Paul Tucci was the boyfriend of Laura Rideout, and in the Craig Rideout murder case he was tried alongside Laura and her two sons for the July 2016 killing of her estranged husband. A Monroe County jury acquitted him of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence on July 25, 2017, the same day it convicted Laura and her son Colin of murder.1WXXI News. Mother and Son Found Guilty of Murder in Craig Rideout Trial
How Tucci Came to Be Charged
Craig Rideout, 50, was last seen on July 19, 2016. His body was found the next day in a wooded area of Yates County, wrapped in a tarp, secured with bungee cords, and disfigured with a corrosive acid. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death strangulation and blunt force trauma.213WHAM. Medical Examiner Testifies in Rideout Murder Trial
Craig and Laura were in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody fight over their seven children. Laura and Tucci had signed a year-long lease on a North Carolina home on June 26, 2016, with the lease set to begin July 15. Craig opposed the move and had a hearing scheduled for July 26 to enforce the existing custody order. He was killed six days before that hearing.3WHEC. An In-Depth Look at the Rideout Family4Democrat and Chronicle. Rideout Trial Day 3: What You Need to Know
Tucci was first charged with tampering with evidence in September 2016. On December 2 of that year, a Monroe County grand jury indicted him along with Laura and her sons Colin and Alex on charges of second-degree murder and tampering. All four pleaded not guilty.513WHAM. Four Indicted for Murder of Craig Rideout6Democrat and Chronicle. Paul Tucci Charged in Connection With Rideout Death
State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Moran ordered all four defendants tried together, over the objection of Tucci’s attorney Michael Schiano, who argued the other defendants’ evidence would spill over onto his client. The trial opened on June 23, 2017. Prosecutors called more than 50 witnesses and introduced nearly 700 pieces of evidence over roughly a month.7Rochester First. Judge: Four Accused of Killing Craig Rideout Will Be Tried Together8Democrat and Chronicle. Rideout Sentencing
What Prosecutors Had on Tucci
The state built its case against Tucci around a shopping trip and a DNA trail. Surveillance video from a Hudson Avenue Walmart in Rochester showed Tucci and Laura buying three bottles of heavy drain cleaner, a tarp, two pairs of bungee cords, bug spray, and a Diet Coke on the evening of July 19, 2016, hours before Craig was killed. Prosecutors argued the purchases matched the items used to wrap and disfigure the body.9Democrat and Chronicle. Surveillance Videos Show Tucci, Rideouts Hours Before Murder
Forensic testing linked Tucci’s DNA to bloody work gloves recovered from “Devil’s Bathtub,” a pond in Mendon Ponds Park where deputies had found Colin and Alex Rideout the day after Craig’s disappearance was reported. Craig’s blood was found on Tucci’s sweatpants and shoes.1013WHAM. DNA Tests Link All Four Rideout Defendants to Bloody Evidence11Democrat and Chronicle. Investigation Discovery See No Evil to Feature Craig Rideout Murder Case Sheriff’s investigator David Bolton offered the jury a theory that Tucci had been in the basement of Craig’s Penfield townhouse during the killing, struck Craig with an iron, and helped remove the body.1213WHAM. Paul Tucci Acquitted in Rideout Murder Case Sits Down With 13WHAM
The Defense
Schiano’s argument was narrow and consistent: nothing put Tucci inside Craig Rideout’s home. In closing, he told jurors there was “not one shred of evidence” of Tucci’s involvement and “not one mention of Tucci at the Devil’s Bathtub or the Rideouts’ home.”1313WHAM. Closing Arguments in Rideout Murder Resume Tuesday Morning
The Walmart purchases, the defense said, were the shopping list of a family preparing to move to North Carolina. Tucci later said the drain cleaner was for clogs at his own home and the tarp and bungee cords were moving supplies.1413WHAM. Video: Tucci, Rideouts Buying Items Linked to Murder Schiano also attacked the DNA evidence, pointing out that gloves tied to Tucci carried DNA from three contributors, which he said pointed to contamination.15Democrat and Chronicle. Laura Rideout Trial: Paul Tucci He noted that Tucci and Craig had known each other for nearly 20 years without animosity.
The Verdict and Why the Jury Split
The jury deliberated nearly five days. On July 25, 2017, it convicted Laura Rideout of second-degree murder, second-degree burglary, and tampering, and convicted Colin Rideout of murder and two tampering counts. Alex Rideout was acquitted of murder but convicted on two tampering counts. Tucci was acquitted on both charges.1WXXI News. Mother and Son Found Guilty of Murder in Craig Rideout Trial
A juror who spoke publicly afterward gave a candid account. The jury believed Tucci likely knew about the murder and may have helped cover it up, the juror said, but “no shred of evidence” placed him at the killing itself. Without being able to put him at the Penfield scene, jurors did not feel they could convict on either count.1613WHAM. Juror: Why We Couldn’t Convict Paul Tucci
The juror also criticized the investigation, calling deputies’ work at Mendon Ponds Park “sloppy” and describing evidence stacked together in a way that risked DNA contamination. The prosecution, the juror said, “did a poor job painting a picture and a timeline of the events.” A bag of Tucci’s clothing and the iron allegedly used on Craig were never recovered, and text messages and internet search history had been excluded from evidence.
Assistant District Attorney Timothy Prosperi conceded the state had not been “able to place Tucci in the basement of Craig Rideout’s townhouse in Penfield.” He called it “a fair trial with all four defendants.”17Spectrum Local News. Rideout Murder Trial
What Happened to the Co-Defendants
On October 13, 2017, Judge Moran sentenced Laura Rideout to 25 years to life for murder, with additional consecutive time for burglary and tampering. Colin received 25 years to life for murder, with consecutive terms on two tampering counts. Alex received consecutive tampering terms totaling 2⅔ to 8 years. Moran denied defense motions to set aside the verdicts before imposing sentence.18WXXI News. Sentencing for Laura, Colin, and Alexander Rideout
Alex was released on parole in 2021 after serving roughly three and a half years.1913WHAM. Alex Rideout’s Appeal Denied in Connection to Father’s Murder Case Laura remains incarcerated and is not eligible for parole until 2056; Colin is not eligible until 2043.11Democrat and Chronicle. Investigation Discovery See No Evil to Feature Craig Rideout Murder Case
Tucci After the Acquittal
In interviews after his acquittal, Tucci maintained Laura and her sons were wrongly convicted. “Laura is a good person,” he told 13WHAM. “Laura didn’t mastermind anything.” He denied ever entering Craig’s home and brushed off Bolton’s theory with the line, “Maybe David Bolton believes in Santa Claus.” He said Laura, Colin, and Alex had been at his home for a bonfire the night Craig was killed.1213WHAM. Paul Tucci Acquitted in Rideout Murder Case Sits Down With 13WHAM
By July 2018, Tucci had sold his home in Perinton and left western New York. He moved near the Westchester County prison where Laura was held and said he was visiting her every other day. “I made a choice to be close to Laura because I still have hope,” he told the Democrat and Chronicle, adding that he was optimistic about her appeals.20Democrat and Chronicle. Craig Rideout Murder Anniversary: Where They Are Now
During the trial, speculation surfaced online about the 2014 death of Tucci’s former wife, Jennifer Tucci. In October 2017, her family issued a public statement confirming that she had died of liver disease resulting from alcoholism and that “no foul play was involved,” citing a post-mortem examination by Dr. Nadia Granger.21Spectrum Local News. Family of Paul Tucci’s Former Wife Releases Statement on Her Death