Marengo woman admits she planned to kill her boyfriend with plastic wrap

DAVENPORT – Denise Frei broke down in her second interview with police and admitted a “game plan” to kill her boyfriend Curtis Bailey in 2009 because she couldn't take his physical, verbal and sexual abuse anymore.

Frei, crying and even sobbing at times during a police interview played Thursday in her first-degree murder trial, said she came up with the “perfect plan” to suffocate him with plastic wrap because it wouldn't leave ligature marks.

Frei, 45, of Marengo, is the third conspirator charged in the beating death of Curtis Bailey, 33, of Marengo, July 19, 2009. He was beaten with a rock and other items in his home. Frei's son Jacob Hilgendorf, and his friend, Jessica Dayton, both 21 of Belle Plaine, were both convicted of first-degree murder in the case.

The defense continues its case 9 a.m. Friday in Scott County District Court. Frei is claiming insanity and self-defense.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Bill Kietzman said Frei asked to be interviewed a second time after police questioned her son, Hilgendorf. She told investigators her son didn't do it and Dayton was “just along for the ride.” She was the person responsible for Bailey's murder.

Frei, in the audiotaped interview played for the jurors, said she felt like she had no other choice but to kill Bailey, who was abusive to her for years.

“It was supposed to be simple,” Frei said. “I was going to wrap it (plastic wrap) around him while he was passed out. He woke up and started fighting. We had gone too far and couldn't stop. It's my kid protecting me. They're not to blame.”

Frei said she and Hilgendorf wrapped his wrists with the plastic wrap but when she tried to put it over his face he awoke. They had attempted to get him drunk. She then took a rock and hit him in the temple, just trying to knock him out but it didn't work.

Later in the interview, she said Dayton hit him with the rock. An ashtray was also used to beat him.

“It was too late,” she said. “He would have killed us. I know it was wrong. I shouldn't have taken a person's life.”

Frei rambled at times throughout the interview. Kietzman let her talk as much as she wanted before asking her to explain some things. In between confessing to the murder, she told stories of how Bailey abused her and threatened to kill and burn Hilgendorf and the rest of her family. She said Bailey was controlling and jealous.

Frei said Bailey was hit about 30 times until he was dead and Kietzman told her she couldn't have done that all by herself.

“No, but he (Hilgendorf) was only helping me,” Frei said.

A former state medical examiner in earlier testimony said Bailey suffered 11 to 30 blows to his head. He died of multiple blunt force injuries to his head.

Frei repeatedly said she was responsible, not Hilgendorf and Dayton. She repeatedly asked what Hilgendorf told them and said he had a learning disability and should “shut up.”

She also told investigators about attempting to kill Bailey before, one time by crushing up morphine in his food and another time giving him two syringes of insulin. Both times he just became ill.

Maleca Hawkins, of East Moline, who shared a pod area in the Iowa County Jail with Frei while serving a 90 day sentence for driving while barred, testified Frei told her about the plan to kill Bailey. Frei said she hit Bailey in the head with a rock.

Hawkins said she wasn't friends with Frei and didn't like her much because she had no remorse for killing someone.

Hawkins said Frei told her she was the beneficiary of Bailey's $100,000 life insurance policy which could be used to pay off a $70,000 debt they had at Bailey's Lincoln Café in Belle Plaine, which she operated.

An insurance claims consultant from Galveston, Texas, testified earlier that Frei was the beneficiary on Bailey's policy.

Michelle Geary, Bailey's ex-wife, testifying for the defense, said Bailey left her for Frei, who she didn't like. She admitted her relationship with Bailey was volatile but they both got violent with each other.

Geary said Bailey had given her some bruises a few times and they had numerous fights over their 10 years together. At one point in their marriage, he threw her across the room and she had a no contact order against him, which he broke a few times.

Kjas Long, Frei's attorney, asked Geary if chasing someone with a baseball bat was typical behavior for Bailey.

Geary said it depended on what the person said or did to Bailey.

Rodney Waldrop, of Marengo, Bailey's life-long friend, testified Bailey tried to hire him July 4, 2009 to beat up Hilgendorf for $500 and said he would give him another $500 if he would burn him. Waldrop, at first, thought he was joking but realized he wasn't and refused to do it.

Waldrop later said Bailey was more talk than action. He claimed to be tough and more violent but he never saw Bailey in a physical fight.

The state rested after Frei's confession was played. Defense testimony will go into next week.

Join Reporter Trish Mehaffey's live blog from the courtroom. Viewers can follow along, ask questions and provide comments.