Gmoser said he received word Monday from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction that Ruppert died on Saturday. Ruppert had been housed in the Corrections Medical Center, according to records.
On March 30, 1975, Ruppert, then 41, shot 11 members of his family, including his mother, Charity; his brother, Leonard Jr.; his sister-in-law, Alma; and their eight children — Leonard III, 17; Michael, 16; Thomas, 15; Carol, 13; Ann, 12; David, 11; Teresa, 9 and John, 4 — in his mother’s home on Minor Avenue in the Lindenwald neighborhood.
He was serving a life sentence. He was denied parole in 1995, 2005, 2015 and the next hearing was scheduled for 2025.
After the 2015 parole hearing, the board said in a report: “The board has determined that the inmate is not suitable for release at this time. The inmate has not completed any recommended programming and does not appear to be willing to do so. The inmate’s record notes negative institutional conduct. The inmate took the lives of multiple victims. There has been strong community objections to his release … the release of this inmate would not be in the best interest of justice.”