Betrayal: Under His Eye – A complete timeline of the Justin Rutherford case investigation, explored

Hulu's Betrayal: Under His Eye was released on 2 September 2025. This three-part docuseries is about a Pennsylvania teen who found an ordinary-looking phone charger in the family bathroom in the summer of 2021.

He had no idea it would lead to a true crime story!

The charger was a camera that had recorded thousands of private moments. This revelation shook the Rutherfords and resulted in Dr. Justin Rutherford's imprisonment. Betrayal: Under His Eye looks into its heart.

So, how did a well-regarded doctor, who seemingly had it all with a home and family, end up a criminal? Let's dissect this story.

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The investigation timeline of Betrayal: Under His Eye

1) The 2021 discovery that started it all

The investigation started after a pal of Tyler VanScyoc, Rutherford’s stepson, discovered the hidden camera and took it to his mother.

She, in a state of horror, alerted the authorities.

The police later found a stash of thousands of images. These pictures showed people in the most private moments of their lives: showering, changing clothes, and using the bathroom. This led to a probe into the goings-on in Rutherford’s home as shown on Betrayal: Under His Eye.

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2) Tyler reveals a secret

In the middle of this inquiry, Tyler bravely told his aunt that Mr. Rutherford had been subjecting him to s--ual abuse since the tender age of 11.

This revelation prompted another teen acquaintance to share an account of a sleepover that had turned into a night of assault at the hands of the same perpetrator. Each disclosure toppled over the façade.

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3) A runaway doctor and a deadly twist

As pressure increased, Rutherford retreated to Europe. But his respite was brief. Upon his return to the U.S., he was apprehended at Dulles International Airport. Behind bars, he plotted the murder of Tyler, his stepson.

Correspondence showed that Rutherford reached out to an acquaintance with a request to take Tyler’s life. He even detailed his preferred method!

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4) Courtroom reckoning

In February 2024, Dr. James Rutherford confessed to a series of crimes that included s--ually assaulting a minor and r--ing an unconscious person. The court also found him guilty of invading someone's privacy.

As a result, he was handed a lengthy prison term (from 26 years and 10 months to 70 years) with a special probation on top of that. Then Rutherford received another sentence of five to ten years for his role in a murder-for-hire plot.

His medical license was taken away on a professional front, as seen on Betrayal: Under His Eye. The proceedings also imposed an order that prevents him from contacting his younger kids, who are with his wife, Stacey.

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5) The survivors find strength

The fallout was heartbreaking. Stacey Rutherford talked about the end of what her family had worked so hard for: their American dream.

Now, Tyler, who is 20, is starting over. He will marry his partner and is on his way to becoming a personal trainer. When he was only 16, Tyler talked about what happened to him. Most of us can't do that for a long time.

Actor Anthony Edwards advocates for survivors like Tyler. The celebrity says that Tyler’s bravery will give others the courage to tell their stories.

Betrayal: Under His Eye reminds us that trust can be badly exploited. As Berks County Attorney Meg McCallum told ABC, "It is shocking (...) that a doctor, a stepfather (...) could do these types of things."

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Watch Betrayal: Under His Eye on Hulu and Disney+.