A teenager who was reunited with her biological mother has been found dead on her property.
Savannah Leckie, who was adopted at birth, reunited with her biological mother, Rebecca Ruud, and had been living on her farm in Ozark, Missouri for almost a year.
Ruud has now been charged with the 16-year-old’s murder after investigators found bones, a large vertebra bone and teeth in a fire pit on the farm.
Ruud was arrested at a Greyhound bus station attempting to flee the state, according to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office.
Rebecca Ruud
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It comes after she filed a missing persons report for her daughter, claiming Savannah, who was autistic, had run away.
The Washington Post reports Ruud claimed: “I need to report a missing child, I think she’s a runaway. I had a fire two days ago, Savannah is blaming herself for the fire. I got burnt, I think that’s why she ran away. She took her pillow and blanket and her favourite colouring bag. We can’t find her anywhere.”
Savannah was also reported missing by her adoptive parents Tamile Montague and David Leckie, who are now divorced. She’d reportedly gone to live with birth mum Ruud as she didn’t get along with her adoptive mum’s new boyfriend.
Savannah and the birth mum accused of brutally murdering her.
Police also seized a meat grinder and 26 bottles of lye, which can be used to speed up the breakdown of tissue, during their search of the farm.
From photos on Ruud’s Facebook feed, their life there appeared to be perfect.
But authorities say Savannah had been physically abused in the lead up to her death. The criminal complaint alleges Ruud poured alcohol and salt on one of Savannah’s self-inflicted wounds twice a day and rubbed it in.
Rebecca Ruud was charged with first-degree and second-degree murder, fatal abuse of a child, tampering with evidence and abandoning a corpse.
The Ozark County Sheriff wants the death penalty if she is found guilty.
