The Ancestors and Cousins of Tracy Lynn DeVault

Son	Gordon Lee Merritt+ (b. 30 March 1944, d. 6 February 2011)
Son	Ronald Dee Merritt (b. 21 January 1947, d. 10 August 1995)
Son	Raymond Dean "Spooky" Merritt+ (b. 21 January 1947, d. 17 March 2007)

BASIC FACTS

Gordon Ray Merritt was born on 26 August 1923 in Marion, Linn Co., Iowa.³ He and Marie Ilena Dye were married before 1944.¹ He died on 4 January 1956, at age 32, in Winthrop, Buchanan Co., Iowa.^3,4 He was buried in Walker Cemetery, Walker, Linn Co., Iowa.⁵

Gordon Ray Merritt had reference number 56846. He was enumerated on the census in Linn County, Iowa (1930, 1940.) He was Farming hand - farm (1940.)² World War II, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, entered: 12 Oct 1943, released: 14 Feb 1946, Co. F., 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Corporal, Purple Heart. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - Globe-Gazette; Mason City, Iowa; Wednesday, January 4, 1956; Page 1 (Newspapers.com)

Man Held in Shooting
Ex-Husband of Woman Slain in Car
Gordon Merritt Is Victim
Winthrop - A 32-year-old man was shot to death as he sat in his car with his former wife here early Wednesday.
Authorities were holding the woman's present husband in connection with the case. Buchanan County Sheriff Emery Hart said Gordon Merritt, Walker, was shot in the forehead by a bullet from a 32 caliber target pistol.
No Charges
The sheriff identified the man being held as Charles Tudor, 27, Winthrop.
No charges had been filed.
Hart said the shooting occurred in front of the Tudor home here. After the shooting, he said, Tudor went to the home of a neighbor, Loras Hefferman, and asked that the sheriff's office in Independence be called.
The sheriff said Merritt had brought his former wife, who married Tudor last July, home about 12:45 a.m.
Before Midnight
Tudor said Merritt came to their home just before midnight and Tudor decided to "scare him away" with a pistol that shots "soft nose" hollow bullets.
Tudor told the sheriff he shot just once.
Tudor was taken to Independence and jailed.
Mrs. Tudor has two small boys from her marriage to Merritt. The children were asleep in the Tudor home when the shooting occurred.

Note: There were three boys from the marriage of Marie Ilena Dye to Gordon Ray Merritt: Gordon Lee Merritt (age 11), twins Ronald Dee Merritt and Raymond Dean Merritt (age 8).

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Courier; Waterloo, Iowa; Friday, April 13, 1956; Page 1 (Newspapers.com)

Mrs. Tudor Relates Shooting Incidents (by Harry Grove, Courier Staff Writer)
INDEPENDENCE -- The events of Jan 3 up to the fatal shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, Walker, were related here by Mrs. Marie Tudor, 29, wife of the man on trial for second degree murder.
Mrs. Tudor was the only witness Friday morning as the trial of Charles Tudor, 27, Winthrop, moved into its third day.
She recalled the day spent with Merritt, which began at about 10:30 a.m. and ended about 12:45 a.m. the next day with the fatal shooting.
Merritt picked her up the morning of Jan. 3, she said, for a pre-arranged trip arranged by letter to Cedar Rapids. Purpose of the trip was to switch the income tax dependency of their three children from Merritt, her former husband to Tudor.
SHE TESTIFIED that they drove first to Quasqueton and stopped at a tavern where Merritt drank some beer. They stopped again at another tavern near Cedar Rapids.
She said Gordon told her at that point that "there's no need to go to the courthouse" because "it would just be a bunch of red tape."
They then drove to Marion and Mrs. Tudor reported she told Merritt she had to go home and he said he would take her.
They then stopped at a Marion tavern where they remaind from about 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. After leaving Marion, Merritt drove her to a farm of one of his uncle's near Waubeek. He drank some more beer with his uncle.
After departing from the farm, Mrs. Tudor said they drove to Central City and another tavern. She said she again mentioned that she had to get home.
MERRITT MET a friend of his who accompanied them from Central City to another tavern at Prairieburg. She said it was about 11 p.m. when they left that tavern and returned to Central City to drop off Merritt's friend.
They then started to drive home.
Mrs. Tudor testified that after they pulled into the driveway at the Tudor home in Winthrop, she "asked Gordon to come in and tell Bud where we had been."
She said she had her hand on the doorhandle and when the door was opened, she saw her husband standing in the doorway of the car.
She quoted Tudor as shouting, "Damn it, Merritt!"
She said she reached up to pull the gun Tudor was holding away from her face and the gun went off.
MRS. TUDOR RAN into the house and then to a neighbor's home where she heard Tudor say outside that "Marie grabbed the gun."
She said she shouted at that time that she didn't grab the gun because "I didn't want to think I was responsible for a death."
In cross examination Friday morning Mrs. Tudor told Louis Beecher that on Apr. 10 she was taken to a psychiatrist and there recalled that she had grabbed the gun.
Her testimony followed that of Tudor's Thursday in which he illustrated how his wife grabbed the gun before it went off.
He said he had not cocked the gun before arriving at the car and that a broken trigger spring prevented the gun from being fired unless the trigger was first pushed forward. He said it "would have to be a severe blow" on the gun hand to set off the gun with the hammer down.
MRS. TUDOR FRIDAY said that on one of her trips to Independence Jan. 7 after the shooting she went to a doctor, who took a piece of metal from the middle finger of her right hand.
Tudor said in direct examination Thursday that he had noticed a laceration of his wife's finger when she had visited him Jan. 5 at jail.
In testimony Wednesday, a gunsmith and Tudor explained that Tudor's revolver was defective. They said when the revolver was fired, small shavings from the bullet often would break off and fly out through the cylinder.
When asked in cross ecamination Thursday by Beecher if he recognized his wife under the domelight of the car when the door was opened, Tudor replied, "Yes, I suppose I did."
TUDOR TESTIFIED that he wanted to scare Merritt because "I wanted to tell him it was all right to see my wife while I was home but not while I was not at home."
"Why did you take the gun out to the car," he was asked.
"I didn't want any argument."
"Did you expect any argument?"
"If I was bringing another man's wife home in the middle of the night, I would expect an argument."
Tudor also testified under cross examination that he had a fight with Merrit at Walker in 1953, partially over Marie, who was then Mrs. Merritt.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Courier; Waterloo, Iowa; Sunday, April 15, 1956; Page 20 (Newspapers.com)

