Buried in the Bluegrass — Episode 1

Linda Marie Rutledge: Solved After 27 Years

On a November morning in 1998, Lexington firefighters responded to what appeared to be a routine business fire. Inside the Nixon Hearing Aid Center, they discovered a woman dead in a hallway.

Her name was Linda Marie Rutledge.

For nearly three decades, her murder remained unsolved. There were no arrests, no public suspects, and very little information released. But the case was never closed.

In this episode of Buried in the Bluegrass, we examine how evidence preserved for 27 years—one shell casing and one DNA profile—eventually connected Linda’s murder to a violent offender in another state. Using modern forensic science, investigators finally identified the person responsible, long after he had died.

This episode is not about sensationalism. It’s about patience, persistence, and what “solved” really means when justice comes too late for a courtroom.

In This Episode

• The 1998 fire that led to a homicide investigation
• How Linda Rutledge’s case quietly stayed open for decades
• The role of modern ballistics and DNA analysis
• How two crimes, decades apart and states away, were connected
• What closure looks like when there is no arrest

Case Details

• Victim: Linda Marie Rutledge, age 43
• Location: Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
• Date: November 7, 1998
• Status: Solved in 2025 (suspect deceased)

Sources & Reporting

This episode was researched using publicly available records and official statements from:

• Lexington Police Department
• Kentucky State Police
• Forensic and ballistic evidence summaries released by law enforcement

No speculation or unofficial theories were used.

About the Show

Buried in the Bluegrass is an independent investigative podcast focused on Kentucky cases involving missing persons, unsolved homicides, and long-silent investigations. Each episode is built on verified facts, public records, and accountability—not rumors.

Coming Up

In future episodes, we’ll examine cases where that resolution never came—and ask why.

If you have information related to an unsolved Kentucky case, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

New episodes available wherever you listen to podcasts.