Today, Carl Ruskamp, 34, was sentenced to life in prison by Judge Michael Long following a Wayne County jury’s verdict of guilt for the shooting death of his 65-year-old father, Gerald Ruskamp, in the family’s home near Wisner.

On the evening of September 7, 2022, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 dispatch call near Wisner, Nebraska. Upon arrival, officers found 65-year-old Gerald Ruskamp shot inside his home and Carl Ruskamp outside the home. 

Carl Ruskamp was later convicted by a Wayne County jury on July 29, 2026, of the first-degree murder of his father, victim Gerald Ruskamp, as well as use of a weapon to commit the murder; and possession of a firearm by a felon. Ruskamp was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge, 20-50 years imprisonment for use of a weapon to commit a felony, and 10-20 years imprisonment for possession of a deadly weapon by a felon. All sentences will be served consecutively.

The Wayne County Attorney’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Cuming County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of this case.