A man who killed his wife, beat his mother-in-law and tried to blow up his home to conceal the crimes last fall was sentenced to life in prison yesterday, the Baltimore State's Attorney's office said.

Bruce Arnold Ruth, 44, of the 5300 block of Tramore Road in Hamilton, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Evelyn Omega Cannon for the first-degree murder of his wife, Nora Ruth, and the attempted first-degree murder of his mother-in-law, Rose jTC Meyer.

Ruth, who also tried to blow up a neighbor's home, was given two 20-year concurrent sentences for the attempted arson of the homes on Oct. 6, 1997.

Ruth pleaded guilty Monday to beating his wife to death with a cast-iron frying pan and then trying to kill his mother-in-law, who was 81 at the time, by beating her with the same pan, police said. Ruth left when he thought both women were dead.

Ruth, who worked as a cardiology technician, tried to destroy the homes by disconnecting a natural gas line, police said. When that failed, he returned to hide the bodies, and police were called when his mother-in-law crawled screaming out of the front door.

Pub Date: 10/15/98