Former Lake County coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd was indicted Wednesday for perjury, and a warrant is out for his arrest, but details of the perjury indictment were not initially released in an official news release. A grand jury indicted Dr. Thomas Rudd on five counts of perjury, resulting from a one-year investigation conducted by Lake County (Ill.) Sheriff.
The Daily Herald’s Le Filas reported Wednesday that Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim said an issue surrounding Rudd’s nomination petition was brought to his attention in a citizen complaint over one year ago.
The Daily Herald also reported that Illinois appellate prosecutor Brian Towne said each count alleges Rudd knowingly made false statements under oath regarding his nominating petitions when he was seeking the Democratic nomination for coroner in the 2016 primary.
Lake County Undersheriff Raymond J. Rose and Special Prosecutor Brian Towne have scheduled a news conference at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
Rudd is known for publicly questioning the investigation into the death of Fox Lake Police Lt. Joe Gliniwiecz. Rudd declared that the now disgraced cop may have killed himself, even though the officer had radioed he was pursuing two or three suspects. Investigators criticized Rudd for potentially jeopardizing their probe, even though Rudd was correct in his assessment.
Gliniwiecz was discovered to be a corrupt cop, and his death was determined to be staged as a homicide.
Rudd also discovered new evidence that determined toddler Benjamin Kingan had older head injuries that predated the day of his death. Melissa Calusinski was convicted of killing Benjamin Kingan after she confessed to slamming Benjamin’s head to the ground while working at a Lincolnshire daycare center in 2009, but her lawyers said she was coerced during interrogation. George Filenko, who led the investigation into the staged suicide of Fox Lake Police Lieutenant Joe Gliniewicz, was one of two interrogators who interviewed Calusinski for nine hours without her parents, without an attorney, and without a meal before she confessed. Calusinki’s attorneys argued that Calusinski confessed in part because of her low IQ and her belief that she would be allowed to go home.
The finding of the older head injuries brought doubt to the murder conviction of daycare worker Melissa Calusinski. Lake County Coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd, stated that newly found X-rays showed that Benjamin Kingan suffered from a pre-existing injury when he died. Dr. Rudd, a new Lake County coroner since Dr. Eupil Choi, who served during the 2009 case, expressed disagreement with the previous coroner’s finding that there was no previous head injury of the victim, Benjamin Kingan. Rudd examined evidence and found signs of a previous injury.
Rudd and Filenko were at odds in both cases.
See also …
Daily Herald Controversial former Lake County coroner indicted on perjury charges
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