A Cleveland County jury late Monday convicted an Ohio man charged with killing an Oklahoma City woman during a multistate crime spree. The jury deliberated for two and a half hours in the case of Lewis Eugene Gilbert, 24. Gilbert was convicted of the first-degree murder of Roxy Lynn Ruddell, a 37-year-old marina security guard who worked at Lake Stanley Draper. "On Sept. 3 (1994), Roxy Ruddell decided to go fishing. It was a decision that would cost her life because she has a motor vehicle," said assistant district attorney Rick Sitzman during closing arguments. Ruddell was shot four times in the head and neck at Lake Draper.Gilbert, of Newcomerstown, Ohio, may face the death penalty. Sentencing begins at 10:30 a.m. today. Court officials separated Gilbert's case from the case of 17-year-old Eric Alvin Elliott, who officials said acted in concert with Gilbert. Both are charged with the same crimes: first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery with firearms. Officials said they believe the two were part of a cross-country killing spree - with murders in Missouri, Ohio and Oklahoma.Gilbert drew pictures of flowers and roses as both prosecution and defense focused their arguments on the testimony of New Mexico state police agent Daniel Becker. Becker interviewed Gilbert for almost four hours on Sept. 6, 1994, after the two suspects were apprehended in New Mexico.According to court records, Becker asked Gilbert if he killed anybody in Oklahoma. "Don't recall," Gilbert said in the interview. He then asked Becker what was going to happen to him. " I pretty much gather that I know what's going on, I mean there's no reason for us to even say anything you know. You guys make up your own stipulations, you know you can make up your own guesses and stick to them whether it's right or wrong," Gilbert said.Becker said Gilbert later confessed to the Oklahoma murder and gave detailed information about the crime, but the confession was not on tape and there were no other witnesses present. "He told me he and Elliott drove to a lake in Oklahoma ... they spotted a woman fishing ... together they approached her and began conversation with this woman," Becker testified.Becker said that Gilbert told him the woman had AIDS, and he was doing her a favor by shooting her.Defense attorney Mark Barrett asked the jury if one person's testimony was enough to prove Gilbert's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."Use your common sense. Just because he's a cop doesn't mean he's telling the truth," Barrett said.Defense attorney Tim Wilson also said the evidence points to Elliot as much as it points to Gilbert.Elliot's fingerprints were also fond at the murder site and the alleged murder weapon belongs to Elliot's father.But during closing arguments, Stitzman told jurors Elliot was not on trial there and urged jurors to consider Becker's testimony carefully.Elliot is scheduled for trial in January.
