In 1982, businessman Archie Rutherford was found dead in Spokane. A suspect has been arrested in Los Angeles.
Forty years after a man was found stabbed to death with a cord wrapped around his neck in Spokane, Washington, police say a suspect has been arrested in Los Angeles. The 1982 murder of Spokane businessman Archie Rutherford found new life last year after detectives from the Spokane Police Department found "probable cause" to arrest 62-year-old Tracy Sabron Pruitt, according to a press release.
On May 5, 1982, Rutherford was found with fatal stab wounds, a skull fracture and an electrical cord tied around his neck, according to the press release. At the time, the murder was investigated by the department, but no arrests were made.
A first-degree murder warrant was issued in Spokane in mid-October, and Spokane detectives coordinated with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department on Oct. 27 to arrest Pruitt in California.
The police did not explain how Pruitt came to their attention in the case or say how the probable cause was determined. In 1982, he was arrested in Ohio for an "unrelated" rape and robbery charge and spent 27 years in prison after being convicted.
Spokane police spokeswoman Julie Humphreys The Spokesman-Review that DNA is one of the elements that led to Pruitt's arrest, but could not comment further because the investigation is still active.
Pruitt remains in California, in custody, while he awaits extradition to Washington. According to the press release, the "extradition process may take several months" as officials determine whether Pruitt will be relinquished into Washington state custody.