Tudor Trial May Climax Tuesday (By Harry Grove, Courier, Staff Writer)
INDEPENDENCE -- The second degree murder trial of Charles Tudor is expected to reach the jury late Tuesday, according to indications at the 3 p.m. Friday adjournment of district court here.
Defense attorneys Robert Carson, of Independence, and Paul Kildee, of Waterloo, will resume examination of witnesses at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
A previous commitment for Monday by Judge Blair Wood necessitated the long adjournment.
Tudor, a 27-year-old Winthrop mechanic, is accused of murder in the Jan. 4 shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, of Walker, the former husband of Mrs. Tudor.
Merritt was killed by a single shot from a .22 calibre revolver as he sat with Mrs. Tudor in his car in front of the Tudor home about 12:30 a.m. According to testimony by Mrs. Tudor, 29, she had accompanied Merritt on a planned trip to Cedar Rapids to switch dependency of her and Merritt's three sons from Merritt to Tudor.
SHE TESTIFIED Friday that Merritt did not drive to Cedar Rapids because, he insisted, it would involve "just a bunch of red tape." Merritt stopped at taverns in Quasqueton, Marion, Central City and Prairieburg before returning to Winthrop, Mrs. Tudor testified.
The defense is contending that Tudor kept a loaded revolver in his home as a precaution against prowlers and that his wife grabbed the gun, discharging it accidentally as Tudor opened the door of Merritt's car.
In the crowded courtrooom Friday, a Chicago spectrochemist demonstrated that his analysis indicated identical metallic composition of particles removed from Mrs. Tudor's finger after the shooting and slugs from cartridges of the type used in the Tudor revolver.
TUDOR AND a Waterloo gunsmith testified earlier that Tudor's defective gun often allowed slug shavings to escape between the cylinder and barrel chamber when fired.
The defense is attempting to link Mrs. Tudor's finger wound as corroboration of her and Tudor's testimony that she grabbed the cylinder portion of the gun the instant she saw her husband at the door of Merritt's car.
A psychiatrist is expected to testify Tuesday concerning Mrs. Tudor's cross examination testimony Friday that she recalled through hypnosis Apr. 10 that she had hit the gun.
Under earlier cross examination, she admitted screaming, "I didn't" when she overheard her husband say she grabbed the gun during his explanation on the night of the shooting.
A JURY OF five women and seven men will be called on to return verdicts either of second degree murder or manslaughter or absolve Tudor of criminal guilt in the incident.
Conviction of second degree murder would mean a penitentiary sentence of from 10 years to life. The maximum penalty for manslaughter is eight years in prison and $1000 fine.
Prosecutors Louis Beecher of Waterloo and William Klotzbach, Buchanan county attorney, rested the state's case Thursday.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Courier, Waterloo, Iowa; Tuesday, April 17, 1956; Page 2 (Newspapers.com)

