(Grove Hill, Alabama) In April 2006, a 30-year-old mother of two and English teacher at Coffeeville High School, Sharon Linton Rutherford, was arrested and charged with sex crimes against students and plotting to murder her husband. Rutherford specifically faced counts of solicitation of murder, rape, sexual abuse and enticing a child for immoral purposes. In May 2006, Circuit Court Judge Bill Kimbrough dropped the first-degree rape charge. Also in May, James Rutherford filed for divorce.
A student told Coffeeville High School Principal Janice Richardson that he had sex with Rutherford and investigation exposed the alleged murder plot. According to the Clarke County Sheriff's office, two enticement victims were under 16 years of age and the investigation sought to determine if there were other victims.
In August 2006, Rutherford was indicted by a Clarke County grand jury on two counts of enticement of a child for immoral purposes and murder-for-hire.
In October 2007, Sharon L. Rutherford, now 32, was tried and convicted by a jury on two counts of enticing a child for immoral purposes, Class C felonies punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years on each count.
Yesterday, Sharon Rutherford was sentenced to three years in prison and five years probation. Since her conviction is being appealed, she is free on bail.
Rutherford's murder-for-hire trial is scheduled for March 2008.
Tip: Don Morgenstern
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