A mother and her adult son are facing prison time the murder of the woman’s estranged husband and the man’s father.
Craig Rideout’s body was discovered last July in a wooded area in Yates County, New York. On the same day, his sister found Laura Rideout, Craig’s estranged wife, cleaning the home where Craig lived. His sister then reported him missing.
According to the Democrat and Chronicle, a medical examination found that Rideout, 50, died of asphyxiation and blunt force trauma to his head. The killers also poured acid on his face, burning it. It took several days to identify the body because of the disfigurement.
Shortly after, Laura Rideout, her two sons, Alex and Colin, and her boyfriend Paul Tucci were charged with evidence tampering. Several months later, in December 2016, all four were additionally charged with murder.
Craig and Laura Rideout were reportedly going through a contentious divorce at the time of the murder, and WHEC reports the couple had been separated since 2014, when Laura and her two sons moved in with Tucci.
All four suspects were tried together, and the jury reached a verdict on Tuesday after four days of delibeations. Laura Rideout and Colin Rideout were convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence; Alex rideout was found not guilty of murder but was convicted of tampering with evidence, and Paul Tucci was found not guilty on both charges.
The sentencing date for the Rideout family members is September 1.
Tucci’s attorney spoke to reporters on his client’s behalf after the verdict was announced.
“He’s very upset, and clearly relieved the jury found him not guilty, but he’s very sad with the verdicts for the other defendants,” attorney Mike Schiano told Spectrum News.
Craig Rideout’s sister Robbin Drew also spoke to Spectrum News about the verdict.
“There has been some justice for my brother,” she said. We’ll never get him back, but we have some answers. And I’m very sorry for my mom and the other parents and the other families because this has not only affected my family, but their families as well.”
Feature photo: Monroe County Sheriff
