“Dateline NBC” Correspondent Keith Morrison Reports On 40 Years Of One Man’s Lies – And Suspicions Of Murders – With Investigation Discovery’s “Who Is Donnie Rudd? Keith Morrison Investigates”
Who is Donnie Rudd? It depends on who you ask. To some, he’s a war hero, lawyer and brilliant scientist, but to others, he’s a conman, womanizer and possibly a murderer. Investigation Discovery (ID) follows NBC’s Keith Morrison as he takes us from the small towns of Texas to the elite suburbs of Chicago to learn more about Donnie through the accounts of family members and business associates. Four decades after what some authorities believe may have been Donnie’s first murder, he’s still a free man, but Morrison rushes to get the facts just before Donnie’s June 25, 2018 Chicago area-based murder trial begins. Produced by NBC News’ Emmy Award-winning production arm, Peacock Productions, WHO IS DONNIE RUDD? KEITH MORRISON INVESTIGATES premieres Sunday, March 25 at 8/7c exclusively on ID.
Considered a ladies’ man by many, Donnie had three marriages under his belt by 1974; however, his 1973 marriage of 28 days to his second wife, 19-year-old Noreen Rudd, didn’t end with a typical lovers’ quarrel, but rather a deadly car accident with Donnie as the sole survivor at the scene. Donnie collected his $100,000 in life insurance and continued his days with his previous girlfriend, Dianne Hart (who would soon become his third wife), and her four children including daughters Cindy, Glory and Lori. Following the exhumation of Noreen’s body forty years later, the three stepdaughters speak candidly with Morrison about what they say was a household of lies and a lifetime of trying to pin their stepfather down as a murderer.
ABOUT THE CASE
In 1973, after just 28 days of marriage to Donnie Rudd, Noreen Rudd is found dead at the scene of a car crash in Barrington Hills, IL. Her husband, Donnie, claims it was a terrible accident. Donnie collects $100,000 in life insurance, and marries his former lover, Dianne Hart. The two live out a complicated relationship in a household filled with Dianne’s four children. And then, in 1991, a client of Donnie’s, Loretta Tabak-Bodtke, is found with four gunshot wounds to the head. Police take an interest in Donnie, as he was the last person to see Loretta alive. But the case goes cold for years. It isn’t until 2013 – four decades after his second wife’s death — that Donnie’s history catches up to him when Noreen’s body is exhumed and deemed a homicide. Donnie is charged with first-degree murder. He was never charged with any other crime and maintains his innocence in both Noreen’s and Loretta’s deaths. Set with a $4 million bond, Donnie posts bail and awaits his upcoming trial for the murder of Noreen Rudd.
WHO IS DONNIE RUDD? KEITH MORRISON INVESTIGATES is produced for Investigation Discovery by NBC News’ Peacock Productions with executive producers Elizabeth Fischer and Knute Walker, producers Azriel Relph and Amanda Moore. For ID, Diana Sperrazza is senior executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Jane Latman is executive vice president of development, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, and American Heroes Channel.
About Peacock Productions
Peacock Productions, a division of NBC News, is a nonfiction production company that combines the editorial expertise, vast resources and seasoned talent of NBCUniversal to create series, documentaries and special events. Known for its compelling storytelling and versatility, Peacock Productions reaches more than 300 million people worldwide every year across broadcast, cable, syndication, and emerging platforms with its award-winning and highly-rated programming.
ABOUT INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (ID)
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading crime and justice network on television, delivering the highest-quality programming to approximately 85 million U.S. households. From harrowing crimes to in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries behind these “real people, real stories”, the always revealing network challenges our understanding of culture, society and the human condition. The #1 network for women in all of cable, ID’s programming is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD), as well as anytime and anywhere through the network’s TV Everywhere offering, IDGo. For exclusive web content and bonus material, fans can follow ID on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or check out the network’s true crime blog, CrimeFeed.
Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer reaching 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220countries and territories to satisfy curiosity and captivate viewers with a portfolio of premium nonfiction content brands. For additional information about ID, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com.
