Rundle arrest may lead to search of home

Jen Lawson and Jace Radke

Monday, Oct. 14, 2002 | 11:14 a.m.

As captured murder suspect William Rundle sits in a Florida jail, Metro Police are expected to search his house again Tuesday for more evidence that may link him to the murder of his wife.

Rundle, 56, was arrested by Florida police and federal authorities at an Orlando, Fla., Days Inn early Saturday, where he had checked in under his own name. He had been on the run for about six weeks, when he and wife, Shirley, 63, were reported missing.

Rundle answered the hotel room door holding a gun, and might have been trying to get officers to shoot him, or he could have been suicidal, Lt. Jim Moses said this morning. Police got him to drop the gun within a few minutes.

Moses, who leads the Metro fugitive section, said he couldn't reveal exactly how police tracked Rundle to Florida.

"Anytime someone is on the run, anytime they have any type of contact with another human being, they're at risk of being caught," Moses said. "If someone commits a crime and don't want to get caught, they'll have to bury themselves in the woods somewhere."

Rundle was still in jail this morning, and it was not clear if an extraditioin hearing would be scheduled, or if he will waive the hearing, Metro Police Lt. Tom Monahan said.

Authorities in California said this morning they are trying to determine whether a woman's body found off a remote highway is Shirley Rundle.

The same day Shirley Rundle's daughter reported the pair missing, the body was found off a highway near Susanville, Calif., about 75 miles northwest from Reno.

"It seems to all fit together, and I'd be surprised if it wasn't her," Lassen County Deputy Coroner Si Bollinger said this morning. "We won't know for sure until we check fingerprints or dental records."

Bollinger said the checks would be done as soon as Metro Police sent him records to use as a comparison.

Lassen County authorities discovered the body off the side of State Highway 44 about 30 miles northwest of Susanville in the Lassen National Forest.

"It is a very remote area," Bollinger said. "There aren't any homes or anything out there."

The unidentified woman died of blunt force trauma, Bollinger said.

Rundle's arrest ended the six-week search for him, and now authorities are searching for additional evidence that would connect him to the murder.

Shirley Rundle's daughter reported the couple missing after a note was found on the garage door of the Rundles' home that said, "Alarm is set! Be home 9-6. Emergency trip to the Philippines!" However, no such emergency existed, officials said.

Police issued an arrest warrant charging Rundle with murder in the death of his wife on Sept. 27 after DNA tests revealed blood found on and underneath Shirley Rundle's favorite tan chair matched hers.

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.

Forensic experts have told police that blood splatter on the chair is consistent with someone being shot in the upper torso, police reports indicate. A .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver registered to William Rundle is missing from the home.

In addition, tests performed on a pair of men's black sandals found in the garage of the Rundle's home tested positive for blood, police reports show.

Police reports also reveal that William Rundle withdrew more than $18,000 in cash between July 26 and Aug. 17 -- the last day he and Shirley were seen.

The couple's 1993 Buick LeSabre, with its distinctive "HONEYBUN" license plate, was found in Seatte on Oct. 4.

Monahan said this morning that a blood stain was found in the trunk of the car, and it's being tested to determine if the blood is Shirley Rundle's.

Rundle abandoned the Buick in a parking garage and rented a silver Ford Escort in Washington, which was found at the Florida hotel.

Rundle was also in Richmond, Va., at some point, but police don't have a specific date.

He checked into motels using his own name, and made no effort to change his appearance, police said.

In another twist, police had been searching for William Rundle's 87-year-old mother, Willa Rundle, who hadn't been seen since 1996. Her son had been using his mother's Social Security checks to pay bills.

William Rundle told authorities after his arrest that his mother died in 1996 "but not by criminal means." Police said determining that happened to Willa Rundle's body is not their first priority at the moment.

In investigating the disappearance of the Rundles, detectives spoke with three of William Rundle's former wives. It appears Rundle lead a double life.

One of the women said Rundle told her he was a security expert when he was actually a cab driver. Another former wife said Rundle married her using a false name and also lied about his occupation. The third wife said Rundle was abusive, gambled heavily and had a secret bank account.

William Rundle first gained attention when a Las Vegas organization honored him as a model father in 1986 after his 11-year-old son, Richie, submitted a school essay titled "My Dad is the Best."

A year later, Richie Rundle was killed while pushing his best friend out of the path of a drunken driver's car at a school bus stop. The case and prosecution of the driver, Corina King, then 22, stirred intense interest in Las Vegas.

William and Shirley Rundle married shortly before his son's death.