Tuckerton Man Indicted On Attempted Murder Charges

TUCKERTON, NJ — A Tuckerton man who was arrested after a 24-day manhunt in January has been indicted in connection with a shooting that injured a Little Egg Harbor man.

Donald Rutter, 52, was indicted Thursday by an Ocean County grand jury on charges of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.

The charges stem from a Jan. 5 shooting in Tuckerton. At 7:30 p.m., police responded to Jarvis Marine on Radio Road and found Thomas Jarvis, 55, of Little Egg Harbor, with an apparent gunshot wound in his midsection, Billhimer said.

Jarvis was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center that night and was eventually released from the hospital. Following an investigation by the OCPO's Major Crime Unit, authorities determined that Rutter was the man who shot Jarvis, Billhimer said.

Authorities were unsuccessful in locating Rutter after an exhaustive search of the surrounding area. The search continued and a warrant was issued for his arrest, charging him with attempted murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

After a 24-day manhunt, Rutter was located on Jan. 28 in Atlantic City and taken into custody without incident by the United States Marshals Service. He has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since his apprehension.

Billhimer commended Assistant Prosecutor Kaitlyn Burke who is handling the case, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Regional SWAT Team, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Park Police, United States Marshals Service, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the Tuckerton Police Department.

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