Renowned attorney to bolster Rudin defense

Kim Smith

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

Famed Las Vegas attorney Thomas Pitaro has been appointed to help Margaret Rudin during her upcoming murder trial.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure on Monday agreed that defense attorney Michael Amador should have help in defending Rudin, who is accused of killing her wealthy husband in December 1994.

Rudin, 56, is scheduled to go on trial Feb. 26.

Prosecutors believe Rudin shot, decapitated and incinerated Ronald Rudin in a jealous rage over another woman and to get her hands on Ronald Rudin's multimillion-dollar estate.

Amador believes Ronald Rudin, 64, was engaged in shady real-estate dealings and could have been killed by any one of his many enemies.

The amount of evidence in the case is voluminous, and had Bonaventure not granted Amador's request for help, a delay in the trial might have been necessary.

Ironically, Pitaro also represents a woman who once shared jail space with Rudin and who is arguably better known -- Sandy Murphy.

Pitaro and John Momot defended Murphy when she went on trial in the September 1998 death of casino figure Ted Binion. Murphy was convicted, and her appeal is pending.

Murphy and Rudin shared jail space until Rudin complained to jail officials that Murphy and Jessica Williams were engaging in "inappropriate" conduct.

Williams, 21, is currently on trial in the March deaths of six teenagers who were struck by her van in the median of Interstate 15.

Rudin's next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.