ARLINGTON, Texas – Two men have been arrested and charged with murder in the 2003 shooting death of 26-year-old Terrick Rutherford, an Arlington Police Department cold case that was revived by a new witness.
What we know:
Raymond Malone, 55, and John Wayne Biddle, 52, were arrested in Fort Worth on July 31 and August 1, respectively, by the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force. Both men are being held at the Tarrant County Jail on a murder charge.
The arrests follow a renewed investigation sparked by a new witness who came forward in July with information consistent with the original case. Detectives then conducted follow-up interviews with original witnesses to corroborate the new details.
The backstory:
Police said Rutherford was shot on June 23, 2003, after an altercation at a nightclub. Witnesses said Rutherford was arguing with a group of males at the club, and the dispute escalated into a fight in the parking lot. After security broke up the fight, Rutherford left in a pickup truck.
As he was driving, shots were fired at his vehicle. He was struck by the gunfire, and his vehicle collided with another at the intersection of N. Watson Road and Six Flags Drive. A relative who was following in a separate vehicle began driving him to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Malone and Biddle, identified by police as documented gang members, were initially named as suspects. They were arrested at the time on a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, but the charges were later dropped.
What they’re saying:
“When someone does the right thing and comes forward with information, that can be the difference between solving a case and it remaining unsolved,” said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones. “I’m grateful these new details came to light. I’m proud of our current detectives for tenaciously pursuing these new leads and following up on the outstanding investigation the original detectives did on this case to put two suspected killers behind bars.”
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