The son of a business customer and friend of mine was killed in front of my property in 1996. It would become his 8th OWI. He was paroled after serving 8 years if memory serves me right. I also knew the killer as he was a backhoe operator and we crossed paths on jobsites but I never really knew him other than his name and who he worked for. Seemed OK when he was sober...
The Daily Iowan
Iowa City, Iowa
Monday, October 7, 1996
Page 7A
Judge sentences I.C. man to 17 years for OWI death
Kelley Chorley
The Daily Iowan
An Iowa City resident was sentenced to 17 years in prison Friday for
killing Christopher Lillig while driving under the influence of
alcohol.
Gregory Rutt, 38, was found guilty in August 1995 of killing Lillig
with his vehicle.
In March 1995, on Highway 923, Lillig, 31, was riding his bike and was
struck by Rutt. About 2 hours after the accident Rutt turned himself
in with a blood alcohol level of .228. The legal limit in Iowa is .1.
Judge August Honsell split Rutt's sentencing into two parts. Rutt
received 15 years for vehicular homicide with $5000 in fines and 2
years for leaving the scene of the accident with fines of $2500. As a
habitual offender, Rutt has to serve three years in jail before he is
eligible for parole.
Ken Lefler, a friend of Lillig, sat through the trial and had mixed
feelings about the sentencing.
"Rutt and his attorney didn't put up a big fight," Lefler said. "They
conquered with the prosecution. I don't like the fact that someone
with his kind of driving record has a chance of getting parole in three
years, but that's how the system works."
Rutt has had seven previous drunken-driving convictions between 1976
and 1991. He lost his license five times, and as of October 1993 his
driving privileges were returned.
"With his record it's incredible to me that he wasn't jailed already."
Lefler said.
Rutt's license will be revoked for a period of six years. That period
of time will start now while he serves his time in prison, not when he
gets done serving his time.
Lefler said that he is not too sure what can be done to get habitual
drunk drivers off the street.
"Drinking and driving is such and incredible problem," he said.
"Anyone has the potential of getting an OWI, let alone killing someone.
Don't drive a car when you are drinking, call a cab, set up for a ride,
or walk."
"Intelligence has to prevail when making the decision to drive drunk or
not," Lefler said.
Teresa Lillig, the victim's wife, refrained from commenting on the
sentencing.