Russ Receives Life Sentence in Wife Killing : Trial: The 41-year-old led a life of deceit and betrayal, judge says, and ran over his wife with her Mercedes-Benz to ‘cash her in for a life insurance policy’ to salvage his affluent lifestyle and failed business.

Charles Russ, found guilty of killing his wife by running her over with her Mercedes-Benz in La Jolla in order to cash in on her life insurance, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The sentencing ended the high-profile murder case as an angry Russ was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

After a three-month trial, a jury found Russ, 41, guilty last month of murdering Pamela Allen Russ four years ago in what prosecutors said was an attempt to obtain her $600,000 in life insurance money to restore his failing business.

He never collected the insurance and fled after he was identified by police as a suspect in the slaying of his wife on a lonely stretch of coastal road. He was finally captured in Florida after a landlady recognized him on the television program “America’s Most Wanted.”

Family members of the dead woman filled the courtroom, as did jury members who returned the guilty verdicts on the murder and several counts of theft and embezzlement.

Superior Court Judge Michael D. Wellington, in pronouncing sentence on Russ, commented that the 41-year-old had the intelligence and demeanor to have been a success at whatever he tried, “but he used his gifts to con and betray everyone he knew.”

Wellington pronounced consecutive sentences amounting to 5 years and 8 months for theft, embezzlement and assault with a deadly weapon--the beige Mercedes-Benz that Russ used to pursue and murder his young wife. Then he added the life sentence without parole and ordered Russ, who is reportedly penniless, to repay the more than $87,000 he swindled from the victim’s mother, Ginger Allen.

Mark Allen, brother of the dead woman, spoke for the family in an emotional plea to Russ to “tell the truth” about what caused Russ to kill his wife.

“Pam died a horrible death, so horrible her body could not be seen,” he said. “We never got to say goodby. . . . We can’t heal completely without seeing him put in prison for the rest of his life so he won’t be able to victimize someone else.”

Russ’ attorney, Public Defender William Youmans, immediately filed notice of appeal of the sentences.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mark Pettine asked for the life without parole sentence, saying “this murder was not an aberration, it was basically just another scam perpetrated by Mr. Russ.”

Before the killing Feb. 1, 1987, Pamela and Charles Russ were considered the perfect couple, affluent enough to afford luxury cars, a condo on the ocean bluffs in Leucadia, trips around the world and lavish parties.

But, according to testimony during the lengthy trial, Russ’ telemarketing business had gone bankrupt, and he was borrowing and swindling money from several sources to keep the perfect-couple image alive.

Pettine sought to prove that Russ’ motive for killing his wife was the $600,000 in life insurance policies he had taken out on her in the preceding months as his business went sour. The district attorney called witnesses to show that Russ had initiated efforts to claim the insurance money only hours after the murder.

About six months after the murder and without collecting on his wife’s insurance policies, Russ disappeared and lived under an assumed name for about two years.”

Youmans said he filed the appeal of the sentences against Russ because he felt that the jury had not been permitted to hear “crucial evidence” that would have showed that Pamela Russ was part of the scheme to bilk money out of friends and family before the couple left for a trip to Australia.

One witness, he said, would have testified to Pamela Russ’ statements that she was carrying a large amount of money just before her murder. A part of Russ’ defense was that his wife had been murdered by someone who knew she had a large amount of cash and killed her to get it.

Judge Wellington, in handing down the stiffest of sentences allowed by law, said that Russ had many victims, including Ginger Allen, the victim’s mother, “who loved and trusted the defendant,” and whom Russ “rewarded by taking her money and ultimately her daughter’s life.”

“Even his own mother,” Genevieve Gamble, was persuaded by Russ “to perjure herself. Then he turned on her and revealed that she had lied,” Wellington said. He said Russ had lived “a life of deceit and betrayal” and had killed his wife, “cashed her in for a life insurance policy.”

Russ’ mother did not attend the sentencing. Youmans explained that he had told Gamble to stay away because she had collapsed at the reading of the guilty verdict last month and was in no condition to attend.

Russ showed little emotion when he entered the courtroom to hear his sentence pronounced except to glance angrily at a section of the audience where several jurors who had found him guilty sat.

He spoke only a few words, in response to the judge’s questions about his understanding of his appeal rights. Upon leaving, he stalked quickly away, not looking at anyone, his head held high, his shoulders squared, his hands cuffed behind his back.