‘Black Widow of Las Vegas’ files wrongful conviction lawsuit in death of husband

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Margaret Rudin, the Las Vegas woman who was accused of murdering her husband in 1994, is now suing the State of Nevada after her conviction was vacated.

According to a press release, Rudin filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit against the state early Thursday morning. The lawsuit revolves around the disappearance of her husband, real estate developer Ron Rudin, on December 18, 1994.

His car would be found in the parking lot of Crazy Horse Too, a former strip club. The lawsuit alleges that the club has ties to organized crime in Las Vegas. Ron Rudin’s burned remains would be found a month later at Nelson’s Landing, a hiking area in Boulder City that sits southeast of the Las Vegas valley.

“Ron Rudin had a long list of enemies from a complicated personal life, a known history of dubious business dealings, and ties to criminal elements,” the release reads. “There was never any evidence such as fingerprints, DNA, or eyewitnesses connecting Margaret Rudin to Ron Rudin’s murder. However, inexperienced homicide detectives focused on Margaret Rudin from the beginning in a biased police investigation.”

Margaret Rudin was found guilty of her husband’s murder on May 2, 2001. A judge would hand down a life sentence.

Rudin would continue to deny her involvement in the murder, and she would fight for her release and a new trial for over 20 years. After over 22 years in prison, a federal judge freed her after ruling that she was not granted a fair trial on May 15, 2022.

“Today in her early 80s, Margaret Rudin intends to prove, under a Nevada statute amended in 2019 to address the rights of persons wrongfully convicted, that she was not involved either directly or indirectly in her husband’s death and did not commit the crime,” the release reads.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

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