Tudor Case to Jury Wednesday (By Harry Grove, Courier Staff Writer)
INDEPENDENCE -- Testimony in the second degree murder trial of Charles Tudor ended at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday in district court here.
Attorneys will present final arguments before the court at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, and the trial will then be sent to the jury.
Dr. James Cromwell, superintendent of the Mental Health Institute here, was the first witness for the defense Tuesday morning.
In spite of an hour and 40-minute conference in Judge Blair Wood's office Tuesday morning, and a recess at noon, the trial was expected to reach the jury late Tuesday.
As first witness at 9:30 a.m., Dr. Cormwell identified himself on the stand and said that he had examined Mrs. Tudor on April 10.
AT THAT POINT the judge and the defense and prosecution attorney's left the courtroom to confer on the limitations of Dr. Cromwell's testimony. They were out in conference about one hour and 40 minutes.
Tudor, a 27-year-old Winthrop mechanic, is accused of murder in the Jan. 4 shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, of Walker, the former husband of Mrs. Tudor.
Merritt was killed by a single shot from a .22 calibre revolver as he sat with Mrs. Tudor in his car in front of the Tudor home about 12:30 a.m. According to testimony by Mrs. Tudor, 29, she had accompanied Merritt on a planned trip to Cedar Rapids to switch dependency of her and Merritt's three sons from Merritt to Tudor.
THE DEFENSE is contending that Tudor kept a loaded revolver in his home as a precaution against prowlers and that his wife grabbed the gun, discharging it accidentally as Tudor opened the door of Merrit's car.
When the judge and attorneys returned, Dr. Cromwell took the stand again and Judge Wood overruled an objection by the state for any further testimony by Dr. Cormwell.
He was limited, however, to the stipulations made in that conference.
Under defense questioning, then, at that point Dr. Cromwell said on his Apr. 10 examination of Mrs. Tudor he found she was suffering from "hysterical amnesia," and described that as "the inability to remember, a memory loss due to emotional or psychological causes rather than injury."
HE TESTIFIED further that he had used hypnosis as a method of treatment on Mrs. Tudor and testified that he thought she was now cured.
Under earlier cross examination, Mrs. Tudor admitted screaming, "I didn't" when she overheard her husband say she grabbed the gun during his explanation on the night of the shooting.
The defense then called Loras Heffernen, who testified earlier for the state. He is the operator of the Winthrop service station-tavern to which Tudor ran after the shooting.
The only thing he said for the defense was that he recoalled Tudor telling him that he had dozed before his wife got home that evening.
THE NEXT DEFENSE witness, Floyd Dye, of Cedar Rapids, a brother of Mrs. Tudor, said that he was called to Winthrop on the night of the shooting and described Marie as "hysterical."
He also testified to seeing "a large red area like a burn on her finger."
Friday a Chicago spectrochemist demonstrated that his analysis indicated identical metallic composition of particles removed from Mrs. Tudor's finger after the shooting and slugs from cartridges of the type used in the Tudor revolver.
Tudor and a Waterloo gunsmith testified earlier that Tudor's defective gun often allowed slug shavings to escape between the cylinder and barrel chamber when fired.
THE DEFENSE is attempting to link Mrs. Tudor's finger wound as corroboration of her and Tudor's testimony that she grabbed the cylinder portion of the gun the instant she saw her husband at the door of Merritt's car.
The defense called four witnesses who all called Tudor's reputation "good." They were Dr. A. J. Murphy, Winthrop veterinarian; Mrs. Amanda Harrington, wife of the Winthrop newspaper publisher; I. L. Hand, Winthrop implement dealer, and George Brubaker, Winthrop postmaster.
A fifth character witness was heard Tuesday afternoon for the defense. Harrison Mast, who operates an implement shop in WInthrop where Tudor is currently employed, said of Tudor's reputation that it was 'good."
A jury of five women and seven men will be called on to return verdicts either of second degree murder or manslaughter or absolve Tudor of criminal guilt in the incident.
Defense attorneys are Robert Carson, Independence, and Paul Kildee, of Waterloo. Prosecutors Louis Beecher of Waterloo and William Klotzbach, Buchanan county attorney, rested the state's case Thursday.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Des Moines Register; Des Moines, Iowa; Friday, April 20, 1956; Page 4 (Newspapers.com)

DISMISS JURY IN TUDOR CASE
INDEPENDENCE, IA (AP) -- The jury in the Charles Tudor second degree murder trial was discharged early Thursday after the foreman reported that it was hopelessly deadlocked.
The case went to the jury at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday and District Judge Blair Wood discharged the jurors at 3 a.m. Thursday. He set retrial of the case for the September term of court here.
Tudor, 27, Winthrop mechanic, was tried for the fatal shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, Walker, early the morning of Jan. 4.
Merritt was shot as he sat in his parked car with Mrs. Tudor in front of the Tudor residence. She was his former wife. Merritt had picked her up about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 3 for a business trip to Cedar Rapids.
Mrs. Tudor testified Merritt spent the day stopping in taverns in various towns and never made the Cedar Rapids business stop.
Tudor testified Merritt was shot accidentally. He said his old revolver discharged when Mrs. Tudor grabbed the cylinder after he opened the door of the parked car. The state contended the shooting was deliberate and that Mrs. Tudor merely threw up her hands to protect herself.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - Quad-City Times; Davenport, Iowa; Friday, September 21, 1956; Page 29 (Newspapers.com)

Iowan Gets Parole In Slaying Case
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (UP) -- Charles Tudor, 27, Winthrop, Thursday received a bench parole from an eight year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of a Walker, Iowa, man last January.
Tudor's attorneys met with District Court Judge Blair Wood Thursday and agreed to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Tudor had been tried for second degree murder in April but the jury failed to reach a decision.
The meeting between Wood, Tudor's attorneys and Buchanan County Atty. William Klotzbach came before a new trial could be scheduled.
Tudor had been charged with killing Gordon Merritt, Walker, while Merritt was sitting in a car in front of Tudor's house with Tudor's wife Marie. Mrs. Tudor was divorced from Merritt.
Wood sentenced Tudor to eight years in the Anamosa Reformatory and then issued a bench parole and fined him $500 and court costs.
He told Tudor, who became the father of a baby girl last month "he had learned his lesson through the long deliberations since the shooting.

GRAVE MARKER

GORDON RAY MERRITT
IOWA
CPL 7 MARINES 1st MAR DIV
WORLD WAR II PH
AUG 26 1923 JAN 4 1956.

Citations

[S12476] U.S., Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936 - 2007 (Ancestry.com)
[S2146] 1940 Census, Iowa, Linn County
[S5328] Genealogy prepared by Birdman66 (Ancestry.com)
[S9187] Newspaper Article - Globe-Gazette; Mason City, Iowa; Wednesday, January 4, 1956; Page 1
[S12439] U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925 - 1963 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor^1,2,3,4

M, #56530, b. 14 July 1928, d. 1 March 1997

Parents

Father	Ernest B. Tudor
Mother	Alice Scott

Pedigree Link

Family: Marie Ilena Dye (b. 18 November 1927, d. 22 February 1999)

Son	Michael G. "Mike" Tudor
Daughter	Meryl Linn "Teedee" Tudor
Son	Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor+ (b. 3 September 1956, d. 27 April 2010)

BASIC FACTS

Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor was born on 13 July 1928 in Winthrop, Buchanan Co., Iowa.^2,4 He was born on 14 July 1928 in Winthrop, Buchanan Co., Iowa.³ He and Marie Ilena Dye were married before January 1956.^1,5 He died on 1 March 1997, at age 68, in Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa.² He was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Winthrop, Buchanan Co., Iowa.³

Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor had reference number 56847. World War II, U.S. Navy, entered: 1945, S2.⁴ NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - Globe-Gazette; Mason City, Iowa; Wednesday, January 4, 1956; Page 1 (Newspapers.com)

