Bio

Denise Leone Frei was born in 1966. She lived in Marengo, Iowa as an adult.

A psychologist who examined her said she had been sexually molested as a child by her brother. The same psychologist said two cousins and a farm hand also molested her when she was a teenager. That evaluator also said her parents had physically abused her.

The psychologist described her as having symptoms of post-traumatic stress and major depression. The evaluator said she showed low self-esteem, guilt, and shame.

Frei had three sons. One of her sons is Jacob Hilgendorf. In 2003 she began a relationship with Curtis Bailey when both were married to other partners. She also was involved with running a cafe called Bailey’s Lincoln Café and had business debts.

Murder Story

Denise Leone Frei, born in 1966, was involved in the death of one person. The victim was Curtis Bailey, 33. The death occurred on July 19, 2009, in Marengo, Iowa County, Iowa.

Investigators said Frei and two others planned to get Bailey drunk and then suffocate him with plastic wrap. Frei later told police the plan changed when Bailey woke up and a struggle began. Frei, her son Jacob Hilgendorf, and Jessica Dayton then struck Bailey with a rock, a candy dish, and an ashtray. Medical testimony said Bailey suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to the head, between 11 and 30 blows.

Frei and Hilgendorf both confessed to taking part in the struggle, and they named Dayton as involved. Search warrants showed police recovered plastic wrap, a rock, glass fragments, and other items from the scene and from a vehicle. Frei told investigators she had tried earlier attempts to kill Bailey, including giving him crushed morphine and injecting him with insulin.

Officers found Bailey unresponsive at his home. Frei called 911 and all three were arrested the same day. Prosecutors said Frei admitted planning the killing and forming the intent to kill. Frei said she had suffered verbal, physical, and sexual abuse and that she acted to protect her son and family. She claimed battered woman syndrome and argued the slaying was in self-defense.

At trial, experts disagreed on whether Frei met the legal standard for insanity or had psychological disorders. A Kansas psychologist testified Frei suffered from post-traumatic stress and battered woman syndrome. A psychiatrist for the prosecution testified Frei did not meet the criteria for legal insanity and could form specific intent to kill.

A jury found Frei guilty of first-degree murder on August 25, 2011. Hilgendorf and Dayton were also convicted of first-degree murder and are serving life sentences. On September 19, 2011, Frei was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The court also ordered restitution payments to the victim’s estate and the Crime Victims’ Assistance Program.

Frei appealed aspects of the trial, including jury instructions on justification, insanity, and reasonable doubt. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld her conviction on March 8, 2013.