Jury trial dates have been set for 39-year-old Rebecca Ruud, of Theodosia, and 31-year-old Robert Peat, of Zanoni, each charged with murder in the July death of Ruuds teenage daughter, 16-year-old Savannah Leckie, in Ozark County.
Both are 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 Leckie and burning her body to cover up the crime.
The West Plains Daily Quill reports Ruud will go to trial August 27th before 31st Judicial Circuit Court Judge Calvin Ray Holden of Greene County, with the location to be determined. A motion for a change of judge was approved in November. Jury selection is set to begin August 22nd and 23rd.
Peats trial is set for July 30th before Judge Holden, also on a change of judge approved in November, at a location to be determined. Jury selection is to begin July 25th and 26th.
Investigation into the incident began July 20th after Ruud reported Leckie missing via social media and later contacted law enforcement for help in the search.
On August 4th, officers executed a search warrant on Ruuds property and cadaver dogs trained to detect human remains alerted on a burn pile about 1,200 feet from Ruuds home.
Bone fragments and teeth were found in the ashes and later identified as human and determined by forensics experts as belonging to Leckie.
Other evidence items found by law enforcement in the home and near where the remains were found include a meat grinder, a knife, hair, girls clothing, fibrous materials, soil samples, and 26 bottles of lye, which can be used to accelerate the breakdown of bodily tissue.
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