Man Held in Shooting
Ex-Husband of Woman Slain in Car
Gordon Merritt Is Victim
Winthrop - A 32-year-old man was shot to death as he sat in his car with his former wife here early Wednesday.
Authorities were holding the woman's present husband in connection with the case. Buchanan County Sheriff Emery Hart said Gordon Merritt, Walker, was shot in the forehead by a bullet from a 32 caliber target pistol.
No Charges
The sheriff identified the man being held as Charles Tudor, 27, Winthrop.
No charges had been filed.
Hart said the shooting occurred in front of the Tudor home here. After the shooting, he said, Tudor went to the home of a neighbor, Loras Hefferman, and asked that the sheriff's office in Independence be called.
The sheriff said Merritt had brought his former wife, who married Tudor last July, home about 12:45 a.m.
Before Midnight
Tudor said Merritt came to their home just before midnight and Tudor decided to "scare him away" with a pistol that shots "soft nose" hollow bullets.
Tudor told the sheriff he shot just once.
Tudor was taken to Independence and jailed.
Mrs. Tudor has two small boys from her marriage to Merritt. The children were asleep in the Tudor home when the shooting occurred.

Note: There were three boys from the marriage of Marie Ilena Dye to Gordon Ray Merritt: Gordon Lee Merritt (age 11), twins Ronald Dee Merritt and Raymond Dean Merritt (age 8).

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Courier; Waterloo, Iowa; Friday, April 13, 1956; Page 1 (Newspapers.com)

Mrs. Tudor Relates Shooting Incidents (by Harry Grove, Courier Staff Writer)
INDEPENDENCE -- The events of Jan 3 up to the fatal shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, Walker, were related here by Mrs. Marie Tudor, 29, wife of the man on trial for second degree murder.
Mrs. Tudor was the only witness Friday morning as the trial of Charles Tudor, 27, Winthrop, moved into its third day.
She recalled the day spent with Merritt, which began at about 10:30 a.m. and ended about 12:45 a.m. the next day with the fatal shooting.
Merritt picked her up the morning of Jan. 3, she said, for a pre-arranged trip arranged by letter to Cedar Rapids. Purpose of the trip was to switch the income tax dependency of their three children from Merritt, her former husband to Tudor.
SHE TESTIFIED that they drove first to Quasqueton and stopped at a tavern where Merritt drank some beer. They stopped again at another tavern near Cedar Rapids.
She said Gordon told her at that point that "there's no need to go to the courthouse" because "it would just be a bunch of red tape."
They then drove to Marion and Mrs. Tudor reported she told Merritt she had to go home and he said he would take her.
They then stopped at a Marion tavern where they remaind from about 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. After leaving Marion, Merritt drove her to a farm of one of his uncle's near Waubeek. He drank some more beer with his uncle.
After departing from the farm, Mrs. Tudor said they drove to Central City and another tavern. She said she again mentioned that she had to get home.
MERRITT MET a friend of his who accompanied them from Central City to another tavern at Prairieburg. She said it was about 11 p.m. when they left that tavern and returned to Central City to drop off Merritt's friend.
They then started to drive home.
Mrs. Tudor testified that after they pulled into the driveway at the Tudor home in Winthrop, she "asked Gordon to come in and tell Bud where we had been."
She said she had her hand on the doorhandle and when the door was opened, she saw her husband standing in the doorway of the car.
She quoted Tudor as shouting, "Damn it, Merritt!"
She said she reached up to pull the gun Tudor was holding away from her face and the gun went off.
MRS. TUDOR RAN into the house and then to a neighbor's home where she heard Tudor say outside that "Marie grabbed the gun."
She said she shouted at that time that she didn't grab the gun because "I didn't want to think I was responsible for a death."
In cross examination Friday morning Mrs. Tudor told Louis Beecher that on Apr. 10 she was taken to a psychiatrist and there recalled that she had grabbed the gun.
Her testimony followed that of Tudor's Thursday in which he illustrated how his wife grabbed the gun before it went off.
He said he had not cocked the gun before arriving at the car and that a broken trigger spring prevented the gun from being fired unless the trigger was first pushed forward. He said it "would have to be a severe blow" on the gun hand to set off the gun with the hammer down.
MRS. TUDOR FRIDAY said that on one of her trips to Independence Jan. 7 after the shooting she went to a doctor, who took a piece of metal from the middle finger of her right hand.
Tudor said in direct examination Thursday that he had noticed a laceration of his wife's finger when she had visited him Jan. 5 at jail.
In testimony Wednesday, a gunsmith and Tudor explained that Tudor's revolver was defective. They said when the revolver was fired, small shavings from the bullet often would break off and fly out through the cylinder.
When asked in cross ecamination Thursday by Beecher if he recognized his wife under the domelight of the car when the door was opened, Tudor replied, "Yes, I suppose I did."
TUDOR TESTIFIED that he wanted to scare Merritt because "I wanted to tell him it was all right to see my wife while I was home but not while I was not at home."
"Why did you take the gun out to the car," he was asked.
"I didn't want any argument."
"Did you expect any argument?"
"If I was bringing another man's wife home in the middle of the night, I would expect an argument."
Tudor also testified under cross examination that he had a fight with Merrit at Walker in 1953, partially over Marie, who was then Mrs. Merritt.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Courier; Waterloo, Iowa; Sunday, April 15, 1956; Page 20 (Newspapers.com)

