fear for her life, prompting the lawyer to request extra police patrols for her. Within hours, she was dead.
For decades, the case remained cold, though suspicion never strayed far from Fred Wagner-Richardson. Investigators had a collection of circumstantial evidence pointing his way. A car resembling Derby's was seen near a property he owned in the hours after she vanished. Bolt cutters, believed to have been used to cut a fence at her job, were the same type he was known to possess. He also reportedly favored using white duct tape, the same kind found on his deceased wife. Despite these clues and a long-held belief in his guilt, there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction.
After 37 years, a breakthrough finally came in 2024. Authorities received information that Fred Wagner-Richardson, a previously convicted felon, was illegally in possession of firearms. This allowed them to obtain a search warrant and reopen the investigation into Derby's murder. After re-examining all the evidence, the Racine County District Attorney's Office formally charged the now 83-year-old Fred Wagner-Richardson with first-degree murder and several counts of illegal firearm possession. He was arrested, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was subsequently released on a $50,000 bond to await trial, bringing a long-awaited step towards justice for Derby Wagner-Richardson.
