MANSFIELD — The man suspected of murdering Mansfield woman Patsy Hudson stood trial Tuesday in Richland County Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese’s courtroom.
Renz, 54, faces seven charges in connection with Hudson’s disappearance and death.
He is charged with aggravated murder (a first-degree felony), murder, abuse of a corpse (a fifth-degree felony), tampering with evidence (a third-degree felony), receiving stolen property (a fifth-degree felony), misuse of credit cards (a fifth-degree felony) and identity fraud (a fourth-degree felony).
Renz’s defense attorney, Joshua Brown, said in his opening statement that he expects the evidence will show Renz made some poor decisions in July 2015 (when Hudson disappeared).
“What the evidence is not going to show is he killed Patsy Hudson or had anything to do with causing her death,” Brown added.
He noted some of Renz’s decisions “rise to the level of criminal conduct.”
“You’re going to hear evidence that he tampered with evidence and abused a corpse,” he said. “Your job will be to determine what the state can prove with respect to the other counts, more importantly, what they didn’t prove.”
Patsy Hudson, 62, disappeared in the summer of 2015. Hudson’s daughter filed a missing person’s report to the Mansfield Police Department in December.
In January 2016, the Mansfield police searched Hudson’s house on Spring Street, as well as the next-door house, where Renz and his then-girlfriend, Linda Buckner, 58, lived.
The following month, Renz and Buckner were arrested in Tennessee after the U.S. Marshals Task Force tracked the use of Hudson’s stolen credit card.
The couple was arraigned and pled not guilty on the charges of receiving stolen property (Hudson’s credit card). Police discovered the remains of what was believed to be Patsy Hudson in February 2016. Three months later, the Richland County prosecutor confirmed the remains belonged to Hudson.
Buckner pled not guilty to aggravated murder in July 2016. She was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole in November by Richland County Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese.
Renz’s trial was supposed to start in August, but Brown filed a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. The motion was upheld and DeWeese ordered the defendant undergo a mental evaluation.
Renz was found incompetent to stand trial after the mental evaluation and was committed to Heartland Behavioral Healthcare in Massillon.
In January of this year, a forensic psychologist issued a report saying Renz was competent to stand trial. Renz has been at the Richland County Jail awaiting trial.
“I believe the evidence in this case, as you have heard, will show that in July 2015 the defendant, Walter Renz, and his then-girlfriend Linda Buckner, murdered their next-door neighbor, Patsy Hudson,” said Chief Criminal Attorney Brandon Pigg with the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office.
Pigg gave an outline of how the evidence will be presented to the jury, which is made up of eight men and five women (one is an alternate juror).
He said they will hear from a number of witnesses, including police officers, neighbors, among others.
“Based upon the evidence you’re going to hear in the next few days, we are certain that upon the conclusion of that evidence, you will have only one verdict and that would be guilty on all charges,” he said.
Judge James DeWeese is presiding over the trial.
