A Bloomfield man who led Pittsburgh police on a high-speed chase that killed a woman Sunday afternoon was a key witness in a "kill-for-thrill" murder spree almost 26 years ago.
Richard L. Rutherford, 41, was upgraded to serious condition Monday at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland after he crashed a stolen Chrysler LeBaron head-on into a minivan about 3 p.m. Sunday in Schenley Park.
Rutherford's passenger, Semone Byers, 38, of Uptown, died at the hospital a half-hour later.
Police said they intend to charge Rutherford with homicide by vehicle.
A quarter-century ago, Rutherford testified against Michael J. Travaglia and John C. Lesko, who killed four people between Dec. 27, 1979, and Jan. 3, 1980.
Rutherford, then 15, met the men Jan. 2, 1980, and watched from the back seat of their car as they baited Apollo police Officer Leonard Miller to chase them before they stopped. Travaglia then fatally shot Miller.
Rutherford's testimony helped convict Travaglia and Lesko of Miller's murder.
"He was a scared kid at the time who did what he had to do, which was cooperate with the authorities," said attorney Jack Murtagh, who helped represent Rutherford at the time.
Prosecutors dropped juvenile charges against Rutherford after he testified.
"There was no evidence (Rutherford) participated in Leonard's death," Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck said. "He was an important witness."
Sunday, Rutherford signaled to turn into Calvary Cemetery in Hazelwood when he saw police exiting the cemetery, said Pittsburgh police Deputy Chief William Mullen.
Rutherford drove away, and police followed, as Rutherford repeatedly signaled to turn without doing so, Mullen said.
Suspecting Rutherford was drunk, police tried to pull him over, but he sped through a stop sign at McCaslin Street and Beehner Road, Mullen said.
Police chased Rutherford for about a minute before they lost sight of him on Greenfield Road, Mullen said. A few minutes later, police came upon the accident.
It was only later that police learned the car was stolen, Mullen said.
Two adults in the minivan were taken to UPMC Presbyterian, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Mullen said. Three children in the minivan, ages 6, 5 and 11 months, were not hurt. Police declined to identify anyone in that vehicle.
Investigators are reviewing all aspects of the chase, including how fast the officers were driving, Mullen said. Police consider various factors when deciding whether to chase a vehicle. They include speed, time of day and weather conditions, he said.
