Rundle receives public defender

Kim Smith

Monday, Nov. 4, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

A Las Vegas man facing charges of beating his wife to death with a baseball bat and then fleeing to Florida made his initial court appearance this morning.

Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis appointed the public defender's office to represent William Rundle, 57, and scheduled his preliminary hearing for Nov. 20.

Deputy Public Defender Curtis Brown said he would address bail at a later time, and Lippis said she would keep Rundle detained without bail.

An arrest warrant charging Rundle with murder in the death of his wife, Shirley, was issued in late September shortly after DNA tests revealed that blood found on and underneath Shirley Rundle's favorite chair matched hers.

The Rundles were reported missing Aug. 21 by Shirley Rundle's daughter. Although a note was found on a garage door saying the couple had flown to the Philippines due to an emergency, no such emergency existed.

A search of the house revealed most of William Rundle's clothing and medicine gone, along with his laptop computer. Shirley Rundle's belongings appeared to be undisturbed.

Rundle was arrested in Florida Oct. 12.

According to police, he gave them information that helped them identify his wife's body as that of a woman who was found dumped along a road near Susanville, Calif.

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