Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Murder conviction vacated for Vegas real estate mogul's wife

A judge has vacated the murder conviction of a 78-year-old Las Vegas woman who spent 20 years in prison for the 1994 killing of her millionaire husband until she was paroled in 2020

Via AP news wire
Tuesday 17 May 2022 16:59 EDT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A judge has vacated the murder conviction of a 78-year-old Las Vegas woman who spent 20 years in prison for the 1994 killing of her millionaire husband until she was paroled in 2020.

Margaret Rudin. a socialite antique shop owner, was found guilty in 2001 of murder in the death of real estate mogul Ron Rudin. Prosecutors said he had been shot in the head as he slept in the couple's home and that his body was dumped in the desert.

But U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware ruled Sunday that Margaret Rudin received ineffective legal representation from her late defense attorney, Michael Amador, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Rudin maintained her innocence all along.

“I will be 79 years old at the end of this month so I am very, very grateful," she told the newspaper on Monday.

She was indicted in 1997 in what authorities portrayed as a crime committed for financial gain.

Rudin vanished before her indictment and spent two years as a fugitive until a tip generated by a television program that focused on the case led to her arrest in 1999 in Massachusetts.

The Clark County District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from on whether prosecutors were considering appealing the judge's decision or whether to retry Rudin.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in