‘Black Widow’ sues Nevada for wrongful conviction in husband’s murder after serving 22 years in prison
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: The woman known as the "Black Widow of Las Vegas," whose conviction for the fatal shooting of her husband—a millionaire real estate developer—was overturned, has now filed a claim for wrongful conviction.
Margaret Mason Rudin filed a lawsuit against the state of Nevada in December 1994, arguing that she was unfairly found guilty of killing Ron Rudin.
Ron Rudin had a large number of enemies
“Today in her early 80s, Margaret Rudin intends to prove, under a Nevada statute amended in 2019 to address the rights of persons wrongfully convicted, that she was not involved either directly or indirectly in her husband’s death and did not commit the crime,” said her lawyer, Adam J Breeden of Breeden & Associates, PLLC, in a statement.
When contacted by the media, the Nevada Attorney General's office declined to comment. The lawsuit delves into the intricate details of the long-ago mystery while seeking statutory damages, attorney's fees, and a certificate of innocence, as reported by Law&Crime.
According to court documents, Ron Rudin had numerous enemies and ties to organized crime figures when he disappeared on December 18, 1994, after a conversation with an individual who had called his home at 8 pm.
Days later, the mystery deepened when authorities found his abandoned, dust-covered Cadillac at the now-closed Crazy Horse Too strip club, which was connected to the mob.
Approximately a month later, parts of his severely burned body were found in an old trunk at Nelson's Landing, near Lake Mojave, around 50 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Authorities found his skull with multiple gunshot wounds, but most of his remains were still missing. Eventually, the murder weapon was found near Lake Mead.
According to court records, Ron Rudin had a lengthy list of enemies, a complex personal history, engaged in an extramarital affair, was involved in questionable business practices, and had ties to the criminal underworld.
He believed that individuals were plotting to harm him. As per court documents, he had security glass installed in both his home and office, regularly wore a bulletproof vest, and carried a firearm with him at all times, even in places of worship.
Margaret Rudin was found guilty on May 2, 2001
Margaret Rudin claimed in a 2022 interview with KLAS-TV, a CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, that her husband had hundreds of guns, was paranoid, and had extramarital affairs.
“He had always cheated, and every time he would say, ‘I’m not going to do it again, I’m not going to do it again,'” Rudin told the station.
She was arrested years after the murder; investigators believe she shot him while he was sleeping in exchange for his money, then dumped his body, according to court documents. She was found guilty on May 2, 2001, and sentenced to life in prison.
Despite maintaining her innocence for a long time, there was no evidence linking her to the crime, as indicated in court documents.
She fought for years to be set free, alleging that her false conviction was the result of "flimsy evidence, overzealous and inexperienced detectives."
The media labeled her trial as the "Black Widow of Las Vegas," and even the presiding judge described it as a circus after its conclusion.
Then, Margaret Rudin achieved a significant triumph on May 15, 2022. A federal judge reversed her conviction after concluding that she had not been given a fair trial and had been provided with inadequate legal representation.
Prosecutors opted against pursuing a retrial after receiving the ruling. Following 22 years and 5 months in jail, she was released.
