Russell Duane Rugh (15)
Born
Garden Grove, Orange County, California
Death
22 Mar 1980, Orange County, California
Tragically, Russell Rugh was one of the victims of California serial murderer, William Bonin who was convicted of the rape, torture and murder of 14 boys and young men between 1968 and 1980. Known as “The Freeway Killer”, he was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison in 1996. Prosecutors portrayed him as “the most arch-evil person who ever existed.” Although he was found guilty of 14 murders, he confessed to 21 and is suspected of even more.
On March 21, 1980, 15-year-old Russell Duane Rugh was abducted in Garden Grove. He was bound, beaten, and strangled to death, after an estimated eight hours of captivity. His body was discarded with Glenn Barker in Cleveland National Forest, close to the Ortega Highway and both were found on the March 23, 1980.
