A new trial date will be set for an Ozark County woman accused of killing her teenage daughter. According to the Ozark County Times, Rebecca Ruud appeared in Greene County Circuit Court in Springfield May 17th for a pre-trial conference, and her trial date of August 27th was stricken from the court’s calendar and will be rescheduled for a later date.
Ruud and her husband, Robert Peat, Jr., are both charged with first-degree murder, abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence in a felony investigation and abandonment of a corpse. The two are suspected of killing 16-year-old Savannah Leckie in July of last year and burning her body to cover up the crime.
Another pre-trial conference is scheduled for August 24th before 31st Judicial Circuit Court Judge Calvin Ray Holden, and Ruud and her attorney, Lauren Kate Welborn, will decide if they prefer a bench trial or a jury trial. If they elect to have a judge decide Ruud’s fate, the trial will be scheduled for November 26th in Greene County. A jury trial would begin January 28th.
In addition, Peat’s attorney, James Robert Hayes of Springfield, filed a motion to suppress statements made on his client’s behalf. Ozark County Prosecuting Attorney John Garrabrant is opposing the motion saying the request was too vague. The motion and other evidentiary motions will be taken up by Judge Holden at a hearing set for July 5th in Springfield.
Peat is scheduled for jury selection July 19th and 20th in Cole County, and his trial begins August 3rd in Greene County. Garrabrant will be assisted with the prosecution of the case by Missouri Assistant Attorney General Steven Kretzer.
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