Whitwell woman charged with murder of 5-year-old 11 months later

Holly Rutledge, 30, also known as Holly Hardesty, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the March 29, 2015 death of 5-year-old Lucas Dillon, of Whitwell, Tenn.
Holly Rutledge, 30, also known as Holly Hardesty, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the March 29, 2015 death of 5-year-old Lucas Dillon, of Whitwell, Tenn.
photo Holly Rutledge, 30, also known as Holly Hardesty, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the March 29, 2015 death of 5-year-old Lucas Dillon, of Whitwell, Tenn.

Nearly 11 months after the death of a 5-year-old boy in Whitwell, Tenn., the child's grandfather, Michael Dillon, is adamant the child was murdered by a woman currently sitting in the Marion County jail.

It was a Saturday in March 2015 when Michael picked up his son, Nathan, to take him to work at Westrock in Jasper and left little Lucas Dillon with Nathan's girlfriend, Holly Rutledge.

Lucas yelled after his daddy on his way to the car, but Nathan told him to go inside and "wake up Holly."

But after only a couple hours, Michael received a call from Rutledge saying something had happened to Lucas.

He dropped everything and sped off for Parkridge West Hospital in Jasper, where he found medical staff trying desperately to restart the boy's heart with a defibrillator. The little boy had suffered blunt force trauma to his head and sustained serious injuries to his head, neck and shoulders.

"They were putting paddles to him and his little body kept going up in the air," Michael Dillon said.

Doctors managed to get a heartbeat, but Lucas couldn't breathe by himself and he was taken off life support after a day, Dillon said.

On Monday, a Marion County grand jury indicted Rutledge on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She was arrested Friday by the Whitwell Police and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Family members on Saturday said Rutledge told them repeatedly she had made the boy's breakfast that morning and gone to take a shower while he took a nap. When she went back into his room, she couldn't wake him up.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Dillon said.

Now the family is frustrated that Rutledge is being held on only a $50,000 bond and says two men in Whitwell have already started putting together the money to get her out.

"We're just aggravated," Michael said Saturday night. "It's taken nine months to get the autopsy report, and in just a few short hours she might be able to make bond."

The family has been told a bond of that amount is typical for Class A felonies, but for them it doesn't seem high enough.

District Attorney Michael Taylor said Rutledge is set to be arraigned Friday. Whatever happens after that, he said, it will take some time to find a resolution.

He said, "It's not going to be resolved quickly."

But the family is firm in its belief about one fact, Dillon said.

"I believe with all my heart and all my soul that she murdered my grandson."

Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.

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