Found Deceased IL - Vanessa Ceja Ramirez, 22, murdered, Midlothian, 2 Nov 2020

[Yemelyan]

Teacher's aide went missing on a walk in a nature preserve with her family; later found strangled.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...AxAB&usg=AOvVaw0Mfkc26o0yqMtKNHZRfcJg&ampcf=1

Statement from Cook County Sheriff:

Earlier today, an autopsy conducted by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Vanessa Ceja Ramirez, 22, of Harvey, died of strangulation, and her death was ruled a homicide.

Ceja Ramirez was reported missing on Monday afternoon after she disappeared from the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve.

Cook County Forest Preserve District Police, with assistance from the Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies, searched the forest preserve on Monday evening. A Sheriff's Police K9 unit was able to detect a scent trail, but the trail dissipated and the search was unsuccessful.

Cook County Forest Preserve Police continued their missing persons investigation until Wednesday afternoon when the body of Ceja Ramirez was discovered in a wooded area at the Midlothian Meadows forest preserve. At that point, Sheriff's Police opened a death investigation at the request of Cook County Forest Preserve Police. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about her disappearance or death are asked to please contact Sheriff's Police detectives by calling 708-865-4896 or via email at detective.division@cookcountyil.gov.

Link to MEDIA, MAPS, TIMELINE *NO DISCUSSION* thread

 

[Vail]

Missing Chicago-area student found murdered in forest preserve

Vanessa Ceja-Ramirez, 22, was last seen Monday afternoon when she was walking with her mother in the Midlothian Meadows preserve, the Chicago Tribune reported. The two separated, with Ceja-Ramirez telling her mother she’d meet her later at their car, but she did not return.
...

she decided to return to a car midway through a walk in the nature preserve with her mother and friend. When they returned to the car, she wasn’t there and could not be located or contacted, police said.

A missing flyer distributed by her mother said Ceja-Ramirez [said she] had been last seen near Bremen Grove, which is near 159th Street and Oak Park Avenue, about 4 miles west of where her body was found.

Facebook Groups

 

[Yemelyan]

Her phone pinged near an apartment complex in Oak Park. I wonder if LE was able to actually find the phone discarded sonewhere or if it is missing.

Search For Missing Woman Vanessa Ceja Ends In Heartbreak As Her Body Is Found In South Suburban Forest Preserve

 

[Yemelyan]

The way she died (ligature strangulation) and the comments from the community activist who was involved in the search for her in the ABC7 news article quoted above make me think more about a stranger or targeted stranger (they stalked her, but she was unaware of them) attack.

Here's the quote from the article: "Vanessa was strangled. She was tortured," community activist Andrew Holmes said. "Very shocking. No one should have to go through torture or getting beat and burned."

 

[Vedder]

What a nightmare. Horrifying. Hope to read of an arrest soon.

 

[K9Enzo]

I'm glad there's a thread started for this poor young woman. This IS horrifying.

I first saw her story here: Illinois woman, 22, raped, strangled and set on fire in forest preserve: authorities

I can totally see a scenario where you set out for a walk in a park, then one party, perhaps the younger one, changing their mind and going back to the car to wait. It appears this event happened fast and this person(s) just happened to be there (maybe). Random.

She was strangled, raped and set on fire. According to this article her phone pinged after her disappearance at an apartment complex. My guess, there will be an arrest coming soon. They took her phone but did not think about what LE can do with it. I could speculate either direction on age / younger vs. older.

IMO

 

[Yemelyan]

I'm glad there's a thread started for this poor young woman. This IS horrifying.

I first saw her story here: Illinois woman, 22, raped, strangled and set on fire in forest preserve: authorities

I can totally see a scenario where you set out for a walk in a park, then one party, perhaps the younger one, changing their mind and going back to the car to wait. It appears this event happened fast and this person(s) just happened to be there (maybe). Random.

She was strangled, raped and set on fire. According to this article her phone pinged after her disappearance at an apartment complex. My guess, there will be an arrest coming soon. They took her phone but did not think about what LE can do with it. I could speculate either direction on age / younger vs. older.

IMO

I am so sad to hear about the sexual assault part of it, I kind of wish that like for living victims this part was kept close to the vest by authorities. However, in a way I'm glad this came out so that people will stop accusing her family members. I saw a lot of this in the comments section of news articles about the crime and it's so hurtful to the grieving.

To me this is looking like an opportunistic attack but it also sounds like police may have a lot to work with.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Her phone pinged near an apartment complex in Oak Park. I wonder if LE was able to actually find the phone discarded sonewhere or if it is missing.

