MANSFIELD — Walter Renz has was found guilty Friday, but the maximum penalty won’t be enough for his victim’s family.
“I’m happy — very happy. I just hope they spend the rest of their lives in (prison),” said Patsy Hudson’s son, Lonnie Clevenger. “I kind of wish they had the death penalty.”
The seven-man, five woman jury convicted Renz of 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).
The victim, Patsy Hudson was 62 when she disappeared in the summer of 2015. A missing person’s report was filed with the Mansfield Police Department in late 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 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 Hudson’s remains in February 2016.
After a six-day trial, Buckner was convicted on Nov. 30, 2016 of aggravated murder, murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, receiving stolen property, misuse of a credit card, and identity fraud. She received the maximum penalty and is serving a life sentence without parole.
Neither Renz nor Buckner could receive the death penalty.
“Obviously we are very pleased with the verdict,” said Brandon Pigg, Chief Criminal Attorney with the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office. “This has been a very long process for the family and hopefully this offers a resolution and closure for them.”
Pigg said he was grateful to the law enforcement who involved with what he said was essentially “a cold case.”
“They did a great job investigating this case and doing what was done,” Pigg said. “Finding the items that they did and collecting them also with the staff at Mansfield Crime lab and the staff at Mercyhurst,” Pigg said.
Clevenger said living through both trials was aggravating and gave him nightmares on the rare occasion he could fall asleep.
“No sleep, nerves, nightmares,” he described of the two-year legal process long process. Now, having both killers found guilty, he said he is at peace.
In 2015, Clevenger said he was worried and hopeful his mother had gone somewhere.
“But it didn’t happen like that,” he said.
He described his mother as level-headed, and the kind of woman who “stuck to her guns and did what she wanted to do.”
Renz will be sentenced Monday at 2 p.m. by Judge James DeWeese. The defendant previously rejected two plea deals, one was for an 18-year sentence.
