The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-19
SEEK JURY TO
TRY ALLEGED
TRUNK KILLER
State to Ask Moose Death
for Mrs. Ruth Judd,
Ex-Indiana Girl.
ALIENISTS TO TESTIFY
Accused Woman Is Believed
Almost Sure to Plead
Insanity.
BY GEORGE HI. BEALE
limited Press STAFF Corresnondent

PHOENIX, Ariz., Jan. 19.-Trial
of Arizona's most widely publiCized
murder case opened here today with
Winnie Ruth Judd, attractive
daughter of retired minister,
fighting the hanging penalty the
state asks for the deaths of two of
her former girl friends.
In the small courtroom of Su-
perior Judge Frank c. Speakman,
state attorneys and Mrs. Judd's ex-
pensive legal staff we're ready to
select a jury to decide whether she
will be punished for the shooting
of Agnes Anne Leroi, nurse, who
came here from Alaska in search of
health.
Mrs. Judd also is accused of the
murder of Miss Hedvig Samuelson,
but will not be tried on that count
unless the state fails to convict on
the first charge. The Leroi case was
chosen because prosecutors believed
it the stronger.
Crowd ThrOngs Courtroom
Judge Speakman was forced to
postpone opening of the trial for
time as deputies were having trou-
BILE handling the crowd and seating
the witnesses.
Mrs. Judd came into the court
room shortly before 10, walking be-
tween two deputies. She was wear
ing black crepe dress that &C.
centuated the lack of color in her
face.
She seemed to have lost consid-
cradle weight since she made her
last court appearance. There we're
large hollows under her eyes. She
appeared calm.
The crowd in the corridor
swarmed in Mrs. Judd's wake and
any order deputies had established,
was lost. There was hysterical
laughter from women and several
men were escorted forcibly from the
court room.
From the questioning of talesmen,
it was established at the outset that
the state would ask the supreme
penalty, death by hanging, and that
the defense intended to use both
sef-defense and insanity in the at
tempt to save Mrs. Judd.
Plans Kept Secret
Both sides were secretive about
their plans, giving rise to dozens of
varying expansive rumors.
A most persistent report was that
newspaper articles in which Mrs.
Judd, under her her own name, adj
mitted killing both girls, but claimed
self-defenSe, failed to cover the
whole story of the shooting.
The theory was that Mrs. Judd
had an accomplice or accomplices,
although she said not in her ar
ticleS.
Both sides claimed surprise wit
neSSes, but declined to name them.
Because of the many alienistS
who examined Mrs. Judd, it was
presumed she would plead not guilty
by reason of insanity and also
claim Self-defense, a procedure per-
mitted in Arizona.
Defense alienists have said the
manner in which the victims were
killed and the tempt made to dis
pose of their bodies showed
dementia.
Claimed Self Defense
The victims bodies were placed
in trunks and taken to Los Angeles
as luggage. The deaths were dis
covered by a suspicious baggage
master, who noted an offensive odor
from the baggage, and refused to
permit Mrs. Judd to claim it, with
out first permitting an inspection.
He did not detain her when she
said she did not have the key to the
trunks. After the baggage was
opened to reveal the bodies, one of
them-that of Mrs. Samuelson-dis-
membered, Mrs. Judd was arrested.
When Mrs. Judd surrendered to
authorities four days later, she sold
statements to be used under her sig
nature, saying she shot in self
defense when Mrs. Samuelson
rushed at her with a revolver dur
ing quarrel. Mrs. Leroi, accord
ing to this story, was shot when she
continued the attempt to kill Mrs.
Judd.
States attorneys contend that
even if Mrs. Judd shot Mrs. Samuel
son in self defense, there is no ev9-
dence Mrs. Leori was slain for any
reason other than to eliminate her
as a witness.