Woman is released in death of actor Mark Ruffalo’s brother
A woman held in connection with the death of actor Mark Ruffalo’s brother was released from the Beverly Hills jail after her attorney was able to convince police that his client was at the scene of the shooting but had nothing to do with it, the attorney said Wednesday.
Scott Ruffalo, 39, was pronounced dead Monday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering a single gunshot wound to the head Dec. 1 in his Beverly Hills apartment.
Defense attorney Ronald Richards said he had persuaded police to release Shaha Mishaal Adham, 26, after a five-hour meeting with detectives Tuesday night in which he demonstrated that his client had been a victim of circumstance and bad advice.
“It was errors compounding errors,” Richards said.
Adham, the daughter of a wealthy Saudi businessman, initially went to Ruffalo’s apartment to retrieve the keys to her Range Rover, Richards said. At one point, she heard Ruffalo say “something to the effect of ‘Russian roulette,’ ” Richards said. “Then she heard a bang.”
She and another man in the apartment found the hairdresser on the couch bleeding from the left side of his head, the gun in his left hand, Richards said. They left the apartment.
Beverly Hills paramedics arrived and took a critically injured Ruffalo to the hospital. Police arrived 20 minutes after the shooting to find no one at the crime scene, Richards said.
Beverly Hills Police Lt. Tony Lee said he would not comment on Adham’s release or discuss her status.
“There’s still an ongoing, active criminal investigation, so we do not have a statement at this time,” Lee said.
Adham had been held without bail at the Beverly Hills jail from Monday afternoon until 11:23 p.m. Tuesday.
She and her boyfriend, Brian Scofield, turned themselves in to authorities after police identified them as “persons of interest.”
Scofield, who Beverly Hills police officials said was wanted in connection with an outstanding traffic warrant, also was released Tuesday after being questioned in the Ruffalo case.
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