Ruger Boude’s case includes a police homicide notice, court charges, medical findings and an obituary remembering his life.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Public records and police statements show how a hospital call about an injured 9-year-old became a homicide case against the boy’s mother and her boyfriend.
The records identify the child as Ruger Jay Andrew Boude and the defendants as Alicia Reanne Busey and Steven Dewayne Duty. Busey is Ruger’s mother, and Duty was identified in reports as her boyfriend or partner. Police said both adults had been caring for Ruger before he was taken to a hospital April 8. They now face second-degree murder and child neglect charges tied to his death and the alleged condition of other children in the home.
The first public record from Oklahoma City police listed the case as Homicide No. 23 of 2026. The bulletin named the incident number, the date and time, and the area of the call. Police placed the incident at 10:39 p.m. on April 8 in the 13000 block of SE 104th Street. The bulletin said officers were called to an area hospital because a 9-year-old appeared to have injuries consistent with physical abuse. It said detectives later determined the child had been in the care of Busey and Duty.
The next set of details came from reports describing a probable cause affidavit. Those reports said Busey brought Ruger to St. Anthony’s Healthplex East at about the same time listed in the police bulletin. Medical staff found him unresponsive and noted dilated pupils and a collapsed left lung. He was moved to OU Medical Center for surgery, where doctors found a massive brain bleed. Police said Ruger died April 10. His obituary lists his death as April 11, and local coverage has noted the difference without resolving it.
The affidavit details, as reported publicly, show why investigators treated the case as more than a medical emergency. Busey allegedly said Ruger’s injuries came from a fight with an older brother. Medical findings later described bruises across his body in different stages of healing, a fractured left wrist and BB pellets embedded in soft tissue. One pellet was reported in his right kidney. Officials have not publicly released the full autopsy, and they have not said whether investigators recovered a BB gun or tied the pellets to a specific incident.
The same investigation produced allegations involving Ruger’s siblings. Reports said two 11-year-old boys from the household were screened by medical staff and interviewed by forensic specialists. Doctors reportedly found BBs embedded in their bodies too, along with fractures in their arms and legs that were healing. One child also had a serious scalp infection that required hospital care after an alleged toolbox injury. A 10-month-old girl was also part of the household review, though public reports have not described injuries to her in the same detail.
Education records added another paper trail. Investigators obtained records saying the two older boys were not currently enrolled in school. Reports said a previous elementary school had denied them because of excessive absences. Those records could become important because the filed charges include three counts of felony child neglect as well as the murder count. Prosecutors may use school, medical and interview records to argue that the alleged harm extended over time. Defense attorneys may seek to test the accuracy, context and source of each record as the case proceeds.
The arrest timeline is also documented. Police said Busey and Duty were arrested, interviewed and booked on complaints of murder and child neglect. Local reports said the arrests occurred April 29 and that both were booked into the Cleveland County Jail. Police announced the case May 4 in a bulletin sent at 12:40 p.m. The defendants’ bonds were later reported at $5 million each. Court records cited in reports placed a preliminary hearing on May 26, where the state would need to present enough evidence to move the case ahead.
Ruger’s obituary supplies the personal record that court documents do not. It says he was born Feb. 15, 2017, and describes him as a proud second grader who loved music, tools and fixing things. His favorite colors were red, black and John Deere green. He liked building trailers, hiding tools and wrapping them as gifts. The obituary said he was kind, loved animals and enjoyed swimming at the lake. It called him “Mom’s little man,” a phrase repeated in later coverage of the case.
Several key questions remain unanswered in the public record. Officials have not publicly stated the final medical cause and manner beyond the homicide classification described in reports. They have not said exactly when each injury occurred, what each defendant allegedly did or failed to do, or whether any other adult had contact with the children before the hospital visit. Police said early that the investigation would take time. Those gaps may be addressed through testimony, medical records, witness statements and forensic evidence in court.
As of May 27, the public record shows a case built from a hospital call, a homicide bulletin, medical findings and charges against two adults. The next milestone is the court’s handling of the preliminary hearing and any filings that follow.
Author note: Last updated May 27, 2026.