Prosecutors attempt to refute witness’ testimony

Kim Smith

Wednesday, April 4, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

A man prosecutors suspect helped Margaret Rudin kill her husband and dispose of his body re-took the stand this morning over the objections of defense attorneys.

Chief Deputy District Attorneys Gary Guymon and Chris Owens say Yehuda Sharon drove the van with the trunk carrying Ronald Rudin's body to Nelson's Landing after the real estate developer was shot to death on Dec. 18, 1994.

Sharon, who also goes by the name of Eugene Warner, was granted immunity from prosecution in October 1995 but has continually failed to provide prosecutors with information about the case.

On Tuesday Guymon put Sharon on the stand for the limited purpose of asking him about vehicles he rented the weekend Ronald Rudin died. By the time Guymon was through questioning Sharon, the jurors learned the prosecutor didn't want them to believe his testimony.

Sharon testified he rented a Chevrolet Cavalier on the day Ronald Rudin died so he could travel to Arizona to buy 15 boxes of holy oil bottles he intended to sell to local churches.

Although he owned a pickup truck and a sport utility vehicle, Sharon said both had manual transmissions and he needed an automatic because his right ankle was bothering him.

After renting the vehicle Sharon said he drove around town before dropping the vehicle off at his home. He said he then took his pickup to the home of a woman he had just met a few days earlier and spent the night.

Sharon said the next day -- Dec. 19 -- he learned he would have to go to California for the bottles, and he could only buy them if he purchased them by the pallets, as opposed to individual boxes.

It was at that time, Sharon said, that he returned the Cavalier and rented a van, which could accommodate the pallets.

Sharon said he began his trip to California on Dec. 22, only to turn around at a Barstow gas station when he realized it was raining there and in Long Beach, his destination.

It was at this point that Guymon brought out a receipt from the Lenwood AM/PM convenience store, at which Sharon said he stopped.

The receipt, dated Dec. 22, 1994, indicates that Sharon bought $4.54 worth of unleaded gas at $1.159 per gallon and two chocolate bars.

Sharon explained that he gave the original receipt to Rudin years ago and gave Guymon a copy of the receipt late last year or earlier this year.

Sharon could not explain why the receipt lists gas prices from 1996. Nor could he explain why the receipt says, "Welcome to Lenwood AM/PM" when the receipts from 1994 simply said, "Welcome to AM/PM."

Guymon continually asked Sharon if he is sure he didn't go to Nelson's Landing instead of the Lenwood AM/PM.

Sharon said he was sure he went to Barstow.

The prosecutor then asked Sharon if it was true he had been granted immunity.

"I know I received immunity, for what I do not know," Sharon said.

"Is it true you didn't receive immunity from perjury?" Guymon asked.

"I have no intention," Sharon said before being interrupted with an objection from defense attorney Michael Amador.

Guymon then submitted into evidence a U.S. Department of Commerce precipitation report that shows the weather was clear in the Barstow area on Dec. 22, 1994.

Guymon proceeded to ask Sharon if it was true he offered to "crack" the murder case wide open for $500,000 in January 1997.

Sharon said no, and then tried to explain his answer.

When Guymon objected, Sharon said, "There is no yes or no" answer.

"Isn't it true you asked, 'How much would it be worth to crack the case?' " Guymon asked.

"I believe so," Sharon said.

"Isn't it true that for half a million dollars you said you would crack this case?" Guymon said.

"The answer is no," Sharon said.

Finally Sharon said he only made the offer because he wanted to "get out of the circumstances."

After the jury left, Amador's fellow defense attorneys, Tom Pitaro and John Momot, asked that Sharon's testimony be stricken from the record.

Prosecutors are not allowed to put witnesses on the stand solely so they can impeach them, Pitaro said. Moreover, they questioned Sharon about Dec. 22, 1994, when Ronald Rudin apparently died four days earlier.

Owens argued that they had held out hope that Sharon would finally tell the truth on the stand. They resorted to impeaching his testimony only when they realized he was still lying, he said.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure declined to throw out Sharon's testimony.

The prosecutors say Rudin and Sharon, and possibly others, shot Ronald Rudin, 64, to death so his wife, 56, could inherit her share of his $11 million estate.

Ronald Rudin's decapitated and charred remains were found Jan. 21, 1994, by four fishermen at Nelson's Landing, which is on Lake Mohave 45 miles south of Las Vegas.

Rudin's defense attorneys contend Ronald Rudin was killed at the behest of his trustees, who were also beneficiaries.