Jailed doctor charged in murder-for-hire plot
Was in prison on sex assault and invasion of privacy charges
While awaiting trial on child rape and invasion of privacy charges, a former family physician plotted from Berks County Prison to have someone kill one of his sexual assault victims, authorities allege.
Justin S. Rutherford, 33, wrote down the male teen’s address, personal identifying information, schedule, interests and the vehicle he drives, and even drew a floor plan of the victim’s home, detectives with the Berks County district attorney’s office said in a criminal complaint filed Jan. 23.
Rutherford, formerly of Amity Township, was arraigned on a charge of criminal solicitation to commit first-degree murder on Jan. 25 before District Judge Brian Strand in Bern Township, according to court records.
He was returned to the county jail in lieu of an additional $1 million bail. Rutherford has been held in lieu of $5 million bail since fall 2021 when he was arrested following an investigation that included the seizure of 2,822 videos and 1,400 still images dating to 2018 from the data card of the camera that Rutherford, who was a Tower Health physician, used to record various guests and family members.
Investigators said at the time that they had identified six juveniles and two adults who were unknowingly recorded in the bathroom of the home at the time in the 400 block of Pleasant View Drive. One of the two sexually abused teens was also among the victims who was recorded, investigators said.
In that matter, Rutherford was charged with rape of a child, rape of an unconscious person, invasion of privately and related offices.
The victim in the solicitation-for-murder case is also one of the victims of the offenses of which Rutherford was initially accused.
Rutherford is awaiting final disposition on a total of two dozen invasion-of-privacy counts along with related offenses, as well as with rape of a child and rape of an unconscious person. According to the new filing: During the investigation a Berks detective received documentation of Rutherford’s written instructions and the hand-drawn
floor plan that he provided to another individual. No description of that person was included in the affidavit.
Through the use of covert recording devices, detectives intercepted conversations Rutherford had with the individual while in the jail, including one of Rutherford discussing having a teen victim murdered.
Rutherford said that a Monday evening would be the best time to kill the boy since no one else would be home and it would be dark. He told his would-be conspirator to wear gloves and a layer of clothing so no DNA would be found.
The person was to knock out the youth before painlessly killing him. It wasn’t clear in the affidavit how the youth was to be killed.
Rutherford also indicated the killer should make sure the victim wasn’t breathing, and that the body should be placed on a tarp in the trunk of a vehicle to be taken to a forest somewhere and buried.
Rutherford also said the victim could be burned in a barrel, as this would be a good way to get rid of any evidence.
After the act was completed, he said, he would ask his lawyer for a new court date.
District Attorney John T. Adams said Wednesday that the allegations against Rutherford are especially egregious given that he is trained as a medical doctor and thus sworn to helping people heal.
Rutherford was taken into custody in early October 2021 at Dulles International Airport by authorities in Virginia on a warrant from Berks detectives.
Chief County Detective Michael L. Gombar said at the time that Rutherford was returning from the United Kingdom. He had left the country after investigators raided his home in early August of that year and confiscated numerous electronic devices, and he was unaware there was a warrant for his arrest.
Officials at West Reading-based Tower Health issued a statement following the 2021 arrest of Rutherford that said the doctor’s employment by the health network and his membership on the medical staff were terminated.