By Jamie Dexter, Public Information Officer for Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A Clarksville man was arrested during an investigation stemming from the disappearance of his 9-year-old son early Saturday morning.
Paul N. Rutherford, 36, of 1670 Walter Road, was originally arrested on several traffic charges that morning, as well as vandalism when he attempted to kick out the window of his arresting deputy’s patrol car.
He told his arresting deputy that when he got out of jail, “he would go kill everyone in his family and then kill himself,” according to an arrest warrant.
He was later charged with a child abuse and neglect or endangerment charge and his bond was set at $107,000.
When authorities found the child that morning, he told MCSO Investigator Julie Webb that he ran away because Rutherford told him that he was going to kill him and then kill himself. The child told investigators that Rutherford later hit the victim in the head and in the chin. Webb noted that the child had a slightly swollen lip.
“The victim stated that he knew if he didn’t run off it would ‘be bad,’” Webb wrote in an arrest warrant.
A Condition of Release has also been signed prohibiting Rutherford to have any contact with the child once he is released from jail.