Yet, after Emilie’s unexpected death at 35, without the victim alive to testify, prosecutors dropped the charges, leaving Emilie’s family eager for closure and justice.
Furthermore, Joan says she learned about the dropped charges while at her daughter’s funeral.
Emilie’s sister Andrea adds, “It seemed too unjust and too awful to just let it go.”
The case is no longer open, but Wilder and the Lindbergh School District have since negotiated the termination of his contract.
“When we received additional evidence from the police in 2015, we worked with our attorneys, our board, and administration, to terminate Jim Wilder’s contract as quickly as possible,” said Beth Johnston, a spokesperson for the Lindbergh School District told Fox2Now in 2018.
According to KSDK, a state official noted that Wilder retained his teaching license as he was never convicted.
