Mother pleads not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering son

Heidi Rutchey walks into 1st District Court, where she was ordered to have a mental competency evaluation, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Logan, Utah. Rutchey is charged with killing her two-year-old son. 

LOGAN — A 45-year-old River Height’s mother, Heidi Marie Rutchey has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, in the death of her two-year-old son, more than three-years ago.

Rutchey and her defense attorney, David Perry, appeared in 1st District Court Monday morning. He entered the plea to one charge of murder, a first-degree felony and asked the court for a mental evaluation to be done, to determine her mental condition at the time of the crime.

Judge Thomas Willmore said he would grant Rutchey time for the evaluation and ordered her to appear again April 19.

Last November, she was found competent to stand trial after being sent to the Utah State Hospital for treatment in January 2014.

Rutchey was arrested in October 2013, a month after Cache County Sheriff’s deputies found her two-year-old Eli, dead inside her River Heights apartment.

<hr /><p style=”text-align: center;”>[email protected]

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!