Aberdeen man sentenced for wife’s murder
An Aberdeen man was sentenced to life in prison Monday, after agreeing to a plea deal with Bingham County prosecutors.
Eugene Ruff, 64, appeared before Judge Darren Simpson for sentencing. Ruff could be eligible for parole after an 18-year fixed jail term. He agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder charges after prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.
Ruff was charged with murder last summer after his wife, Bettilee Ruff, 62, was found dead at their Aberdeen home.
Ruff called the police and his family immediately after the incident, admitting he shot Bettilee three times after some sort of struggle broke out between the two.
The couple had been drinking heavily prior to the incident and the defense claims Ruff is still unsure of exactly what happened.
During the sentencing, one of Ruff’s daughters, speaking as a witness for the state, pleaded with Judge Simpson that “10-years is too long.” That span being the minimum possible sentence as part of the Rule 11 plea agreement.
Ruff’s family was in tears when Judge Simpson sentenced him, worrying about how much time they would have left to spend with their 64-year-old father.
