In the quiet, early morning hours of Sunday, May 19, 2019, a tragedy unfolded in a home in Harvest, Alabama. It was around 2 a.m. when sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 100 block of Lady Slipper Bend following a report of a shooting in progress. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene.
Inside the home, they found 51-year-old Elena Voronenkova on the floor, suffering from a gunshot wound to her torso. Deputies immediately began performing CPR, continuing their life-saving efforts until emergency medical personnel arrived to take over. Despite their combined efforts, Elena Voronenkova could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
As investigators began to piece together the events of that fatal morning, their attention soon focused on a suspect who was close to the victim. They arrested Nik Rutberg, the 27-year-old son of Elena Voronenkova, in connection with the shooting. Rutberg was subsequently charged with the murder of his mother, leaving a family and a community to grapple with the shocking and tragic loss. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Elena Voronenkova is ongoing.
