Grand jury indicts Rundle in death of missing mother

Erica D. Johnson

Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

Nearly four months after arrest of William Rundle in connection with his wife's slaying, a grand jury has indicted him on murder charges in the alleged death of his 87-year-old mother.

A superseding indictment, unsealed Friday before Chief District Judge Gene Porter, added one count of open murder and two counts of theft to the charges already pending in the case concerning the death of Rundle's wife, Shirley, 63.

The superseding indictment replaces the original indictment, Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent said.

Laurent said the grand jury met seven times to consider evidence concerning Willa Rundle, who has been missing since 1997. Rundle did not testify during the grand jury proceedings.

"The grand jury found cause to believe the mother was also a victim of homicide and that Mr. Rundle was the perpetrator of that homicide," Laurent said.

The indictment charges Rundle, 57, with killing his mother between April and July 1997.

The two theft charges came because prosecutors believe Rundle stole money from Willa Rundle's trust fund between May 1997 and August 2002, before he was authorized to tap the fund, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors believe Rundle also transferred more than $2,500 of his mother's Social Security checks into his own account during the same time period, according to the indictment.

Rundle already faced an open murder charge and two robbery charges. He is being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Kathy Hardcastle.

Rundle's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Curtis Brown, said while he has not been formally appointed to the combined case, he is not surprised by the indictment.

While Willa Rundle's body still has not been found, Laurent said a conviction on the additional charges is still possible.

"We can get a conviction in a case without a body. It happens all the time," he said. "It just depends on how the circumstantial evidence plays out."