White/Caucasian male John Oliver “Jack” Rutherford Jr., 31, died on June 21, 2015, in Sterling, Alaska. Obituary notices list him as a resident of Sterling at the time of his death. He was born on November 21, 1983, in Anchorage, and spent his life in Alaska.
On the afternoon of Sunday, June 21, Alaska State Troopers were called to a home in Sterling after a report that John Rutherford, 31, was deceased.
Responding troopers determined he had been playing Russian roulette on a couch in front of his fiancée when he fatally shot himself. Troopers reported finding nothing suspicious at the residence and indicated the body would be sent to the State Medical Examiner.
Family remembrances describe John Rutherford, 31, as a self-employed painter who took pride in his work. He loved walking in the woods, playing guitar, listening to music, writing poetry, and tinkering with inventions. He was devoted to his young son and enjoyed time with family and friends.
Contemporaneous reporting indicates that investigators did not identify any suspects and made no arrests in connection with the death of John Rutherford, 31. The incident was described by troopers and local media as an accidental, self-inflicted shooting during a game of Russian roulette; subsequent memorial listings simply record the loss without any mention of criminal charges.
