Index
Message Boards
Backgroud
The Law
The Law
Documents
Documents
Documents
 
 

WITNESSES FOR THE DEFENSE
Defense Case

Terrance Cluretie, real estate expert

Said Ron Rudin's real estate practices were illegitimate
Confirmed Rudin would sell properties under fictitious names to inflate property values

Richard Scott, Carpeteria

Testified Margaret Rudin had a new carpet installed a month after Ron Rudin's disappearance
Said the date was Jan. 18, 1994, four days later than Augustine Lovato had said
Claims he alerted Las Vegas police about the correct date

Robert Will, Illinois attorney

Testified Margaret Rudin contacted him about a year after Ron's body was found and visited him in Illinois
Said Margaret was distraught and very scared
He advised her to return to Las Vegas just prior to her flight from authorities

Curtis Lynch, Margaret Rudin’s uncle

Testified that Ron and Margaret Rudin seemed happy at Thanksgiving in 1994

Susan Reasbeck, Ron Rudin's employee

Said she witnessed Ron Rudin having frequent nosebleeds
Testified she discovered Rudin was secretly taping his employees
Said Ron Rudin was not discreet in his affairs with other women

Dr. John Thornton, blood spatter expert

Testified that blood spatters show Rudin was not shot in the bedroom
Said the murder weapon, a 22 caliber pistol, would not produce a gunshot powerful enough to propel blood onto the ceiling or walls

Marina Flores, Rudin’s maid

Confirmed location of portrait during time period of the murder
Admitted to regularly visiting Margaret Rudin in jail

Michael Wysocki, defense investigator

Explained layout of life-sized model of Rudin bedroom brought into court
Showed jurors aerial photograph showing the close proximity of the Crazy Horse Too and a nearby crematorium.

Donald Charleboix, retired detective, Las Vegas Police Department

Responded to the 1978 suicide of Ron Rudin's third wife, Peggy
Gave a graphic description of the crime scene

Eugene Marshall, detective, Las Vegas Police Department

Recalled to the stand after testifying for the state
Testified that there were 20 calls from Margaret Rudin's home to police in the month following Ron Rudin's disappearance

Eugene DeFlorentis, deceased friend of Ron Rudin

Testified Margaret Rudin would often work late inside her shop
Described Ron as very paranoid and said he had bullet-proof glass around his real estate office
Said Ron joked Margaret would divorce him after learning how excited she was about her new antique shop

Marvin Eikenberry, employee of Margaret Rudin

Worked in Margaret Rudin's antique shop
Said that he never saw a trunk in the store
Identified an item in a photo — which prosecutors say is a trunk — as a chest

Barbara Orcutt, friend of the Rudins

Testified Margaret Rudin called her concerned and upset about Ron Rudin's disappearance
Prompted by the phonecall, sent a search party out to look for the missing millionaire
Said Ron Rudin told her he used recording devices in his office

Eric Hall, former stepfather of Augustine Lovato

Was married to Terry Hall, the mother of the Rudin's handyman and prosecution witness Augustine Lovato
Said he recalled her talking about the reward but couldn't recall when

Michelle Nissen-Stephens, operations manager of US Rent A Car

Spoke to police about Sharon's rentals
Said she didn't see investigators take pictures or inspect for evidence
Testified vehicle was clean when it was returned by Sharon

Maria Romano, general manager of US Rent A Car

Testified about Yehuda Sharon's car rentals between Dec. 18 and 23, 1994
Confirmed the mileage on the car was less than where Sharon told police he went

Jeanne Nakashima, defendant's friend

Said she spent three hours with Margaret Rudin the evening Ron disappeared
Testified that the next day Margaret seemed upset
Told Margaret, based on an experience with her missing son, that one must wait 48 hours before reporting a missing person

Nora Rudin, DNA consultant

Contradicting prosecution expert's findings, said tests on picture frame were inconclusive
Said prosecution experts should have performed further testing

Burt Barton, funeral home director

Testified it would take at least three hours and 1,400 degrees of heat to cremate a body
Said Rudin's bones and skull did not appear to have been burned at the same time
Admitted Rudin's body did not appear to have been cremated in a controlled environment

John DeHaan, fire forensics expert

Concluded Ron Rudin's was not completely burned at Nelson's Landing where it was found
Said not enough gasoline, no evidence of body fat and no wick don't support the prosecution's theory

 

advertisement
©2001 Courtroom Television Network LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms & Privacy Guidelines

Small Court TV Logo