LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A judge dismissed murder charges Monday against Margaret Rudin, the woman dubbed “The Black Widow” who a jury convicted of killing her husband more than two decades ago.
Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed the case after reading filings from both Rudin’s attorneys and Clark County prosecutors. The hearing itself lasted about a minute.
Holthus’ dismissal means Rudin’s murder charge and conviction are dismissed and vacated. In 2022, a federal judge vacated her conviction, citing poor attorney representation and possible other suspects. The state and the Clark County District Attorney’s Office declined to retry Rudin.
In 2001, a Clark County jury found Rudin, now 81, guilty of the death of her husband, Ron Rudin, a real estate investor. Ron Rudin’s charred body was found near Lake Mohave in 1995. Margaret Rudin served 20 years in prison before the parole board granted her release.
Rudin has since filed a civil lawsuit against the state. A hearing in that case was likely before the end of the year.
This story will be updated.