Tudor Trial May Climax Tuesday (By Harry Grove, Courier, Staff Writer)
INDEPENDENCE -- The second degree murder trial of Charles Tudor is expected to reach the jury late Tuesday, according to indications at the 3 p.m. Friday adjournment of district court here.
Defense attorneys Robert Carson, of Independence, and Paul Kildee, of Waterloo, will resume examination of witnesses at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
A previous commitment for Monday by Judge Blair Wood necessitated the long adjournment.
Tudor, a 27-year-old Winthrop mechanic, is accused of murder in the Jan. 4 shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, of Walker, the former husband of Mrs. Tudor.
Merritt was killed by a single shot from a .22 calibre revolver as he sat with Mrs. Tudor in his car in front of the Tudor home about 12:30 a.m. According to testimony by Mrs. Tudor, 29, she had accompanied Merritt on a planned trip to Cedar Rapids to switch dependency of her and Merritt's three sons from Merritt to Tudor.
SHE TESTIFIED Friday that Merritt did not drive to Cedar Rapids because, he insisted, it would involve "just a bunch of red tape." Merritt stopped at taverns in Quasqueton, Marion, Central City and Prairieburg before returning to Winthrop, Mrs. Tudor testified.
The defense is contending that Tudor kept a loaded revolver in his home as a precaution against prowlers and that his wife grabbed the gun, discharging it accidentally as Tudor opened the door of Merritt's car.
In the crowded courtrooom Friday, a Chicago spectrochemist demonstrated that his analysis indicated identical metallic composition of particles removed from Mrs. Tudor's finger after the shooting and slugs from cartridges of the type used in the Tudor revolver.
TUDOR AND a Waterloo gunsmith testified earlier that Tudor's defective gun often allowed slug shavings to escape between the cylinder and barrel chamber when fired.
The defense is attempting to link Mrs. Tudor's finger wound as corroboration of her and Tudor's testimony that she grabbed the cylinder portion of the gun the instant she saw her husband at the door of Merritt's car.
A psychiatrist is expected to testify Tuesday concerning Mrs. Tudor's cross examination testimony Friday that she recalled through hypnosis Apr. 10 that she had hit the gun.
Under earlier cross examination, she admitted screaming, "I didn't" when she overheard her husband say she grabbed the gun during his explanation on the night of the shooting.
A JURY OF five women and seven men will be called on to return verdicts either of second degree murder or manslaughter or absolve Tudor of criminal guilt in the incident.
Conviction of second degree murder would mean a penitentiary sentence of from 10 years to life. The maximum penalty for manslaughter is eight years in prison and $1000 fine.
Prosecutors Louis Beecher of Waterloo and William Klotzbach, Buchanan county attorney, rested the state's case Thursday.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Courier, Waterloo, Iowa; Tuesday, April 17, 1956; Page 2 (Newspapers.com)

Tudor Case to Jury Wednesday (By Harry Grove, Courier Staff Writer)
INDEPENDENCE -- Testimony in the second degree murder trial of Charles Tudor ended at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday in district court here.
Attorneys will present final arguments before the court at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, and the trial will then be sent to the jury.
Dr. James Cromwell, superintendent of the Mental Health Institute here, was the first witness for the defense Tuesday morning.
In spite of an hour and 40-minute conference in Judge Blair Wood's office Tuesday morning, and a recess at noon, the trial was expected to reach the jury late Tuesday.
As first witness at 9:30 a.m., Dr. Cormwell identified himself on the stand and said that he had examined Mrs. Tudor on April 10.
AT THAT POINT the judge and the defense and prosecution attorney's left the courtroom to confer on the limitations of Dr. Cromwell's testimony. They were out in conference about one hour and 40 minutes.
Tudor, a 27-year-old Winthrop mechanic, is accused of murder in the Jan. 4 shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, of Walker, the former husband of Mrs. Tudor.
Merritt was killed by a single shot from a .22 calibre revolver as he sat with Mrs. Tudor in his car in front of the Tudor home about 12:30 a.m. According to testimony by Mrs. Tudor, 29, she had accompanied Merritt on a planned trip to Cedar Rapids to switch dependency of her and Merritt's three sons from Merritt to Tudor.
THE DEFENSE is contending that Tudor kept a loaded revolver in his home as a precaution against prowlers and that his wife grabbed the gun, discharging it accidentally as Tudor opened the door of Merrit's car.
When the judge and attorneys returned, Dr. Cromwell took the stand again and Judge Wood overruled an objection by the state for any further testimony by Dr. Cormwell.
He was limited, however, to the stipulations made in that conference.
Under defense questioning, then, at that point Dr. Cromwell said on his Apr. 10 examination of Mrs. Tudor he found she was suffering from "hysterical amnesia," and described that as "the inability to remember, a memory loss due to emotional or psychological causes rather than injury."
HE TESTIFIED further that he had used hypnosis as a method of treatment on Mrs. Tudor and testified that he thought she was now cured.
Under earlier cross examination, Mrs. Tudor admitted screaming, "I didn't" when she overheard her husband say she grabbed the gun during his explanation on the night of the shooting.
The defense then called Loras Heffernen, who testified earlier for the state. He is the operator of the Winthrop service station-tavern to which Tudor ran after the shooting.
The only thing he said for the defense was that he recoalled Tudor telling him that he had dozed before his wife got home that evening.
THE NEXT DEFENSE witness, Floyd Dye, of Cedar Rapids, a brother of Mrs. Tudor, said that he was called to Winthrop on the night of the shooting and described Marie as "hysterical."
He also testified to seeing "a large red area like a burn on her finger."
Friday a Chicago spectrochemist demonstrated that his analysis indicated identical metallic composition of particles removed from Mrs. Tudor's finger after the shooting and slugs from cartridges of the type used in the Tudor revolver.
Tudor and a Waterloo gunsmith testified earlier that Tudor's defective gun often allowed slug shavings to escape between the cylinder and barrel chamber when fired.
THE DEFENSE is attempting to link Mrs. Tudor's finger wound as corroboration of her and Tudor's testimony that she grabbed the cylinder portion of the gun the instant she saw her husband at the door of Merritt's car.
The defense called four witnesses who all called Tudor's reputation "good." They were Dr. A. J. Murphy, Winthrop veterinarian; Mrs. Amanda Harrington, wife of the Winthrop newspaper publisher; I. L. Hand, Winthrop implement dealer, and George Brubaker, Winthrop postmaster.
A fifth character witness was heard Tuesday afternoon for the defense. Harrison Mast, who operates an implement shop in WInthrop where Tudor is currently employed, said of Tudor's reputation that it was 'good."
A jury of five women and seven men will be called on to return verdicts either of second degree murder or manslaughter or absolve Tudor of criminal guilt in the incident.
Defense attorneys are Robert Carson, Independence, and Paul Kildee, of Waterloo. Prosecutors Louis Beecher of Waterloo and William Klotzbach, Buchanan county attorney, rested the state's case Thursday.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - The Des Moines Register; Des Moines, Iowa; Friday, April 20, 1956; Page 4 (Newspapers.com)

