Regina Ann Hortsch Dehler, aged 50, passed away on December 19, 1941, in Buckman, Morrison County, Minnesota. She was born on September 22, 1891, and was buried in Saint Michael Cemetery in Buckman. Regina's death was a tragic event that led to a significant legal case involving her son, Richard Edward Dehler.
Richard Edward Dehler was indicted by the grand jury of Morrison County on December 30, 1941, for the murder of his mother, Regina Dehler.
At the time of the crime, Richard was under 18 years old, but he was tried as an adult due to the severity of the charges. On January 23, 1942, after a plea of not guilty and a trial, the jury found Richard guilty of murder in the second degree, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
In 1959, Richard was released on habeas corpus to stand trial again on the indictment, as his rights as a juvenile had been denied during the first proceedings. On June 8, 1959, the grand jury returned four separate indictments charging Richard with first-degree murder in the deaths of Regina Dehler, August Benedict Dehler, Kenneth Dehler, and Anna Mae Dehler, all occurring on December 19, 1941. Richard entered a plea of not guilty to all charges and moved for an order quashing and dismissing the indictments.
The case raised several important legal questions, including the jurisdiction of the District Court of Morrison County to arraign and try Richard for the offenses charged under the 1941 indictment. Despite the legal complexities, the court ultimately upheld the indictments, and Richard's conviction for the murder of his mother remained a significant part of Minnesota's legal history.
