The Murder of Dawn Wagner
For this case, I watched an episode of Snapped. It’s season 27 episode 15.
A 51-year-old mother is found dead in her bathroom.
Background
Dawn Marie Vercauteren was only 51-years-old at the time of her death. In 1999, Dawn, a single mother of 4, met her future husband, Larry Wagner, and the two married in 2001.
Larry described Dawn as a beautiful blonde with a contagious laugh. He said that people really gravitated towards her. Larry became a father figure to Dawn’s kids, especially to her daughter, Sarah.
Dawn Wagner
Sarah’s Downward Spiral
Sarah was very close to Dawn. The two were described as best friends, rather than mother and daughter. As Sarah grew up, she started spending less time at home, and more time with a bad crowd.
By age 17, Sarah had become addicted to heroin. She looked thin and tired, and Larry and Dawn would hear her getting sick in the bathroom.
Larry and Dawn decided that they needed to relocate to Pennsylvania to get Sarah the help she needed. They told Sarah that she needed to go to rehab if she wanted to continue to live with them.
Sarah was able to get clean, but it didn’t last long. Sarah had also been dating a man on/off. It was a volatile relationship. The two had a son in 2011. Dawn was ecstatic to be a grandmother, and she provided for Sarah and her grandson, Skylar.
Dawn and Larry’s relationship was deteriorating. The two separated after 13 years of marriage. Dawn, Sarah and Skylar moved into a trailer in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Larry stayed in contact with Dawn, and the two were on good terms.
Sarah, her son, Skylar, and Dawn
Dawn’s trailer
A Horrific Discovery
On January 9, 2014, Larry called 911 around 4:45pm. He had received a call from Dawn’s boss, who told him that Dawn hadn't been to work since December 31.
Larry had arrived at Dawn’s trailer. The door was unlocked, so he walked in. He said he walked down the hallway, and found Dawn’s body when he flipped the light on in the bathroom. Dawn was obviously dead, and had been that way for a few days.
The police arrived, and could immediately smell death in the trailer. There was blood everywhere. It seemed as if Dawn had gotten into a fight with her killer in the kitchen, and had been dragged to the bathroom. There was blood all over the sink, tub and toilet.
Dawn had been struck 18 times in the neck, shoulders and face. A bloody hammer was found in the garbage can. Dawn’s hands and ankles were bound with duct tape. Dawn’s hands were up near her head, as if she had been trying to defend herself.
Larry’s Story
Larry told the police that Dawn’s car was missing, as was her daughter and grandson. A BOLO was put out for them.
The police interviewed Larry, as the husband or significant other is always the first suspect.
Larry was emotional, and shared his life with the police. Larry told them that Dawn had cheated on him with her former boss. He said the infidelity and Sarah’s drug use had led to them separating.
Larry said he and Dawn would notice things like jewelry missing from the home. Sarah had also drained their bank account. Sarah’s boyfriend was also another sore subject, as Dawn really despised him, and told Sarah to stay away from him.
The police asked Larry when he last saw or spoke to Dawn. Larry said he hadn’t seen Dawn in days, but had received a message from her on January 6. Larry said he knew that it wasn’t Dawn who had texted him, as there was a lot of spelling mistakes.
The police also knew that Dawn had most likely been dead for quite a few days. The police were also able to rule Larry out. He really cared for Dawn, and still loved her.
A Drug Deal Gone Wrong?
The police were able to speak to Dawn’s neighbors. The neighbors said that Sarah’s boyfriend would be at the trailer while Dawn was at work. He would have sketchy people coming in and out all day.
The police were working on tracking down the boyfriend. They also learned that Dawn’s cause of death was actually strangulation, and that she had most likely died on December 31.
Sarah’s boyfriend was found at the Allegheny County Jail. He had been incarcerated on unrelated drug and theft charges. He showed no emotion about Dawn’s death, but said he had been in jail since December 28. The police were able to rule him out.
