The biological mother of a missing teenage girl whose remains were found in a burn pit on her rural Missouri property has been charged with murder.
Rebecca Ruud was charged on Tuesday after authorities confirmed that burned human bones found on the property in Longrun, south-west of St. Louis, belonged to her 16-year-old daughter Savannah Leckie.
Savannah had been given up for adoption at birth but had returned to live with Ruud at the rural property a year ago.
Rebecca Ruud (left in her mugshot) was charged on Tuesday after authorities confirmed that burned human bones found on her Missouri property belonged to her 16-year-old daughter Savannah Leckie (right)
Ruud, 39, is now charged with first and second-degree murder, abuse of a child resulting in death, tampering with physical evidence and abandoning a corpse.
She was arrested on Monday at a Greyhound bus station in Springfield after buying a ticket to flee the area, according to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office.
Savannah had been reported missing from the home in July where the teenager had been living with her mother and her mom’s boyfriend.
The human remains were discovered on August 4 when police started searching Ruud’s 81-acre farm property.
Investigators found bone fragments, two intact finger bones, a large vertebra bone and several items that appeared to be teeth when they sifted through ash in a burn pit on the property.
Forensic testing and other evidence confirmed the remains belonged to Savannah.
Savannah had been reported missing from her home in late July where she had been living with her biological mother Rebecca Ruud (pictured together)
The teenager went to live with her biological mother in Missouri 11 months ago after reportedly not getting along with her adoptive mom’s new boyfriend divorced
Savannah (right) was adopted at birth and grew up in Minnesota with her adoptive parents Tamile Montague (Left)) and David Leckie. The couple have since divorced
During the search of the property, police had seized a meat grinder, a knife and 26 bottles of lye, which can be used to speed up the breakdown of human tissue.
Savannah was adopted at birth and grew up in Minnesota with her adoptive parents Tamile Montague and David Leckie. The couple have since divorced.
The teenager went to live with her biological mother in Missouri 11 months ago after reportedly not getting along with her adoptive mom’s new boyfriend.
Savannah was reported missing from the home by Ruud on July 20.
Ruud told police Savannah was home when she went to bed the night before but had disappeared by the time she woke. She said she searched the property herself before contacting authorities.
During the search of the remote property (above), police had seized a meat grinder, a knife and 26 bottles of lye, which can be used to speed up the breakdown of human tissue
Ruud (left) and her boyfriend Robert E. Peat Jr. (right), who was also living at the farmbut is not the teen’s biological father, got married on the same day Savannah’s remains were found on the property
She started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a lawyer after revealing she was a suspect in her daughter’s disappearance. The page has since been taken down.
Ruud and her boyfriend Robert E. Peat Jr., who was also living at the farm but is not the teen’s biological father, got married on the same day Savannah’s remains were found on the property.
Married couples don’t have to testify against each other but it isn’t always the case if the victim is under the age of 18, according to the sheriff.
A judge denied bail for Ruud on Tuesday after ruling she was a flight risk.
Savannah’s adoptive father David Leckie posted a tribute to his daughter on August 9 revealing news of her death.
‘My daughter Savannah has passed away in Missouri. I would like to thank everyone that has prayed for her and our family. My Faith in God will get us through this and I will forever miss.my sweet girl,’ he wrote.