A Nebraska judge sentenced Carl Ruskamp to life without parole for shooting his father, Gerald, at their Wisner-area home.

Jurors heard he searched "bullet in brain" four days before the shooting and still had to decide whether a man with schizophrenia was legally insane. They said no. The defense now says the mental health system failed long before the trigger was pulled. That argument is headed to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Carl Ruskamp, 34, was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, to life in prison for the first-degree murder of his father, Gerald Ruskamp, 65, the Nebraska Attorney General's Office announced. District Judge Michael Long also imposed 20 to 50 years for use of a weapon to commit a felony and 10 to 20 years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, all consecutive. KTIV reported that under Nebraska law the murder conviction carries mandatory life without parole. The Norfolk Daily News reported defense attorney Tim Noerrlinger said Ruskamp plans to appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The shooting happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2022, at the family's home on Y Road just north of Wisner, the Norfolk Daily News and KTIV reported. Ruskamp called 911 and said he was outside smoking when he heard a gunshot, and he later told investigators he saw a man dressed in black run from the house. KTIV reported his uncle, Duane Ruskamp, told authorities he did not see anyone run and that Carl and Gerald had argued that day about money for an apartment. Gerald Ruskamp was found on a couch with a gunshot wound to the head and died at a hospital in Wayne.

Prosecutors built the case on forensics and a phone. The Norfolk Daily News reported Ruskamp's DNA was on a Ruger 10/22 rifle, his father's blood was on his shirt, and searches on his phone dated Sept. 3, 2022, included "headshot to the head with a gun," "bullet in brain" and "brain stem location." A Wayne County jury convicted him on July 29, 2026, after about two hours of deliberation, rejecting his plea of not responsible by reason of insanity. The paper reported a defense-retained psychologist testified that Ruskamp, a diagnosed schizophrenic, was not insane at the time of the shooting.

The case was delayed twice by competency rulings. KTIV reported he was found incompetent in September 2024, treated at the Lincoln Regional Center, and restored to competency in August 2025. At sentencing, Noerrlinger called the case "an indication of the failure of the mental health system," saying Ruskamp had contact with police while clearly delusional and was not committed. Assistant Attorney General Beth Beninato called the killing "a completely senseless and tragic situation" and said, "It has completely destroyed this family." KTIV reported no family members attended. Ruskamp declined to speak.

The sentence follows a jury verdict, and Ruskamp keeps his right to appeal. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.