Rebecca Ruud, the primary suspect and arrestee in the 2017 case of murder, has been found not guilty by Circuit Judge Calvin Holden.
The Trials took place last month from the 27th, through the 30th, and after Judge Holden deliberating on evidence for the month, has decided to only charge Ruud with Abandonment of a Corpse, a Class E Felony.
Despite previous evidence with Ruud admitting to throwing the body of Savannah Leckie onto a fire, and evidence found on the property with a burn pile that contained 13 teeth, a human jawbone, and a metal zipper from clothes Ruud has not been found guilty of the potential charges of 1st or 2nd Degree murder, Abuse of a Minor, or Tampering with Evidence.
During her incarceration, two of three jailhouse informants testified that Ruud talked to them about drugging Savannah. Additional testimony stated that Ruud allegedly thought she had drugged Savannah to death, and threw her body on the fire, where she awoke screaming. The statement goes on to say that Ruud allegedly hit the girl with a rake until the screaming stopped.
Ruud and her lawyers stated that Ruud had found the cold body of Savannah in a camper, due to an apparent suicide.
Sentencing for Ruud is set to take place in Green County on September 15th. Her current Class E Felony has a maximum of 4 years in prison, while Ruud has already served 5 years in pre-trial custody.
