RV fire claims life of White City man

Shellye Leggett October 5, 2021

Last Updated: October 5, 2021

WHITE CITY, Ore. – Early Thursday morning (9/30) a RV fire was called in at the 8300 block of 15th Avenue in White City. Firefighters from Jackson County Fire District 3 responded, quickly put out the fire, and no other structures were threatened. While digging through the wreckage in the RV, a victim and his dog were discovered deceased. Detectives from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and a fire investigator from JCFD3 were called in to investigate. An autopsy conducted by an Oregon State Police forensic pathologist concluded the victim died of smoke inhalation. There was no evidence of foul play. The victim was Gary DeWayne Ruddick, 67, of White City. Next of kin has been notified. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Shellye Leggett

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Shellye Leggett is an anchor and producer for NBC5 News. You can also catch her anchoring on KMVU FOX26. She comes to the Rogue Valley from Albuquerque, New Mexico where she was a nightside reporter and fill-in weekend anchor for KOAT Action 7 News for 3 years. She has also reported in Colorado Springs, Colorado, South Bend, Indiana and Bozeman, Montana. Shellye was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois with a B.A. in Communication Studies. She then earned a Master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from DePaul University in Chicago. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her husband who's in the Navy, her cat “Tootsie,” watch scary movies with friends and spend time with her extended family who live all over the West Coast. Shellye is excited to explore Southern Oregon and North California and tell your stories.