Search For Missing Woman Vanessa Ceja Ends In Heartbreak As Her Body Is Found In South Suburban Forest Preserve

A few things I was wondering about...

1) I wondered about the phone too along with what time it pinged near the apartments. The article said it was the last place it pinged, but did it ping after she left her mother on the trail or before she even got there?
2) I am guessing she was headed back to the parking lot after leaving her mother, although the article is a little confusing on that. There are not a lot of side trails she could have taken just for the heck of it, just looking at the map. How long, I wonder, did it take for her mother to get back to the car and realize she was missing.
3) When the guy starts talking about her being tortured that really ramps up the seriousness of the crime.
4) I’m expecting LE will be canvassing the apts a little more thoroughly.
5) The key thing to me though is whether they have her phone or if it’s still missing.

As far as this case being like Delphi, I can see some similarities. A trail system that is relatively large but contained, victim not found till the next day, etc. But the thing that stands out to me is it happened in broad daylight and, seemingly, in a very short period of time.
Just my thoughts.

 

[QPRfan]

I may be wrong, but this sort of savagery makes me think of gang activity, or at least multiple perps. Either way I hope they catch everyone involved, including anyone covering up for the main perpetrator(s).

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I'm glad there's a thread started for this poor young woman. This IS horrifying.

I first saw her story here: Illinois woman, 22, raped, strangled and set on fire in forest preserve: authorities

I can totally see a scenario where you set out for a walk in a park, then one party, perhaps the younger one, changing their mind and going back to the car to wait. It appears this event happened fast and this person(s) just happened to be there (maybe). Random.

She was strangled, raped and set on fire. According to this article her phone pinged after her disappearance at an apartment complex. My guess, there will be an arrest coming soon. They took her phone but did not think about what LE can do with it. I could speculate either direction on age / younger vs. older.

IMO

I just saw this new information. How horrible! Answers some of my questions. Hopefully it will be solved soon.

 

[Yemelyan]

The ligature part of it is disturbing too as, unless it was done with a piece of her clothing, it could imply a level of preparation that gives one pause. It is a much more intimate way of committing a homicide than, say a gun or even a knife.

 

[Knox]

If Vanesa's body was partially burned, it would be clear if that took place in the location she was found or not. Her family found clothing the same night she disappeared, I can't imagine how horrifying that must have been for them.

Are we looking at multiple crime scenes? Her family finds clothing in one location, then her body is found in another.
Illinois woman, 22, raped, strangled and set on fire in forest preserve: authorities

 

[Falling Down]

If Vanesa's body was partially burned, it would be clear if that took place in the location she was found or not. Her family found clothing the same night she disappeared, I can't imagine how horrifying that must have been for them.

Are we looking at multiple crime scenes? Her family finds clothing in one location, then her body is found in another.
Illinois woman, 22, raped, strangled and set on fire in forest preserve: authorities

The news articles are confusing to me, and I don't think they're accurate re: locations.

Some news reports make it seem like she was moved, as in maybe abducted and moved. Highly unlikely, and ultimately she was found not far from where she had separated from the other two people she was with.

Following...

 

[Yemelyan]

I think she was abducted, in the sense that she was taken off the path against her will. It doesn't matter how far she was taken after that, even if it was just a few yards it is still classified as an abduction crime if she was compelled or forced to go any distance.

The clothes her family members found may have been ripped and removed in a struggle at the point of abduction.

The burning is an interesting aspect of the crime. How was it done and how would the offender have been prepared to do that on the spot?

 

[Knox]

I think she was abducted, in the sense that she was taken off the path against her will. It doesn't matter how far she was taken after that, even if it was just a few yards it is still classified as an abduction crime if she was compelled or forced to go any distance.

The clothes her family members found may have been ripped and removed in a struggle at the point of abduction.

The burning is an interesting aspect of the crime. How was it done and how would the offender have been prepared to do that on the spot?

The locations of the trail she was abducted from and where her body were found, are not clear to me. But I've looked at a map, so have a general idea what the area looks like.

Seems like a lot of people frequent the trails, so to rape, kill, and set someone on fire seems pretty risky. Add, the killer would need to have items on his person to do all this, unless he hid her body and came back later that night?

 

[StarryStarryNight]

The locations of the trail she was abducted from and where her body were found, are not clear to me. But I've looked at a map, so have a general idea what the area looks like.

Seems like a lot of people frequent the trails, so to rape, kill, and set someone on fire seems pretty risky. Add, the killer would need to have items on his person to do all this, unless he hid her body and came back later that night?

