Nebraska Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing His Father After Dispute Over Money for a Car

A Nebraska man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after fatally shooting his own father in a family home, following an argument over money. Investigators later uncovered disturbing evidence on the son’s phone, including online searches about gunshot wounds to the head and the location of the brain stem, made just days before the killing. The case, which prosecutors described as a senseless tragedy that devastated an entire family, ended this week with a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Carl Ruskamp, 34, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his father, Gerald Ruskamp, 65, who was shot on September 7, 2022. According to reports cited by Law&Crime, the fatal confrontation followed a disagreement over Gerald’s refusal to give his son money to purchase a car and obtain an apartment. What began as a dispute over financial support ultimately ended with a father dead and his son facing the consequences of a crime that would permanently fracture their family.

After the shooting, Carl called 911 and reported finding his father lying on a couch with a gunshot wound to the head. He told investigators that he had been outside smoking when he heard a gunshot coming from inside the house. He also claimed he saw a man dressed in black running away from the home, suggesting that someone else had entered the house and killed his father. At first, the account presented a possible lead for investigators. However, evidence gathered during the investigation would eventually undermine that explanation.

When authorities searched the property, they found .22-caliber ammunition in Carl’s bedroom and additional shell casings throughout the home and outside. Investigators also discovered a Ruger 10/22 rifle hidden in a closet in his mother’s bedroom, along with a loaded magazine in another bedroom. Forensic testing further strengthened the case against him: Gerald’s blood was found on one of Carl’s shirts, and Carl’s DNA was recovered from the rifle investigators believed was connected to the shooting.

Perhaps one of the most troubling discoveries came when detectives examined Carl’s phone. Search records showed that on September 3, just four days before his father was killed, he had looked up phrases including “headshot to the head,” “bullet in brain” and “brain stem location.” Investigators also found searches about the effects of damage to the front of the brain. These searches became part of the evidence presented in the case, adding another disturbing element to the timeline leading up to Gerald’s death.

Carl’s defense raised questions about his mental state and attempted to establish that he was not competent to stand trial, citing a diagnosis of schizophrenia. However, a psychologist retained by the defense concluded that he was not legally insane at the time of the shooting. The jury ultimately found him guilty of first-degree murder, as well as charges involving the use and possession of a deadly weapon by a convicted felon.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Carl was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his father’s murder. He also received additional prison sentences of 20 to 50 years for using a deadly weapon as a felon and 10 to 20 years for possessing a deadly weapon as a felon. During the sentencing, Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Beth Beninato described the killing as a “completely senseless and tragic situation,” adding that it had completely destroyed the family.

The sentence closes a major chapter in the legal case, but the consequences of Gerald’s death will continue to affect those left behind. A disagreement over money escalated into a killing that cost a father his life and left a family facing an irreversible loss. For investigators, the phone searches, forensic findings and hidden rifle helped piece together what happened inside the home. For the family, the outcome brings a measure of legal finality, but no sentence can undo the tragedy that changed their lives forever.

Source: Law&Crime