Kriti MehrotraOn February 9, 2007, Tara Grant lost her life in one of the worst ways imaginable at the hands of her husband and the father of her two children, Stephen Grant. He had choked her to death before horrifically dismembering and disposing of her remains, only to be apprehended within a month. As explored on ID’s ‘Betrayed: Beware The Au Pair,’ it was around the time he had begun an affair with their 19-year-old German au pair after growing to resent his wife. So now, if you’re curious to know more about the latter, Verena Dierkes, we’ve got the details for you.
Who is Verena Dierkes?
As a foreign teenager in the United States of America working for the Grants as a nanny, Verena Dierkes was trying her best to enjoy every opportunity that came her way. However, in early 2007, things started to change as Stephen dropped hints and pursued her despite only knowing her for five months. He allegedly didn’t care that he was married, going as far as to tell Verena that he and Tara had been having troubles. Thus, on February 1, he crossed the simple and flirty conversation stage by outrightly telling her, “You’re beautiful. I want to sleep with you.”
Verena continued to play down Stephen’s attempts in the days that followed, yet they ultimately slept together on February 7. From there, they kissed and cuddled like any ordinary couple and even shared a bed on the eve of Tara’s murder, which is what reportedly made Stephen decide that it was time to end the union with his wife. He followed through after they argued when Tara returned from a business trip – while Verena was out — making it evident that she had no hand in the incident. Since she didn’t even know about it, Verena stayed with Stephen.
Where is Verena Dierkes Now?
Verena Dierkes spoke to the detectives once Tara was reported missing, but she did not reveal the affair in fear of how it might impact her or Stephen. She believed him and was slowly falling in love with him, so she wanted to do everything she could to protect him. Yet, when her employment agency asked her to leave the Grant home, likely due to all the suspicious aspects surrounding the case, she did. In the end, on February 21, Verena returned to Germany. She did stay in touch with Stephen in secret, but after he called to confess on March 3, she broke it all off.
That same day, Verena reported her beau to the lead investigator, and when the time came, she flew from her home to testify against him in court. It seems like she closed this chapter of her life for good following Stephen’s conviction and has since moved on to the best of her abilities. Verena stays well away from the spotlight these days, and from what we can tell, she’s still a German native.
