James Ruppert: Ohio's most evil monster has died

My Facebook timeline recently displayed the face of one of Ohio's most despicable human beings. His name was James Ruppert and is enough to make any Ohioan cringe. He had 47 more years of life that he denied his family.

On June 4, 2022, Ruppert, 88, passed away in prison. He died from natural causes at Franklin Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Unlike his family members that he shot to death, he died peacefully. For those unfamiliar with Ruppert, here's his story. However, I must warn you it’s not a pleasant one.

James Ruppert lived with his mother at 635 Minor Avenue in Hamilton, Ohio. Everyone who knew him thought he led a lackadaisical life consisting of getting drunk, sleeping, and then avoiding anything to do with finding a job. His mother had gotten sick of him and was planning on sending him packing.

What could drive a man to murder eleven members of his own family? The answer lies in his childhood. He grew up with his older brother Leonard Jr. The boys' father, Leonard, was abusive and eventually died in 1947 when they were teenagers.

Throughout his childhood, Leonard bullied Ruppert and considered him a weakling. At 135 pounds and 5'5", James looked like a nerdy bookworm. He attended college for two years, but then dropped out. He eventually found a girlfriend, but she went on to marry his brother, Leonard. Although James struggled in life, his brother fared much better.

He attended college and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. He and his wife had eight children. After years of jealousy and hatred, James Ruppert turned Easter 1975 into the day when he unleashed hell on his mother Charity, brother Leonard, and the rest of his family. James had stopped at a local bar the night before the family's Easter dinner. In his conversation with the bartender, he stated that he was frustrated with his mother and was concerned about her looming threats to kick him out of the house. Upon returning home, he had already determined how he would solve the problem.

The entire family had gathered together on Easter Sunday 1975, for a nice Sunday dinner. Leonard, his wife, and their eight children had visited and were looking forward to a nice dinner. After a night of drinking at the bar, James returned home and passed out in bed. Around 4 p.m. he dragged himself out of bed. With three pistols and a rifle in hand, he walked down the stairs.

As he entered the kitchen, he shot both his brother and sister-in-law. He then shot his mother in the chest when she lunged at him. Ruppert then shot his nieces and nephews last. Ruppert had fired 44 shots in a matter of minutes, and had hit with 40 of them. He contemplated suicide for two hours after killing his family.

He called law enforcement and turned himself in. After three trials, he was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in killing his other family members. In 1982, he was sentenced to two life terms. But he was eligible for parole. And he would eventually come up for parole several times. But the parole board did not intend to let this monster see another sunset outside prison.

His victims were:

• Charity Ruppert, 65 (mother)

• Leonard Ruppert Jr., 42 (brother)

• Alma Ruppert, 38 (sister-in-law)

• Leonard Ruppert III, 17, (nephew)

• Michael Ruppert, 16 (nephew)

• Thomas Ruppert, 15 (nephew)

• Carol Ruppert, 13 (niece)

• Ann Ruppert, 12 (niece)

• David Ruppert, 11 (nephew)

• Teresa Ruppert, 9 (niece)

• John Ruppert, 4 (nephew)

James Ruppert, even in death, remains an enigma. He did not give interviews or make any statements about his crimes. Did he have any regrets? Although it was horrific that he murdered three adults, it took a special brand of evil to kill eight children who did nothing to their disturbed uncle. If Ruppert’s goal was to go down in infamy, he certainly achieved that status. No one will miss him. I don't know where he is now, but I suspect his feet are starting to feel warm.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.