5 key details about Ron Rudin's murder

ABC’s 20/20 is scheduled to revisit one of Las Vegas’ most notorious murder cases, the murder of Ron Rudin, on Friday, August 22, 2025. The case was previously featured in the 20/20 two-hour special Five Weddings & A Murder on February 19, 2021.

The program explored the story of Margaret Rudin, a woman once dubbed the “Black Widow” by the press, who was convicted of killing her fifth husband, real estate developer Ronald Rudin.

Featuring her first interview since being released from prison, the upcoming episode provides details about the case from Margaret herself. It includes accounts of her troubled marriage, her two decades behind bars, and her unwavering claim of innocence.

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Ron Rudin's murder: 5 details explored

1. Ron Rudin's disappearance

Margaret Rudin, aka the Black Widow (Image via Getty)

On December 18, 1994, Las Vegas real estate developer Ronald “Ron” Rudin disappeared after attending the opening of his wife Margaret’s antique shop. Soon after, his Cadillac was found abandoned outside a local club. The car looked unusually dirty and had multiple muddy footprints around it.

On January 21, 1995, the charred remains of Ron were found near Lake Mohave. His body had been dismembered and placed in a large antique trunk that looked similar to the ones that Margaret sold at her shop. An autopsy revealed that Ron’s death was caused by multiple gunshot wounds to the head. He had been shot before his body was burned and mutilated. This case would become one of the longest trials in the history of Las Vegas.

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3. The trunk connected Margaret to the crime

Authorities claimed there was no forensic evidence in the case, so the investigation was mostly based on circumstantial evidence. The trunk became a key piece of evidence linking Ron's wife, Margaret, to the crime.

Margaret Rudin married Ron Rudin in 1987. She had been married five times before meeting the real estate developer. According to ABC, their marriage was volatile, and Ronald was unfaithful and controlling. Despite the tensions, he revised his will in 1993 to increase Margaret’s inheritance share from 40% to 60%.

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4. How did Margaret become the prime suspect?

The focus of the detectives turned on Margaret when she delayed filing a missing person’s report and seemed more concerned with financial matters than her husband's case.

Additionally, a handyman told police he saw blood in the Rudin home shortly after Ronald disappeared. However, earlier investigations found nothing. The prosecutors also claimed that Margaret tried to remove furniture and carpet to hide a crime scene.

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5. Margaret's sister testified against her

In 1997, Margaret Rudin was indicted for her husband Ron Rudin's murder, but she fled to Mexico and Massachusetts. She was finally arrested in 1999 after two years on the run. She was placed on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list and extradited to Nevada.

Her 2001 trial became one of the longest in Las Vegas history, with prosecutors portraying her as a wife who killed for money. Her sister also testified in the trial, saying Margaret told her she hoped Ron would die. The defense, however, pointed out that Ron Rudin had many ties to the underworld, and his business dealings could offer another motive for the murder.

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5. A fingerprint evidence that was ignored

Margaret was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole. However, her conviction was overturned in 2022 and dismissed in 2024. The investigations had overlooked a crucial piece of forensic evidence recovered from Ron’s abandoned Cadillac.

A single fingerprint was found in Ron's Cadillac that did not match Ron Rudin or Margaret. This indicated that another person might have been involved, possibly connected to Ron’s disputed land deals or rumored underworld ties. Nonetheless, this fingerprint was never pivotal to the prosecution’s case, and investigators insisted that no forensic evidence linked Margaret directly to the murder.

In 2024, prosecutors formally dismissed all charges against her. Margaret is now pursuing a wrongful conviction lawsuit.

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Catch the full case on 20/20 tonight, August 22, 2025.