Renz case bound over to grand jury
MANSFIELD - The stolen property case of a man suspected in the disappearance of a local woman will be bound over to a grand jury.
Walter Renz, 53, is charged with receiving stolen property in reference to a bank card owned by Patsy Hudson. He was in Mansfield Municipal Court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing.
Hudson, 62, has been missing since July and is presumed dead. Renz and his girlfriend, Linda Buckner, 57, are suspects in Hudson's disappearance.
Hudson, 62, lived at 284 Spring St. She has not been seen since July 4, the same day Renz and Buckner reportedly were seen moving out of the house next door.
Thursday's hearing was brief. The state called one witness, Mansfield police Sgt. Ken Carroll. Renz was in court, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and sporting the beginnings of a scruffy beard.
Renz was transferred to the Richland County Jail on Sunday from Lewis County, Tennessee, where he and Buckner were arrested.
Carroll interviewed Renz in Tennessee. The receiving stolen property charge refers to a Chase Bank card belonging to Hudson.
Carroll said Hudson's sister reported her missing in December.
"During the investigation, we discovered that a credit card had been used," the sergeant said.
Carroll testified Social Security deposits were made regularly, stopping in January. Defense attorney Josh Brown asked him if withdrawals were made to pay utilities. Carroll said no.
"There were cash withdrawals and purchases at gas stations," he said.
The sergeant did not say where the transactions took place or how much money was involved.
"We could not tell who was using the card," Carroll said.
When police interviewed Renz, he did not have the card, which has not been recovered, Carroll said.
"Between he and his live-in girlfriend (Buckner), each says the other took the card," Carroll said.
On direct examination with First Assistant Prosecutor Cliff Murphy, Carroll said Hudson is presumably deceased and could not have given consent.
Brown gave a brief closing argument in asking Municipal Court Judge Frank Ardis to dismiss the charge.
"What property are we talking about?" he asked. "No card has been identified or recovered. We don't know if Patsy Hudson gave permission to use the card. I don't think they (prosecutors) have met their burden."
Ardis disagreed, finding there was probable cause and binding the case over to the grand jury. The judge continued Renz's $250,000 cash bond and ordered him to have no contact with Buckner.
Both Renz and Buckner waived extradition from Tennessee. They were arrested Feb. 4 by a U.S. Marshal's task force at a roadside campground southwest of Nashville.
Renz also faces a probation violation out of Arkansas.
Buckner, also charged with receiving stolen property, was brought back from Tennessee on Monday. She also is wanted on a parole violation out of Kentucky.
On Sunday, human remains believed to be those of Hudson were recovered at multiple sites in northern Richland County. A positive identification of the remains is pending from the coroner's office.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
Twitter: @MNJCaudill
Live coverage
Visit www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com for a live video stream of the Mansfield Police Department's press conference about the Patsy Hudson case at 11 a.m. Friday.