DISMISS JURY IN TUDOR CASE
INDEPENDENCE, IA (AP) -- The jury in the Charles Tudor second degree murder trial was discharged early Thursday after the foreman reported that it was hopelessly deadlocked.
The case went to the jury at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday and District Judge Blair Wood discharged the jurors at 3 a.m. Thursday. He set retrial of the case for the September term of court here.
Tudor, 27, Winthrop mechanic, was tried for the fatal shooting of Gordon Merritt, 32, Walker, early the morning of Jan. 4.
Merritt was shot as he sat in his parked car with Mrs. Tudor in front of the Tudor residence. She was his former wife. Merritt had picked her up about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 3 for a business trip to Cedar Rapids.
Mrs. Tudor testified Merritt spent the day stopping in taverns in various towns and never made the Cedar Rapids business stop.
Tudor testified Merritt was shot accidentally. He said his old revolver discharged when Mrs. Tudor grabbed the cylinder after he opened the door of the parked car. The state contended the shooting was deliberate and that Mrs. Tudor merely threw up her hands to protect herself.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - Quad-City Times; Davenport, Iowa; Friday, September 21, 1956; Page 29 (Newspapers.com)

Iowan Gets Parole In Slaying Case
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (UP) -- Charles Tudor, 27, Winthrop, Thursday received a bench parole from an eight year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of a Walker, Iowa, man last January.
Tudor's attorneys met with District Court Judge Blair Wood Thursday and agreed to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Tudor had been tried for second degree murder in April but the jury failed to reach a decision.
The meeting between Wood, Tudor's attorneys and Buchanan County Atty. William Klotzbach came before a new trial could be scheduled.
Tudor had been charged with killing Gordon Merritt, Walker, while Merritt was sitting in a car in front of Tudor's house with Tudor's wife Marie. Mrs. Tudor was divorced from Merritt.
Wood sentenced Tudor to eight years in the Anamosa Reformatory and then issued a bench parole and fined him $500 and court costs.
He told Tudor, who became the father of a baby girl last month "he had learned his lesson through the long deliberations since the shooting.

OBITUARY - Find-A-Grave

Charles "Bud" Tudor was born July 13, 1928 in Winthrop, Ia, the son of Ernest B. and Alice Scott Tudor.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945 and served during WWII.
Charles B. "Bud" Tudor 68 of Cedar Rapids, formerly from Olin died March 1, 1997 from a long struggle with Emphysema at St Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Survivors include a daughter Meryl Lynn "Teede"Guarino and husband Jack of Holiday, FL, two sons, Bruce A. "Tony" Tudor and wife Marcia of Cedar Rapids, Michael G. Tudor and wife Sue of Beaver Dam, WI, eight grancdhildren, one brother Melvin Tudor of Cedar Rapids, five sisters, Mary Lou Shimp of Dunkerson, Velma Jean Tudor of Cedar Rapids, Laura Benzine of Princeton, TX Donna Knight of Las Vegas, NV, Verna Miller of Waverly and one step brother Bob Ball of Dubuque.
He was preceded in death by his mother Alice Ball, step-father Frank Ball, his father Ernest Tudor, a sister Betsy Gritton and a step-sister Jean Norcott.
Burial on March 5, 1997 at Fairview Cemetery, Winthrop, IA.

GRAVE MARKER

FATHER
CHARLES B. TUDOR
7 -- 14 -- 1928
3 -- 1 -- 1997

GRAVE MARKER

CHARLES B TUDOR
S2 US NAVY
WORLD WAR II
JUL 14 1928 MAR 1 1997.

Citations

[S12476] U.S., Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936 - 2007 (Ancestry.com)
[S6518] Genealogy prepared by kitzkamp (Ancestry.com)
[S4980] Find A Grave (Internet), Source Medium: Book
[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor
[S9187] Newspaper Article - Globe-Gazette; Mason City, Iowa; Wednesday, January 4, 1956; Page 1

Family Explorer

John Henry Ablen^1,2

M, #56531

Pedigree Link

Family: Maude Elizabeth Huff

Son	John Curtis Abeln (b. 12 April 1925, d. 8 July 2002)

Citations

[S12476] U.S., Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936 - 2007 (Ancestry.com)
[S2101] 1940 Census, Illinois, Macoupin County

Family Explorer

Maude Elizabeth Huff^1,2

F, #56532

Pedigree Link

Family: John Henry Ablen

Son	John Curtis Abeln (b. 12 April 1925, d. 8 July 2002)

Citations

[S12476] U.S., Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936 - 2007 (Ancestry.com)
[S10995] Obituary - Lewis Ray "Peck" Abeln (brother of John Curtis Ablen)

Family Explorer

Sidney Liddle¹

M, #56533

Pedigree Link

Family: Bridget Murray

Daughter

Irene Bridgett Liddle+ (b. 30 January 1923, d. 25 May 1996)

BASIC FACTS

Sidney Liddle had reference number 56850.