Sarah’s boyfriend also revealed that Sarah was also in the same jail. She had been arrested on January 7, for robbing a bank. Sarah had driven her son to a Subway to attempt to rob it. When she couldn’t, she went to a nearby PNC Bank, and took $320 in cash. She didn't get far before she was arrested. Sarah’s son was sent to live with his paternal grandmother.
The police went to speak to her. They said it was clear that she was a drug addict. Sarah became emotional when she found out that her mom was killed. Sarah said she had owed some money to a drug dealer, and that he showed up at the house on December 31.
Sarah said she was able to pay the drug dealer, and that he promised not to hurt her mom. The police somehow knew that Sarah was lying, and that this drug dealer didn’t exist.
Sarah’s Story
When the police interviewed Sarah, she had told them that she had been driving her boyfriends mom’s vehicle. However, she had actually been arrested while driving her mom’s missing red Chevy. The car had been impounded.
The police checked surveillance footage of Sarah at a gas station and Walmart. Sarah had used Dawn’s credit cards to purchase cleaning products and a RubberMaid tub at the Walmart.
The police picked Sarah up at the county jail, and transported her to the Pennsylvania State police barracks. They gave her a cigarette in the car, and she opened up.
Sarah told the police that she had gone to rehab, but by December 31, she was craving heroin. Sarah said she asked Dawn if she could borrow her car, but Dawn said no. When Dawn said no, Sarah went into the kitchen and grabbed a hammer.
Dawn was in the living room watching TV with her back to Sarah. Sarah got onto the kitchen counter, and struck Dawn with the hammer. Dawn had tried to escape, but Sarah grabbed her by her hair. Sarah then dragged Dawn into the bathroom. Sarah put up a baby gate, so that her son wouldn’t see what was happening. She then duct taped Dawn’s wrists and ankles, and choked her until she died.
Sarah told the police that she had no idea if Dawn was actually dead, but didn’t care. Sarah said she grabbed her son, Dawn’s purse, phone and car, and they took off. Sarah had withdrawn $600, bought heroin, and check her and her son into a motel. Sarah texted Larry, and several other people from Dawn’s phone to make it seem like she was alive.
The police were stunned by Sarah’s confession. Sarah had showed no emotion. Sarah revealed that she had gone back to the trailer a few days later to attempt to clean up. Sarah said she was affected by what she did, and couldn’t even go to the bathroom. Sarah said she went to the bathroom in a bucket, and threw away the waste in the yard.
The Plea Deal
Sarah was originally charged with first degree murder, second degree murder and reckless endangerment.
On October 31, 2014, Sarah had her first of many preliminary hearings. Sarah walked into the court room, and was shackled and chained.
The prosecution said that Dawn’s death was premeditated. However, Sarah’s defense said that her addiction made her do it. Sarah would’ve done anything, even murder her mother, to be able to get heroin.
In March 2016, Sarah pled guilty to first degree murder. On April 19, 2016, she was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Larry spoke to Sarah in court. He said he still didn’t understand why she killed her mom. He said he was sorry for not visiting her, but was still working on forgiving her. Sarah responded that she was sorry.
Sarah Vercauteren
FINAL THOUGHTS
I don’t think Sarah was in her right mind when she killed Dawn. However, that doesn’t change the fact that she killed Dawn, and put her son in harms way. Sarah then robbed a bank, and stole money from Dawn all because of her heroin addiction.
I also will never understand the mind of an addict. I do believe Sarah would’ve done anything, maybe even kill her son, or anyone else if they would’ve gotten in her way. Dawn was the person who got in her way that night, and she killed her. Sarah deserves to spend her life in prison, and hopefully she is a different person without the drugs.
Sources
https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/sarah-vercauteren-guilty-murdering-mom-dawn-wagner-drugs
https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-sarah-vercauteren-now/
https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/salem-twp-womans-confession-played-court-i-kept-hi/140373180/
