LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — If you’ve lived in Las Vegas for a while, you probably know the name “Margaret Rudin.” She was convicted of killing her millionaire husband, Ron Rudin. Tonight, she’s out of prison.
Rudin was dubbed the “Black Widow” during a case that made international headlines, and she served a 20-year to life sentence. 8 News Now spoke with the 76-year-old and her attorney as she started to get acclimated to the outside world.
Our cameras were the only ones to capture one of Rudin’s first moments in public. Her attorney told us she is readjusting.
“She’s very excited, but she’s also, I think, a little bit overwhelmed,” said Attorney Greg Mullanax. Rudin walked out of a Las Vegas Office Depot as a free woman. She and her lawyer visited the store for supplies before driving away. “Tonight, she’s just trying to relax and get acclimated to being outside of prison.”
Rudin did not want to speak on camera after nearly 20 years behind bars. She was convicted for Ron’s murder in 2001. He was found shot in the head in 1994 at their Las Vegas home, and his remains were dumped in the desert near Lake Mohave.
“We 100 percent believe she’s innocent. She did not have a fair trial. That is the tragedy of this case, and she did not have a fair appeal,” stated Mullanax.
We inquired as to who did kill Ron since Rudin is claiming her innocence. Mullanax said he’s not sure right now.
There has been a back and forth of appeals in Rudin’s case that continue now. In October, she told the parole board she planned to stay in Nevada, but that’s changed as she starts a new life.
“She’s going to go to Illinois to be with her family,” revealed Mullanax. “She is going to be with her daughter, her grandkids and her great grandkids.”
Rudin plans to leave on a plane tomorrow. One of the first things she did after her release was get a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
