Thursday, January 26th, 2006
Arthur Rutherford v. State of Florida

no. 06-18

Santa Rosa County

Mr. Rutherford was convicted of the August 1985 murder of Stella Salamon, a 63-year-old widow who was beaten and then drowned in the bathtub of her home in Santa Rosa County. The jury voted 7-5 to recommend a death sentence and he was condemned. His execution has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 31. In his appeal, he challenges a ruling by a trial judge who refused to hear testimony from a new witness that implicates another person for the murder. He also argues that Florida’s process of lethal inject is unnecessarily painful and violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The state argues other evidence supports his conviction and that the state’s lethal injection process is appropriate.