Before a city lawsuit accused her of running a massive illegal rooming house operation, the residents of Virginia Avenue in St. Louis’ Tower Grove East neighborhood knew all about Dara Daugherty.
Brittany Marquardt lived next door to one of the Daugherty’s rental properties — a home that Marquardt would later describe in court testimony as smelling heavily of mold and existing in “a state of disrepair.” In January 2024, a landmark lawsuit filed by the City of St. Louis revealed that the home and dozens of others were condemned. The tenants were vulnerable people, many homeless, whom Daugherty had recruited in shelters and soup kitchens.
Marquardt was one of several residents on Virginia Avenue who ultimately testified after the city sued Daugherty. But a year after the filing, Marquardt said she is still waiting to see justice for the people — her now-former neighbors — exploited in the scheme…