Who were charged in Craig Rideout's murder? Details explored ahead of See No Evil on ID

Craig Rideout
Craig Rideout's estranged wife, two songs, and the wife's boyfriend were charged in his 2016 killing (Image via @rjstansbury1, @unfiltereddad, @sdowdphoto/Twitter)

Craig Rideout's estranged wife Laura Rideout, two of their sons Colin and Alexander, and Laura's boyfriend were charged in connection with his July 2016 murder after blood evidence found on their clothes linked them to the crime. Moreover, surveillance footage captured them driving to and from the area in Yates County where his mutilated body was found on July 20.

The murder was committed while Craig and Laura were embroiled in a contentious custody battle over two of their youngest children, which was meddling with the latter's plans to move to North Carolina with her boyfriend.

youtube-cover

According to People, Laura and Colin were convicted of second-degree murder, among other charges, and were handed respective sentences of 26 years to life in prison. Meanwhile, Alexander was found guilty of evidence tampering and was given 2-8 years in prison. Paul Tucci was found not guilty in the crime.

This Wednesday's episode of See No Evil will delve into Craig Rideout's murder case. The episode, titled The Devil's Bathtub, airs on ID at 9:00 pm ET on May 24. The synopsis reads:

"In 2016, father Craig Rideout is reported missing after a strange home intrusion; within hours, police find a body matching Craig's description fifty miles away; using surveillance footage and forensics, detectives unravel an unbelievable plot."

Three out of four arrested in Craig Rideout's 2016 killing were convicted on separate charges

youtube-cover

According to reports, Laura Rideout and her son Colin Rideout were sentenced to 26 years to life in prison in October 2017 for the cover-up and murder of the former's estranged husband and the father of her children, Craig Rideout.

PEOPLE reported that a Monroe County, New York, jury found Laura, 46, and Colin, 24, guilty of second-degree murder in July of that year for Craig's strangulation death. Laura was also given an additional 15 years in prison for burglary.

Meanwhile, Alexander Rideout, another son of the victim, was cleared of murder charges but found guilty of two counts of tampering with evidence with his brother. He was given two to eight years in prison for evidence tampering. Laura was also convicted of second-degree burglary and tampering with evidence.

Craig Rideout's mutilated body was discovered in a forested region in Yates County, wrapped in a tarp. He had been strangled, and his face and fingernails were burned off beyond recognition using acid. Reports state that it took days to identify his corpse using dental records.

Prosecutors suspect the murder was motivated by a contentious custody battle and divorce. Laura and Rideout were separated at the time of the murder. Moreover, she and her children were living with her boyfriend, Paul Tucci, who was also charged but was found not guilty by the jury and acquitted of all charges.

Reports state that Rideout's sister, Robbyn Drew, reported him missing on the day of his murder. Moreover, she went over to his house out of concern only to find Laura cleaning it. Drew told investigators that,

"Laura said she was just tidying up because the kitchen smelled. I thought this was unlike Laura, because she rarely cleaned when she was living with my brother."
youtube-cover

The following day, authorities, while acting on a tip, found Alexander and Colin disposing of evidence, including acid-based drain cleaner used to burn out Craig Rideout's face and fingerprints, in a nearby pond.

Other evidence included surveillance footage from July 19, that captured Laura and Tucci buying drain cleaner, tarps, bungee cords, and work gloves from a Walmart store to cover up Rideout's murder. The two were arrested for evidence tampering.

Lastly, Rideout's blood found on Laura, Colin, and Alexander's clothes proved to be a crucial piece of evidence that led to the convictions. Moreover, surveillance also captured the victim's and Pucci's car driving to and from the area where the body was found.


Learn more about the case on ID's See No Evil this Wednesday at 9 pm ET.

Quick Links