Media rights to Rudin’s story put on hold for now

Monday, Aug. 14, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.

A former spiritual adviser of murder defendant Margaret Rudin will not be capitalizing on the book and movie rights he purchased from her for $1, at least for one year.

Rudin's attorney, Michael Amador, told District Judge James Mahan this morning that Joseph DeLeo has agreed not to act on a media-rights contract Rudin signed several weeks ago.

The agreement comes just two weeks after Amador filed a lawsuit against DeLeo claiming he misrepresented himself as a pastor to Rudin in order to get her to sign over rights to her story.

According to prosecutors, Rudin or an accomplice shot her husband in the head multiple times as he was sleeping on Dec. 18, 1994. They believe he was then decapitated, placed in a trunk and taken to Nelson's Landing on the Colorado River, where the trunk was set on fire.

Ron Rudin's remains were found by fisherman about a month later and identified through dental records and a distinctive diamond bracelet he wore.

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