A Riverside County Superior Court judge has ordered a battery of medical assessments for Steven Taylor Rutherford, 48, of Banning. The doctor’s report is expected back for a May 1 hearing.
In February, Rutherford was charged with 13 felony counts of arson with enhancements, including use of a delayed ignition device and having a prior arson conviction. The arson counts include the Mill Fire of June 2013 and one along Highway 243 near Mt. Edna Road.
He was previously convicted of arson in 1989. Former Idyllwild resident Jennifer Adamson said her stepfather, Neil Ellis Nickel, who was with the Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department, initially arrested Rutherford in 1989.
