Death penalty being sought for Rices Landing woman accused of killing man
news@greenecountymessenger.com
The Greene County woman accused of killing a man whose body was found in a burned-out vehicle in East Finley Township last year could face the death penalty if she鈥檚 convicted.
District Attorney Jason Walsh said he plans to seek the death penalty against Star Dawn Lowery-Rutan during her formal arraignment April 25 in Washington County Court.
Lowery-Rutan is accused of killing 40-year-old Thomas Ringer on May 16 by torching a minivan with him inside that was found on state game lands in East Finley Township.
An autopsy revealed Ringer was likely alive when the vehicle was set on fire, and that he died of thermal injuries and smoke inhalation. Investigators said they found a used cigarette near the burned-out vehicle with DNA on it matching that of Lowery-Rutan.
Walsh said he was seeking the death penalty against Lowery-Rutan because of two aggravating factors in that Ringer鈥檚 death came during the commission of a felony and that his killing was committed as a means of torture.
Lowery-Rutan, 43, of 129 Bayard Ave., Rices Landing, was arrested at her home Dec. 16 following a standoff with state police. She was charged with homicide, arson, evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse. Lowery-Rutan is being held without bond at the Washington County jail.
During testimony at her Feb. 3 preliminary hearing, acquaintances of Lowery-Rutan said she threatened to kill Ringer two days before his badly burned skeletal remains were found in the back seat of the minivan. Investigators found surveillance video showing Ringer inside the minivan in the Waynesburg area in the early hours of May 16.
Additional surveillance video from outside convenience stores in Nineveh and Graysille later captured the minivan being followed by a pickup truck that was determined to be registered to Lowery-Rutan鈥檚 husband, Harry Rutan. An acquaintance testified at the preliminary hearing that Lowery-Rutan and her boyfriend, John 鈥淐ubby鈥� Hewitt Jr., were known to drive the vehicle, although investigators were unable to determine who was driving either vehicle in the videos.
No one else has been charged in connection with Ringer鈥檚 killing. However, Hewitt Jr. is jailed without bond after allegedly leading Waynesburg police on a high-speed chase through northern Greene County when an officer tried to stop him for a traffic violation March 31.
Judge Valarie Costanzo presided over Lowery-Rutan鈥檚 formal arraignment and set a pre-trial conference for the homicide case on June 16.