Accused of multiple acts of violence against two women, Rusty Rudd pleaded guilty in court Friday to charges that also included stealing.
Rudd, 28, of Steedman, pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree domestic assault, second-degree domestic assault, two counts of tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution, and felony stealing, according to the Callaway County prosecutor's office.
Rudd admitted in court he had physically assaulted a female victim, punching her in the abdomen, throwing her into a wall and choking her, during an incident that took place in the home the couple shared in March 2017. Rudd also admitted he had purposely attempted to dissuade the woman from testifying against him.
He initially was charged with three counts of second-degree rape, seven counts of domestic assault, kidnapping and property damage on this case, reported March 23, 2017, near Portland in eastern Callaway County.
On May 21, 2017, the Fulton Sun reported a grand jury indicted Rudd with 30 charges, including the above.
Rudd was also charged with offenses against a second female victim. In that case, Rudd admitted in court that he physically assaulted that woman, twisting her arm, slamming her into a refrigerator and the floor, punching and scratching her, during two incidents in the home the couple shared in June 2016. He admitted he had also purposely attempted to dissuade that woman from testifying against him.
Rudd also admitted to stealing computers, electronic devices, a yard trimmer, chainsaw and other items from the second woman's home in June 2016. Rudd had been in relationships with each of the women at the time of the assaults.
Both victims appeared in court at the time of Rudd's guilty pleas and gave victim impact statements. Rudd pleaded guilty as a prior and persistent felony offender based on his prior felony convictions for assault of a law enforcement officer in 2009 and stealing a motor vehicle in Osage County in 2010.
Judge Kevin Crane sentenced Rudd to six years in prison on each of the domestic assault charges, five years in prison for each of the victim tampering charges and five years in prison for the stealing offense. The judge ordered the prison sentences for each offense against the respective victim be served concurrently with one another, but also ordered the sentences for the offenses against the first victim be served consecutively to the sentences for the offenses against the second victim.
The prison sentences totaled 12 years, and pursuant to Missouri law, Rudd must serve at least 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.