Former Coroner Thomas Rudd Indicted On Perjury Counts
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The former Lake County coroner was indicted Wednesday for perjury, officials said.
A grand jury indicted Dr. Thomas Rudd on five counts of perjury, resulting from a one-year investigation conducted by Lake County (Ill.) Sheriff.
At issue: Who collected the signatures on five pages of Democratic nominating petitions and, says Undersheriff Ray Rose, the signatures themselves.
"There's names on there of people for example who have been dead over 10 years," he said. "There are people we've found and talked to that their names were on these petitions and they did not sign the petitions."
Rudd withdrew from the primary but the state appellate prosecutor said the perjury allegedly occurred when the petitions were notarized.
A warrant has been issued for Rudd's arrest. He was expected to appear in court Thursday.
Rudd is perhaps best known for questioning the investigation into the death of Fox Lake Police Lt. Joe Gliniwiecz. He theorized early on that the popular cop may have killed himself, even though the officer had radioed he was pursuing suspects. Investigators blasted Rudd for potentially jeopardizing their probe.
Rudd was proven right eventually and Gliniwiecz was assailed as a corrupt cop.
Rudd also discovered new evidence that put in question the murder conviction of daycare worker Melissa Calusinski.
Rudd's defense attorney suggested the indictment is in retaliation for the former coroner's criticisms. The Lake County Sheriff's Department disagrees.
