Week Family Still Seeks Justice for Girl’s Death

March 13, 1997

After two years with no arrest, Tribune giving much of reward fund to family

By MARK SCARBOROUGH

Tribune Staff Writer

The Daily Tribune has decided to close a checking account for its Deidre Week Reward Fund, honoring donor request by giving “much of the fund” dollars to the hit and run victim’s family.

Other donors asked money to be returned to them. Still another donor asked that their contribution be given to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department for a future reward fund.

About $1,700 will be given to the family of Deidre Week, an 11-year-old town of Hansen girl. She died March 24, 1995, while riding her bicycle on County Trunk HH near her rural Vesper home.

The Vesper Elementary School fifth grader was struck from behind by an unknown vehicle. The driver left the scene without helping the girl.

Deidre later was declared dead at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield.

She was the daughter of David and Brenda Week. Investigation continues on the case, which remains unsolved.

The Week Family “really appreciated” every effort to raise money for the fund and plans to maintain the money as a reward for the arrest and conviction of Deidre’s killer, said the girl’s mother, Brenda.

“At this point, you wonder how much money would bring the right person out,” she said. “Or, if any amount will, after two years.

“But you have to have hope. I can’t say we’ve lost hope. I feel that someday, someone is going to be caught. It’s just a matter of time.

“Other people know (who is responsible for Deidre’s death). They can’t keep it quiet forever. We’ll find out who did it. That has to happen.” The Tribune reward fund “was established in hopes of solving this tragedy,” said Randy Graf, Daily Tribune publisher. “Unfortunately, we have seen no break in the case after nearly two years. When we initiated the reward fund, we told those wishing to contribute that it would be in place for a period of one year. I am pleased that much of the fund will be given to Deidre’s family.”

When the newspaper started the fund, the donors were told they “Would have the opportunity to decide what to do with their donation should the reward not be given out,” Graf recently wrote the family.

“We had sincerely hoped that this fund would be given out to someone to shed light on the case,” Graf wrote.

A total of $250 will be returned to donors, with a $25 sum given to the Sheriff’s Department for a future reward fund,” Graf said.

The Weeks closely monitor the case through Tom Reichert, a sheriff’s department investigator, Brenda said. Any information the family receives, even second or third hand, is passed along to the department, she said.

“It’s been turmoil,” Brenda said about the ongoing case. “I just hope it gets over with. It’s still so open, like a wound.

“In a lot of ways, it’s taken a toll on our family. We pretty much stay at home nights. We go to work days and keep things going, but it isn’t easy. I feel a lot of anger building.

“The bottom line is we just want what is right. We just want some justice.”