Father gets probation in shooting death of son
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on June 4, 2006 2:05 AM
An ailing 68-year-old father who fatally shot his son last year after an argument has been sentenced to supervised probation and fined $1,000.
Warren Allen Rudisill pleaded guilty in Wayne County Superior Court to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 23-year-old Henry Alva Rudisill on Aug. 15, 2005, in their home on North Leslie Street.
Involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional killing that results from reckless behavior or criminal negligence.
The father was sentenced to 10 to 12 months in prison. Judge Jerry Braswell of Goldsboro suspended the term on condition that Rudisill complete 60 days of electronic house arrest and 24 months of supervised probation and pay the fine and court costs.
G.N. Lynch, the lead Goldsboro police investigator, said he was satisfied with the outcome. He noted Rudisill was sick and that he and his son had a history of arguments, but he declined further comment.
Assistant District Attorney Claud Ferguson presented a factual summary of the case for the state. Rudisill was represented by Goldsboro lawyer Ben Turnage.
Rudisill was home when officers arrived shortly after responding to a shots-fired call. Police conducted an investigation to determine if the shooting was intentional, self-defense or accidental. Both men had guns, police said.
Rudisill was not arrested until March. He was detained after being indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was released from custody by a District Court judge on a $50,000 unsecured bond on Lynch's recommendation.