A man from Republic has pleaded guilty to stabbing his ex-wife to death on her front lawn.
Sixty one year-old Robert Duda was facing charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree robbery for the March 12th, 2009, death of 59 year-old Kathy Duda. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors amended the charge to second-degree murder today (09-14-09.)
Authorities say that Robert Duda broke into his ex-wife's Marionville house and chased her through the house and outside onto the front yard. A neighbor of Kathy Dudas called cops when they witnessed Robert Duda chase his ex-wife around the front lawn with a knife and repeatedly stab her.
Witnesses say that as Kathy Duda lay dying Robert Duda turned the knife on himself, slashing his writs and stabbing himself on the lawn before he ran back into the century year-old house.
Sixty one year-old Robert Duda was facing charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree robbery for the March 12th, 2009, death of 59 year-old Kathy Duda. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors amended the charge to second-degree murder today (09-14-09.)
Authorities say that Robert Duda broke into his ex-wife's Marionville house and chased her through the house and outside onto the front yard. A neighbor of Kathy Dudas called cops when they witnessed Robert Duda chase his ex-wife around the front lawn with a knife and repeatedly stab her.
Witnesses say that as Kathy Duda lay dying Robert Duda turned the knife on himself, slashing his writs and stabbing himself on the lawn before he ran back into the century year-old house.
When cops got in the house they found the man lying on the kitchen floor with serious injuries from his self-inflicted knife wounds. Duda remained hospitalized for several weeks.
Friends of the couple say that they divorced in March of 2008 after 40 years of marriage.
According to court records Robert Duda at one time pleaded, “not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.”
Duda was sentenced to 22 years in prison for second-degree murder and 15 years in prison for armed criminal action. The first-degree burglary was dropped as part of the plea agreement with prosecutors.
Those sentences are to run concurrently (at the same time.)
****On Memorial Day Kathy Duda's house went up for auction but failed to bring in the required minimum of $100,000 in order for it to sell.
1 comments:
I will never forget this picture.
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