Defense attorney claims friend behind slaying

Kim Smith

Monday, April 9, 2001 | 11:14 a.m.

Sharron Cooper, a longtime friend and business associate of Ronald Rudin, re-took the stand this morning as the Margaret Rudin murder trial entered its seventh week.

Margaret Rudin was Ronald Rudin's fifth wife and is accused of killing him on Dec. 18, 1994. Today marks the 21st day of testimony in the protracted trial.

Rudin's attorney, Michael Amador, told jurors during his opening statement he believes Cooper -- one of Ronald Rudin's two trustees and a beneficiary -- and fellow trustee Harold Boscutti were behind Ronald Rudin's death.

He suggested Ronald Rudin, 64, was involved in fraudulent land deals, and Cooper was a party to those deals.

After they had Ronald Rudin killed, Amador alleges Cooper and Boscutti set out to ensure Margaret Rudin did not receive her share of the estate, which was 60 percent. Margaret Rudin didn't have the money to fight them, said Amador, so she settled the lawsuit in January 1996 and gave up all but $500,000 of the $11 million estate.

Rudin was indicted on a murder charge in April 1997 and spent two years on the run because she didn't believe she stood a chance at trial, Amador told jurors.

According to court testimony, Boscutti's share of the estate increased from 15 percent to 37.5 percent; Cooper's from 10 percent to 25 percent. A third beneficiary received the rest.

Prosecutors contend Rudin killed her husband to get his estate and because she was enraged over an affair he was having with an IRS agent.

Cooper, a retired escrow officer, testified Friday she was "absolutely shocked" when she learned she was one of Ronald Rudin's trustees and a beneficiary.

She said she offered to step down when she learned Margaret Rudin was upset regarding her appointment, Cooper said.

Cooper said she stayed on due to an obligation she felt to her good friend and because he had left a directive urging them to determine the true cause of his death.

Cooper denied Amador's allegation that she put Ronald Rudin's property into her own name and said every action she took was dictated by Ronald Rudin's trust attorneys.

Had it not been for Ronald Rudin's attorney, Patricia Brown, Cooper said she would have been "lost."

Cooper acknowledged that before his death she often notarized signatures of non-existent people for Ronald Rudin. She said she trusted him completely.

"I didn't really feel that I'd done anything wrong," Cooper said.

Jurors on Friday heard from Vicky Drapkin, an acquaintance of Rudin's, and Phoenix Police Officer Christopher Mendez.

Drapkin testified that she called the Phoenix police in August 1998 after seeing a black-haired Margaret Rudin on the television show, "America's Most Wanted." She and Rudin had become "close acquaintances" while living at the YMCA and working together at the San Marcos Hotel in Phoenix.

Margaret Rudin was using the name Ann Boatwright.

"I probably knew Margaret more than anyone else in the downtown area," Drapkin said.

Rudin told her that her husband had died and his family was trying to cheat her out of her share of his estate, Drapkin said. Rudin even offered her $2,000 to represent her in court after commenting on her feisty spirit, Drapkin said.

Mendez testified that he spoke with Rudin twice after being dispatched to respond to Drapkin's call. Each time, Rudin said she had never heard of Margaret Rudin and denied taking part in any criminal activities, including murder.

The officer said Rudin, who showed him an Arizona identification in the name of Boatwright, was calm, cordial and seemingly well educated.

During his second visit Mendez said he spent an hour with Rudin as he tried in vain to contact people with "America's Most Wanted" and Metro homicide detectives to obtain a photo of Margaret Rudin.

"She was laughing, almost as if I'd never asked her if she'd killed anyone," Mendez said.

Each time he visited Rudin he was called away to handle more pressing police calls, Mendez said.

Mendez said he felt uneasy and then, when he went back a third time, Rudin was gone.

Drapkin said she saw Rudin just before Rudin left.

"She said, 'I just want you to know one thing. I would never do anything to hurt you.' I said, I know, Ann. I know," Drapkin said.

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