Gainesville, Mo. – A trial date has been set for the Ozark County woman accused of killing her daughter in 2017. Rebecca Ruud of Theodosia is accused of murdering her daughter, Savannah Leckie, and dismembering her before burning the corpse. The trial will be held on March 7, 2022 in Green County.
The trial had been on hold since May of 2021 while the Missouri Supreme Court made a decision about whether a recording between Ruud and her attorney could be used as evidence. The attorney for Ruud argued it would have violated attorney-client privilege. The highest court in the state disagreed on the grounds that the recording had been turned over to a third party prior to be submitted as evidence.
Ruud has been charged with 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Murder, Abuse of a Child resulting in Death, Tampering with Evidence, and Abandonment of a Corpse; all felonies.
