'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Marcus Rutledge, a 23-year-old student at Tennessee State University, disappeared in Nashville, Tennessee on June 8, 1998. His family searched for years to try and find answers about his disappearance. In December 2010, unidentified remains were found in a wooded area off Ashland City Highway and Pecan Valley Road.
For years these remains were known as Pecan Valley John Doe4. In 2023, DNA technology advanced enough for the remains to be identified as Marcus Rutledge. The investigation into his disappearance and death is still an active investigation, which authorities believe involved foul play.
This case was covered in the Crime Junkie Podcast episode titled, MURDERED: Marcus Rutledge. The episode was released on their website on February 10, 2025.
Who was Marcus Rutledge?
According to Oxygen, Marcus Rutledge was born to David and Jerry Rutledge in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He had an older sister, Felicia, with whom he shared a sibling bond and strong relationship. According to Felicia, they were "partners in crime," enjoying their time together when their parents were away. Marcus was described by his father as a "vivacious baby" and an "active little guy" who did well in school.
Trending
According to NBC News, he was involved in various activities, including playing instruments in the band and participating in football and soccer. Edie Beach, a childhood friend, remembered him as both funny and serious, someone who would do anything for those he trusted.
Like his parents and sister, Marcus attended Tennessee State University in Nashville. He was a senior at the time of his disappearance and a devoted father to his four-year-old son, Darius. According to his father, Marcus made every effort to visit Darius in Knoxville. According to Oxygen, during his freshman year at college, Marcus met Valencia Bryant, who later became the mother of his child.
The day of his disappearance
According to Oxygen, on June 8, 1998, Marcus Rutledge was last seen by his girlfriend, Tawania. According to NBC News, as the detective, Matthew Filter from the Metro Nashville Police Department stated, he left her house that morning after spending the night. Around 1:30 p.m., he also spoke to her on the phone.
In the evening of the same day, Tawania tried contacting Marcus's parents, David and Geraldine Rutledge to tell them she couldn't get in touch with him. According to Oxygen, his sister Felicia also called him but no response came from his side. Tawania and Marcus's best friend, Athan Gibbs, went to his apartment to check on him after he missed a planned meeting.
According to Oxygen, they broke in through a window and found the place looking as if no one had been there for a while. Marcus's dog, a Rottweiler, was found trapped in the bathroom, having been there long enough to ingest part of the rug, according to Marcus's father. Tawania reported Marcus missing to the police at 7:35 p.m.
The investigation and discovery of remains
According to WDIV-TV, in the weeks after Marcus vanished, his car, a red 1995 Plymouth Neon, was discovered in an apartment complex approximately 20 miles from his home. A gun was found inside the vehicle. According to Nashville, months later, on December 8, 2010, a hunter discovered a human skull in a wooded area off Ashland City Highway and Pecan Valley Road.
At the time, no other remains were found. The skull was taken to the Medical Examiner's Office. According to DNA Solves Murder, for years, the remains remained unidentified and were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as 'Pecan Valley John Doe.'
In 2023, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram for advanced DNA testing. Other scientists developed a comprehensive DNA profile, which enabled a genealogical search. Simultaneously, investigators received a separate lead that led to the identification of Pecan Valley John Doe as Marcus Rutledge. The DNA profile matched a DNA upload from a family member.
Marcus Rutledge's disappearance in 1998 has remained unsolved for over two decades. The discovery of his remains in 2010 and subsequent identification in 2023 brought some closure to his family. The investigation into his disappearance is ongoing, with authorities suspecting foul play. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Nashville Police Department.
