WEBVTT - Update from Season 3 | BONUS | Stacey and Tyler’s Story 

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<v Speaker 1>Hi. I'm Carrie Hartman, a senior producer on Betrayal. If

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<v Speaker 1>you've been following the podcast, you know the stories we

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<v Speaker 1>tell don't end when the episodes do. People's lives keep

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<v Speaker 1>moving forward and sometimes we like to check back in. Recently,

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<v Speaker 1>I had the chance to talk with Stacy Rutherford. In

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<v Speaker 1>season three, Stacy and her son Tyler shared the harrowing

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<v Speaker 1>story of her husband's sexual abuse of Tyler. It's one

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<v Speaker 1>of the most chilling cases we've covered, and there's been

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<v Speaker 1>some recent developments. Here's my conversation with Stacy. We all know,

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<v Speaker 1>everybody who listened to your season that Justin pled guilty

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<v Speaker 1>not once, but twice to sexual assault of Tyler and

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<v Speaker 1>another child. He also pled guilty for voyeurism, and eventually

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<v Speaker 1>he also pled guilty for murder for higher scheme. And

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<v Speaker 1>it seems like with that sentence that he received, that

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<v Speaker 1>should have been the end of it. You should have

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<v Speaker 1>walked out those doors that day. He would do decades

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<v Speaker 1>in prison, This would be over. But that's not how

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<v Speaker 1>it's gone. No, what's happened.

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<v Speaker 2>So in August of last year, twenty twenty five, Tyler

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<v Speaker 2>was served with civil suit. Justin was suing him for

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<v Speaker 2>defamation of character. Tyler had called him a child rapist

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<v Speaker 2>and a child predator, and Justin's response was that he

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<v Speaker 2>was illegally detained, illegally charged, and that he was coursed

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<v Speaker 2>into signing the plea deal. So he's not these things

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<v Speaker 2>that Tyler is saying he is because he's illegally detained

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<v Speaker 2>for these things.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just reminded of your sister after Justin was sentenced.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll never forget this. She said, He's going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the guy in the law library every single day. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>trying to devise scheme, come up with any possible way.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>I remember her saying, they'll know him well in there.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, Justin is his own attorney. He's filing on

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<v Speaker 2>behalf of himself. So he was the one that actually

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<v Speaker 2>filled out the paperwork, had it delivered to the house,

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<v Speaker 2>and it came from Justin, so it did not come

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<v Speaker 2>from a lawyer. But he serves him with the lawsuit

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<v Speaker 2>papers and then he put a private.

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<v Speaker 3>Letter on the front of it.

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<v Speaker 2>And that's what I was really upset about because in

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<v Speaker 2>that letter, he asked Tyler to come see him and said,

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<v Speaker 2>if you would like to come see me and discuss

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<v Speaker 2>this matter in person. I can get you put on

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<v Speaker 2>my list in the prison to come talk to me

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<v Speaker 2>about this. In his sentence, he was not allowed to

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<v Speaker 2>have contact with Tyler. So I immediately called the prison

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<v Speaker 2>and said, I have this mail that he contacted Tyler,

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<v Speaker 2>and I was told that it is his right to

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<v Speaker 2>civilly sue anyone and that basically that did not cross

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<v Speaker 2>over because he was acting as his lawyer.

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<v Speaker 1>So, really, did you think the lawsuit was like a

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<v Speaker 1>cover to get a personal letter to Tyler?

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely all it is is him spiraling and realizing that

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<v Speaker 2>he no longer has control over Tyler.

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<v Speaker 1>At least for me. What really sticks out is there's

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely no remorse of any kind. It's almost like he

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<v Speaker 1>is doubling down on everything.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And what I find really comical is the last

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<v Speaker 2>time I heard from him was well over a year ago.

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<v Speaker 2>He had sent a letter and in the letter he

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<v Speaker 2>talked about that he was being baptized on Easter and

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<v Speaker 2>that he would really love for me to come and

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<v Speaker 2>see him be baptized. And all I can think of

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<v Speaker 2>is like, there's no way you found God the way

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<v Speaker 2>that you say you found God, you know, and to

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<v Speaker 2>be baptized and to repent of your sins, because if

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<v Speaker 2>you were truly owning what you did to him, this

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<v Speaker 2>lawsuit wouldn't be happening. He kept bringing up his reputation

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<v Speaker 2>and his medical license was stripped, and Tyler took all

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<v Speaker 2>these things from him, and I'm like, you're so not

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<v Speaker 2>remorseful for any of this, because you still are placing

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<v Speaker 2>blame on him for you losing these things. You lost

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<v Speaker 2>these things because you were a pedophile. You lost these

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<v Speaker 2>things because you raped children. So the fact that you

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<v Speaker 2>still find blame in a child, there's no remorse.

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<v Speaker 1>It's infuriating because even though it's like a BS lawsuit

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<v Speaker 1>that's completely ridiculous and really doesn't have a basis in fact,

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't Tyler still have to respond to it. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>just because you get a lawsuit, you can't just go

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not going to respond to that.

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<v Speaker 2>Tyler at first was like, dah, I'm just gonna ignore it.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't care. I'm not respond to that crap. That's stupid.

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<v Speaker 2>And I was like, no, if you don't respond to it, Tyler,

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<v Speaker 2>he could potentially win because you don't bring forth any

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<v Speaker 2>evidence to prove why you were saying those things. Just

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<v Speaker 2>because we know that it's meritless doesn't mean that the

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<v Speaker 2>court system knows it is right.

