Inset: Gerald Ruskamp (Minnick Funeral Home). Background: News footage of Carl Ruskamp in court (KTIV).
A Nebraska man who fatally shot his father over money will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Carl Ruskamp, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of first-degree murder. According to reporting by Norfolk Daily News, Carl Ruskamp fatally shot his father, 65-year-old Gerald Ruskamp, on Sept. 7, 2022. Carl Ruskamp claimed at the time that he found his father dead after seeing a man dressed in black run out of their family home.
Evidence later pointed to Carl Ruskamp as the suspect, including the murder weapon that he attempted to hide in his mother's bedroom closet.
According to the Norfolk Daily News, Carl Ruskamp called 911 after finding his father lying on the couch with a gunshot wound to his head. He told police that he was outside smoking when he heard the gunshot come from inside the house. Shortly after hearing the gunshot, he claimed he saw a man wearing black clothing running from the house.
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found several .22-caliber cartridges in Carl Ruskamp's bedroom. They also found a Ruger 10/22 rifle in his mother's bedroom closet and a loaded magazine in another bedroom. More .22-caliber shell casings were found throughout the home and on the ground outside.
Authorities also seized Carl Ruskamp's phone as evidence and looked at his search history. Investigators found that before the shooting, Carl Ruskamp had searched terms including "headshot to the head," "headshot to the head with a gun," "bullet in brain," "brain stem location," and "front of brain damage inside" on Sept. 3, 2022, just days earlier.
Gerald Ruskamp's blood was found on one of his son's shirts. Carl Ruskamp's DNA was found on the rifle he hid in his mother's closet.
According to Norfolk Daily News, Carl Ruskamp had an argument with his father on the day of the shooting about money, specifically Gerald Ruskamp's refusal to give his son money for a car and an apartment.
Carl Ruskamp's defense attempted to prove that he was incompetent to stand trial, saying that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. A psychologist hired by the defense determined that Carl Ruskamp was not insane at the time of the shooting.
Local NBC affiliate KTIV reported from the courtroom that Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Beth Beninato called the murder a "completely senseless and tragic situation" during Wednesday's sentencing. She added, "It has completely destroyed this family."
In addition to being convicted of first-degree murder, Carl Ruskamp was found guilty of use of a deadly weapon by a felon, for which he was sentenced to 20 to 50 years in prison, and possession of a deadly weapon by a felon, for which he was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.