Citations

[S12476] U.S., Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936 - 2007 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Bridget Murray¹

F, #56534

Pedigree Link

Family: Sidney Liddle

Daughter

Irene Bridgett Liddle+ (b. 30 January 1923, d. 25 May 1996)

BASIC FACTS

Bridget Murray had reference number 56851.

Citations

[S12476] U.S., Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936 - 2007 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Mary Elizabeth Shaffar^1,2

F, #56535

Pedigree Link

Family: John Dawson Bumgardner

Son	John Thomas Bumgardner (b. 10 July 1880, d. 13 June 1958)

BASIC FACTS

Mary Elizabeth Shaffar had reference number 56852.

Citations

[S5450] Genealogy prepared by Cathy (Crabtree) Cook (Christiana Ann Kitzmiller 2010-05-04 File)
[S4980] Find A Grave (Internet), Source Medium: Book

Family Explorer

Charles William Bills^1,2

M, #56536

Pedigree Link

Family: Clara Emogene Carsner

Son	Carl Lee Bills (b. 22 September 1893, d. 4 December 1976)

BASIC FACTS

Charles William Bills had reference number 56853.

Citations

[S8949] Marriage Records - Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880 - 1940 (Ancestry.com)
[S2732] Birth Records - Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1856 - 1940 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Clara Emogene Carsner^1,2

F, #56537

Pedigree Link

Family: Charles William Bills

Son	Carl Lee Bills (b. 22 September 1893, d. 4 December 1976)

BASIC FACTS

Clara Emogene Carsner had reference number 56854.

Citations

[S8949] Marriage Records - Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880 - 1940 (Ancestry.com)
[S2732] Birth Records - Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1856 - 1940 (Ancestry.com)

Family Explorer

Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor^1,2

M, #56538, b. 3 September 1956, d. 27 April 2010

Parents

Father	Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor (b. 14 July 1928, d. 1 March 1997)
Mother	Marie Ilena Dye (b. 18 November 1927, d. 22 February 1999)

Pedigree Link

Family: Marcia Unknown

Daughter

Jessi Tudor+

BASIC FACTS

Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor was born on 3 September 1956 in Iowa.¹ He and Marcia Unknown were married before 1997.³ He and Claudia Pierce were married before 2010.⁴ He died on 27 April 2010, at age 53, in Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa.¹ He was buried in Center Point Cemetery, Center Point, Linn Co., Iowa.²

Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor had reference number 56855. He resided in Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa (1997, 1999, 2007.)^3,5,6,7 His Social Security Number was Issued: Iowa.⁸ OBITUARY - https://www.murdochfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Bruce-Tony-Tudor-32474/#!/Obituary

“Tony” Bruce Anthony Tudor, 53, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Tuesday morning surrounded by his loving family, after a long courageous battle with cancer. Services: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 1, 2010, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids by Pastor Nick Longworth. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial: Center Point Cemetery, Center Point, Iowa.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Claudia; his daughter, Jessi and his “special little buddy”, grandson, Blayden; his step-children, Grumpy, Sam, and Mandy; and his 4-legged friend, Moxie Moo.
Also surviving are his brother, Mike (Deb) Tudor; sister, Teedee (Jack) Guarino; half-brother, Gordon Merritt; mother and father-in-law, Mary Lou and Claude Pierce; sisters-in-law, Cathy (Chuck) Smith, Cynthia Shanahan, Connie (Jim) Curtis, Cheryl (Rick) Schemmel, Carolyn (Brian) Seemann, Chris (Brian) Moody, Carmen Pierce (Javier); and numerous other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two half-brothers, Ronald and Raymond Merritt.
Tony was born September 3, 1956, in Manchester, Iowa, to Charles “Bud” Tudor and Marie Dye. He grew up in North St. Louis before moving to Cedar Rapids in his early teen years. He attended Franklin Junior High and Washington High School. He was united in marriage to Claudia Pierce on March 1, 2003. Tony worked for Barron Motor and City Automotive before retiring from CRANDIC Railway after 16 years of service.
Tony was a huge Cardinals Fan and avid NASCAR “Tony Stewart” Fan. He also enjoyed Hawkeye Football. He truly enjoyed the special time he got to spend with his “little buddy”, grandson, Blayden.
Tony always enjoyed singing karaoke, drinking a cold Busch, and grilling for all his family, friends and the “Boys”, friends since Jr. High School.
In recent years, Tony really looked forward to the Wednesday lunch breaks with his best friend of 40 years, Jon Fawcett.
The family would like to thank Dr. David Zenk and staff and Susan with St. Luke’s Hospice for all of their special care.
In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established in Tony’s memory.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor please visit our Sympathy Store.

