16-Mar-17 – Statements made to police by a former Chicago condo lawyer will be admissible in his trial for murder.

Dr. Donnie Rudd is accused of killing his wife, Noreen Rudd, in 1973. He says she died in a traffic accident. Investigators who reopened the cold case in 2012 say he struck Noreen in the head and staged her death to look like a traffic accident.

Circuit Court Judge Marc Martin ruled Monday the statements, made in 2013 when Rudd spoke with investigators from Arlington Heights Police Department, are admissible, despite Rudd’s complaint that when he waived his right to have an attorney present, he did not know they had a warrant for his arrest. Rudd has said he would not have cooperated if he had known about the warrant.

Arlington Heights Police Sergeant Richard Sperando says they had an arrest warrant just in case Rudd did not come in for questioning voluntarily.

In his written decision, Judge Martin (left) noted that Rudd’s current attorney, Timothy Grace, is “contemplating a motion to suppress [evidence] based upon Rudd’s use of counsel in the original investigation,” and Martin says he will not discourage him.

According to Rudd, investigators knew from previous contact that he was represented by counsel but still went to him directly in 2013. “I had informed them I had an attorney,” recalled Rudd (right) after the hearing. “The attorneys had informed them that they were my counsel and it should have gone no further than that.”

Rudd, who co-wrote the 1983 amendments to the Illinois Condominium Property Act, was released from custody last September after posting a $4 million bond. His next hearing is scheduled for April 21.