Almost a year after 5-year-old Lucas Dillon died from blunt-force trauma to the head, his alleged killer was arraigned in a Marion County court Friday.
Holly Rutledge, 30, was watching Lucas while his father was at work on a Saturday in March, but late that morning, she called the child's grandfather to say the boy had been hurt and was in the hospital.
Lucas had injuries to his head, neck and shoulders, and when responders found him lying in the home on Jewell Lane Road in Whitwell, he was unresponsive. Doctors at a local hospital were able to restart his heart, but Lucas was taken off life support after a day.
Holly RutledgeRutledge was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse on Feb. 5, but made the $50,000 bond two days later.
The day before Friday's arraignment, the Marion County District Attorney's Office filed a motion to "increase the bond to a reasonable amount or not set a bond at all."
Rutledge was also assigned an attorney, Keith Davis, but the prosecution's motion also called for his removal, saying that because Rutledge was able to make her original bond so quickly she must have adequate finances to hire her own attorney.
Her representation and the bond issue will be discussed when Rutledge next appears in court Feb. 22. Davis declined to comment on the case Friday.
For now, Lucas' bereaved family members are frustrated that her bond was set so low, and they say that she got out of jail too easily.
After so many months of waiting for resolution in the case, Lucas' grandfather, Michael Dillon, said, "Temperatures are running high because of how the bond was set, and I think we've all been very patient.
"It just doesn't make any sense."
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.