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Commutation Hearing Planned For Former Rulo Cult Member

By A-P & John Nixon

01/31/2014

Timothy Haverkamp

(AP/KLZA) -- The Nebraska Board of Pardons has agreed to hold a commutation hearing for 51-year-old former Rulo cult member Timothy Haverkamp in the next couple of months.

Haverkamp was convicted of second degree murder in the 1985 murders of 5– year-old Luke Stice and 26-year-old James Thimm on a farm north of Rulo. Thimm was also a member of the group of approximately 20 people living on the farm north of Rulo. He was beaten, sexually abused, shot and partially skinned while still alive.

Haverkamp was originally sentenced to a period of 10 years to life in prison for his part in those deaths. He served 23 years in prison. Haverkamp testified against cult leader Michael Ryan who remains on death row in Nebraska and also against his son Dennis Ryan.

Haverkamp was paroled in 2009. He has been working in Lincoln since then. If Haverkamp’s sentence is commuted, he would be free of supervision.

Three other members of the group living on the farm that received prison sentences for criminal acts that occurred, Jim Haverkamp, David Andreas and Dennis Ryan were discharged with no parole more than 15 years ago.

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