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<v Speaker 1>You can't assume anything. Justin was prosecuted in criminal court,

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<v Speaker 1>that's where his entire case was heard, but he filed

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<v Speaker 1>a lawsuit going after Tyler for defamation in civil court.

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<v Speaker 1>And chances are that the judge deciding the civil case

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't know who Justin Rutherford is or what crimes he's

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<v Speaker 1>been convicted up already. We can't assume that those two

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<v Speaker 1>branches talk to each other.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, They don't know that he sitting in prison for

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<v Speaker 2>those charges. They don't know the extent of the case.

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<v Speaker 2>When you first get that paperwork, you have twenty days

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<v Speaker 2>to respond. So we were scrambling right when we finally

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<v Speaker 2>obtained a lawyer. I want to say, it was like

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<v Speaker 2>two hundred and seventy pages that Tyler's lawyer brought in

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<v Speaker 2>all the charges, all the sentencings. You know, a transcript

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<v Speaker 2>of them asking him, do you understand the charges and

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<v Speaker 2>the sentencing and everything like that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they ask you, have you been coerced to take

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<v Speaker 1>this plea or right? Isn't that part of the questioning?

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<v Speaker 3>They don't just ask it once.

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<v Speaker 2>They ask it multiple times throughout that court session of

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<v Speaker 2>sentencing and everything. You know, did anyone course you into this?

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<v Speaker 2>Have you been explained all your rights? Is there anything

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<v Speaker 2>we can explain further to you? Do you have any questions?

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<v Speaker 2>It's like over and over and over they make sure

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<v Speaker 2>that these people understand right.

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<v Speaker 1>So, from the time that Tyler was first served last summer,

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<v Speaker 1>how long did it take for the judge to rule

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<v Speaker 1>and what was the ruling?

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<v Speaker 2>It was months of going back and forth with him

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<v Speaker 2>filing first, then our lawyer responding. Then they give Justin

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<v Speaker 2>the opportunity to respond to our response, and then they

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<v Speaker 2>give Tyler's attorney or a response to a response to

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<v Speaker 2>his response. I mean, it's it's just all this back

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<v Speaker 2>and forth. And then the first of the year, the

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<v Speaker 2>judge said that he was going to make his decision

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<v Speaker 2>and then let everybody know by the twentieth of February,

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<v Speaker 2>And just last.

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<v Speaker 3>Week the final document was signed for it to be dropped.

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<v Speaker 1>When you say it was dropped, what do you mean

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<v Speaker 1>by that?

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<v Speaker 2>It is dismissed without leave to amend. So what that

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<v Speaker 2>means is he cannot refile the case against Tyler.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think that he's going to give up now

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<v Speaker 1>and just say, Okay, I got thrown out. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>get anywhere with this. Do you feel like you've hit

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<v Speaker 1>the end? No.

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<v Speaker 2>I know enough about him to know that he always

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<v Speaker 2>is kind of like trying to be one step ahead

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<v Speaker 2>of the game. So I believe the next thing's coming.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think he cares anymore because I think he thinks,

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<v Speaker 2>what does he have to lose in there?

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<v Speaker 3>What are they going to do?

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<v Speaker 2>I think he's just throwing things at the wall and

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<v Speaker 2>just hoping that something sticks eventually. I'm not concerned at

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<v Speaker 2>all that they're going to find some air and that

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<v Speaker 2>he was illegally detained and he'll be back out.

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<v Speaker 3>There's no way. I'm not worried about that.

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<v Speaker 2>The only thing I'm concerned with is just that I

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<v Speaker 2>just feel like this is just like a crusade for

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<v Speaker 2>him to make Tyler pay.

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<v Speaker 1>It makes it really hard for your sun to move

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<v Speaker 1>on when you don't know when that next letter disguised

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<v Speaker 1>as a legal document is coming.

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<v Speaker 2>Tyler said to me after the paperwork came, like, is

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<v Speaker 2>this really the rest of my life? Constantly looking over

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<v Speaker 2>my shoulder seeing what's he going to do to me next.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's frustrating because it's like he can continue to

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<v Speaker 2>victimize Tyler from a prison cell. My son will forever

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<v Speaker 2>be punished for using his voice. And what we're saying

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<v Speaker 2>to other victims is it never really ends.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, that's really that's the bottom line.

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<v Speaker 2>The only good thing in this is when he goes

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<v Speaker 2>up for parole, so at twenty seven years or whatever.

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<v Speaker 2>The more you do these kinds of things, the less

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<v Speaker 2>remorseful you look, and the less likely the parole board

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<v Speaker 2>is to grant your parole.

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<v Speaker 1>It's an interesting point.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, definitely so far. You know, we feel like we

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<v Speaker 2>had a little bit of victory last week. Tyler and

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<v Speaker 2>I kind of celebrated a little bit, and we're just

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<v Speaker 2>hoping that maybe this'll shut him up and he'll leave

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<v Speaker 2>him alone.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, Stacy, I'm really sorry, but I'm happy that things

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<v Speaker 1>worked out the way that they did. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>that's what's going to continue to happen because justice was served. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think you're in the right. You've done everything

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<v Speaker 1>that you're supposed to do, right, So I hope it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't happen again, but I agree with you that.

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<v Speaker 3>It probably will. It probably will. That's Okay, Because we

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<v Speaker 3>beat it once, we'll beat it again.