Kshena Andersen, RIP: Dezerae & Vernon Riemenschneider Busted for Her Murder

The Knot, an online wedding registry, lists a date and place for when Kshena Andersen was scheduled to marry Cory Kreider: July 22 in Sterling, Colorado. Andersen also paid tribute to Kreider in a Flipgram of images set to the tune of the Train song "Marry Me." But such a ceremony won't...

By Michael Roberts

December 16, 2015

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A woman's body found in the South Platte River this weekend was identified as Kshena Andersen.

And now, a married couple, Dezerae and Vernon Riemenschneider, have been arrested on suspicion of first degree murder.

The Facebook page set up by Andersen, a 29-year-old native of Venango, Nebraska who attended Julesberg High School, remains online at this writing and features portraits aplenty, including this one.....

The photo at the top of this post was the last one Andersen shared, back on December 3.

Ten days later, local authorities made a grim discovery.

On December 13, according to the Logan County Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled a female body from the South Platte River near County Road 34 in Sterling.

An autopsy on Monday revealed the cause of death: gunshot wounds.

Meanwhile, the Riemenschneiders were taken into custody in relation to Andersen's death.

Both Vernon and Dezerae were frequent Facebookers. Here's a photo of Vernon....

...plus a sillier pic:

For her part, Dezerae can be seen in this photo....

...as well as this one....

...and a more intimate image:

Thus far, the LCSO isn't releasing any details about the evidence in the case — although the couple is currently being held without bond pending advisement.

However, Vernon has had previous run-ins with the law.

The Sterling Journal-Advocate reports that he was busted in December 2013 on charges related to assault and domestic violence and again this past April on suspicion of domestic violence, false imprisonment, second-degree burglary, harassment and violating a restraining order. The booking photo below is from the latter encounter.

As for Dezerae's booking pic, it was taken on Halloween, October 31 — which means it dates back more than a month before her arrest in Andersen's death.

Our sincere condolences to the friends, family and loved ones of Kshena Andersen. Look below to see the aforementioned mug shots.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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