Coroner Naida Rutherford

Biography

Naida Rutherford is the Richland County Coroner. Prior to being elected as Coroner in 2020, she was a nurse practitioner and entrepreneur. Naida has lived in Columbia, SC since she came here as a homeless teen. She worked multiple jobs to put herself through school and eventually became a nurse practitioner. Her early career was spent in the emergency department at Lexington County Hospital. She worked tirelessly to help patients and families deal with trauma and sudden death. Her co-workers and supervisors often called on her to calm grieving families. In addition to being able to provide a calming presence to grieving families, Naida also helped to collect rape kits on victims of sexual assault. Her attention to detail and methodical collection of the data was key to helping to ensure a proper chain of custody for these victims. Naida is and continues to be a servant to her community.