Citations

[S6518] Genealogy prepared by kitzkamp (Ancestry.com)
[S4980] Find A Grave (Internet), Source Medium: Book
[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor
[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor
[S4458] Email from Don Boyd dated 2019-03-31
[S11597] Obituary - Raymond Dean "Spooky" Merritt
[S11154] Obituary - Marie Ilena (Dye) Garrett-Tudor-Abeln
[S12398] Social Security Death Index, Source Medium: Book

Family Explorer

Ernest B. Tudor¹

M, #56539

Pedigree Link

Family: Alice Scott

Son	Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor+ (b. 14 July 1928, d. 1 March 1997)

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor

Family Explorer

Alice Scott¹

F, #56540

Pedigree Link

Family: Ernest B. Tudor

Son	Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor+ (b. 14 July 1928, d. 1 March 1997)

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor

Family Explorer

Marcia Unknown¹

F, #56541

Pedigree Link

Family: Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor (b. 3 September 1956, d. 27 April 2010)

Daughter

Jessi Tudor+

BASIC FACTS

Marcia Unknown and Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor were married before 1997.¹

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor

Family Explorer

Gordon Lee Merritt¹

M, #56542, b. 30 March 1944, d. 6 February 2011

Parents

Father	Gordon Ray Merritt (b. 26 August 1923, d. 4 January 1956)
Mother	Marie Ilena Dye (b. 18 November 1927, d. 22 February 1999)

Pedigree Link

Family: Linda Unknown

Son	Mike Merritt
Son	Gordon Ray "Gordy" Merritt+ (b. 22 July 1970, d. 25 July 2013)

BASIC FACTS

Gordon Lee Merritt was born on 30 March 1944 in Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa. He died on 6 February 2011, at age 66, in Hiawatha, Linn Co., Iowa.² He was buried in Walker Cemetery, Walker, Linn Co., Iowa.³

Gordon Lee Merritt had reference number 56859. His Social Security Number was Issued: Iowa, last residence: Hiawatha, Linn Co., Iowa.² He resided in Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa (1973, 1999); Hiawatha, Linn Co., Iowa (2007.)^4,5,6 Vietnam War, U.S. Army, enlisted: 1961, U.S. Marine Corps, enlisted: 1966, released: 1969, Corporal.^7,3 OBITUARY - https://www.murdochfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Gordon-Merritt-32474/#!/Obituary

Gordon L. Merritt, 66, passed away Sunday, February 6, 2011, in his home with family by his side after an eight month battle with cancer. Services: 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 12, 2011, at the Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point. Visitation will be one hour prior to services on Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Walker Cemetery in Walker, with military honors.
Gordon was born on March 30, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of Gordon Ray and Marie (Dye) Merritt. In 1961, Gordon enlisted in the U.S. Army where he was a Corporal and in 1966, he enlisted in the Marine Corp. During this time, Gordon served his country in the Vietnam War until his discharge in 1969.
Gordon was an avid Cardinal baseball, Jets and NASCAR fan. He will be greatly missed along with his sense of humor and candor.
Survivors include his children, Mike (Becky) Merritt of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Revette (Terry) Sauser of Ryan, Iowa, Gordon (Angela) Merritt of Marion, Iowa, Kristine “Bean” Ferguson of Hiawatha; his only wife, Linda Merritt of Marion, who he remained friends with over the years; his half-brothers, Mike Tudor of Midland, Texas, and John Doxsee of Orlando, Florida; his grandchildren, Alxyandra, Bianca, Brooke, Cassie, Corey, Christopher, Kayosha, Hannah, Michael Jr., Nikki, Richard III, T.J. and Zachary; many nieces and nephews; friends; and his two special cats Icebox and Lucky.
Gordon was preceded in death by his father, Gordon R. Merritt; and brothers, Tony Tudor and Ray and Ronald Merritt.
A memorial fund has been established in his honor.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Gordon Lee Merritt please visit our Sympathy Store.

GRAVE MARKER

GORDON LEE MERRITT
CPL US MARINE CORPS
VIETNAM
MAR 30 1944 FEB 6 2011.

Citations

[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor
[S5328] Genealogy prepared by Birdman66 (Ancestry.com)
[S4980] Find A Grave (Internet), Source Medium: Book
[S10322] Obituary - Gordon Ray "Gordy" Merritt
[S11597] Obituary - Raymond Dean "Spooky" Merritt
[S11154] Obituary - Marie Ilena (Dye) Garrett-Tudor-Abeln
[S10320] Obituary - Gordon Lee Merritt

Family Explorer

Claudia Pierce¹

F, #56543

Parents

Father	Claude Pierce
Mother	Mary Lou Unknown

Pedigree Link

BASIC FACTS

Claudia Pierce and Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor were married before 2010.¹

Citations

[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor

Family Explorer

Jessi Tudor¹

F, #56544

Parents

Father	Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor (b. 3 September 1956, d. 27 April 2010)
Mother	Marcia Unknown

Pedigree Link

Family:

Son	Blayden Tudor

Citations

[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor

Family Explorer

Blayden Tudor¹

M, #56545

Parents

Mother

Jessi Tudor

Pedigree Link

Citations

[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor

Family Explorer

Michael G. "Mike" Tudor^1,2

M, #56546

Parents

Father	Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor (b. 14 July 1928, d. 1 March 1997)
Mother	Marie Ilena Dye (b. 18 November 1927, d. 22 February 1999)

Pedigree Link

BASIC FACTS

Michael G. "Mike" Tudor and Sue Unknown were married before 1997.¹ He and Deb Unknown were married before 2010.²

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor
[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor

Family Explorer

Meryl Linn "Teedee" Tudor¹

F, #56547

Parents

Father	Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor (b. 14 July 1928, d. 1 March 1997)
Mother	Marie Ilena Dye (b. 18 November 1927, d. 22 February 1999)

Pedigree Link

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor

Family Explorer

Jack Guarino¹

M, #56548

Pedigree Link

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor

Family Explorer

Sue Unknown¹

F, #56549

Pedigree Link

BASIC FACTS

Sue Unknown and Michael G. "Mike" Tudor were married before 1997.¹

Citations

[S9629] Obituary - Charles Brutus "Bud" Tudor

Family Explorer

Deb Unknown¹

F, #56550

Pedigree Link

BASIC FACTS

Deb Unknown and Michael G. "Mike" Tudor were married before 2010.¹

Citations

[S9570] Obituary - Bruce Anthony "Tony" Tudor