The Dateline episode “Devil’s Bathtub” investigates the July 2016 disappearance and murder of Craig Rideout, a 50-year-old father of seven in Rochester, New York. His disfigured body was found in a field called Devil’s Bathtub. His face and fingerprints were burned off with an acid-based drain cleaner in an attempt to hide his identity. One year later, Craig’s wife Laura Rideout (they were in the middle of a divorce and nasty custody battle at the time of his disappearance) and their 23-year-old son Colin Rideout were convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Alex Rideout, the 20-year-old son, was found not guilty of second-degree murder but guilty of tampering with evidence. The fourth person tried for the murder of Craig Rideout was Laura Rideout’s boyfriend Paul “PJ” Tucci: he was found not guilty of murder or tampering with evidence. After the verdicts, Tucci sold his home and moved close to the prison where Laura Rideout is serving her (at minimum) 37 years in prison: at Bedford Hills in Westchester County, New York. While visiting Rochester in 2018, Tucci told the Democrat & Chronicle: “I made a choice to be close to Laura because I still have hope.” Tucci says he visits Laura every other day.
Tucci also gave updates on Alex, the younger son, who hopes to go to college when released in 2019 or 2020 to become a history professor. Tucci said of Colin, the older son, who is serving his (at minimum) 26 years in prison at Attica, “So far he has avoided playing razor tag.” Razor tag is a euphemism for the phenomenon in prisons in which convicts viciously slice each other with razors. Dateline NBC airs Saturdays at 8 pm and 9 pm.