A bad thought but if they burned her at the trails, wouldn’t people see smoke or, I hate to say it, smell the burning body?

 

[Knox]

A bad thought but if they burned her at the trails, wouldn’t people see smoke or, I hate to say it, smell the burning body?

Doesn't make sense does it?

 

[Yemelyan]

A bad thought but if they burned her at the trails, wouldn’t people see smoke or, I hate to say it, smell the burning body?

It's been awhile since I read about the Vanessa Marcotte case, but the offender in her murder also tried to burn the parts of her body where he thought he left DNA? Maybe someone will correct me if I remembered that wrong. Possibly the perpetrator of VCR's murder also attempted to burn not her whole body, but parts. This might account for no one noticing the fire.

 

[InspectGadget]

I don’t believe I saw the heavy article posted yet. I always appreciate their in article links to the local papers, etc.
Missing Chicago Woman Found Strangled in Woods | Heavy.com
What I found most interesting was this bit of information:
“A Killer Is on the Loose in Chicago But Police Won’t Comment on Whether They Think It’s the Same Person Who Strangled More Than 50 Women Since 2001” (from the heavy article)
But...I always hesitate to immediately think serial killer but in going to their source for that statement and reading the following I am willing to consider this possibility.

“…their bodies have been found in vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and alleys. Some were dumped in garbage cans, and some even set on fire; all of them strangled,”
Is There A Serial Killer On The Loose In Chicago? Dozens Of Similar Cases Unsolved

It is extremely bold to abduct someone in broad daylight never-mind the horrendous torture she endured. I would think someone had to have a plan to know how to avoid being seen, heard or, smelt (given it has been reported that she was set on fire). Not an easy feat imo.
The other part I wonder about is the timeline. How long was it before it was realized that she was missing (ie how long did it take for her mother and friend to finish their hike and return to their car)?
What time was the last ping?
Given she was found 3 miles from her original location (as noted in the heavy article), it would take a bit of time to grab her, brutalize her and then set her on fire...3 miles away.
For me, for now at least, a vehicle or possible secondary location seems plausible? This theory is fluid but based on: where her scent ended, how far away she was found, plus the unknown window between her last sighting and her mother realizing she was missing makes me lean towards those 2 possibilities IF that window is relatively small.
Tomorrow I will try to dig ip more about the other 50 strangulations to see if there are other profile, geographical, mo overlaps.
Until more precise locations and a cleaner timeline are known, it is definitely is a head scratcher and my opinions will probably change tomorrow
Edited by me bc I am too tired to be comprehensible without the further edits

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I don’t believe I saw the heavy article posted yet. I always appreciate their in article links to the local papers, etc.
Missing Chicago Woman Found Strangled in Woods | Heavy.com
What I found most interesting was this bit of information:
“A Killer Is on the Loose in Chicago But Police Won’t Comment on Whether They Think It’s the Same Person Who Strangled More Than 50 Women Since 2001” (from the heavy article)
But...I always hesitate to immediately think serial killer but in going to their source for that statement and reading the following I am willing to consider this possibility.

“…their bodies have been found in vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and alleys. Some were dumped in garbage cans, and some even set on fire; all of them strangled,”
Is There A Serial Killer On The Loose In Chicago? Dozens Of Similar Cases Unsolved

It is extremely bold to abduct someone in broad daylight never-mind the horrendous torture she endured. I would think someone had to have a plan to know how to avoid being seen, heard or, smelt (given it has been reported that she was set on fire). Not an easy feat imo.
The other part I wonder about is the timeline. How long was it before it was realized that she was missing (ie how long did it take for her mother and friend to finish their hike and return to their car)?
What time was the last ping?
Given she was found 3 miles from her original location (as noted in the heavy article), it would take a bit of time to grab her, brutalize her and then set her on fire...3 miles away.
For me, for now at least, a vehicle or possible secondary location seems plausible? This theory is fluid but based on: where her scent ended, how far away she was found, plus the unknown window between her last sighting and her mother realizing she was missing makes me lean towards those 2 possibilities IF that window is relatively small.
Tomorrow I will try to dig ip more about the other 50 strangulations to see if there are other profile, geographical, mo overlaps.
Until more precise locations and a cleaner timeline are known, it is definitely is a head scratcher and my opinions will probably change tomorrow
Edited by me bc I am too tired to be comprehensible without the further edits

According to the linked article, the 50 victims were involved in sex work and were habitual illegal drug users. Still victims and their murders need to be solved, but I’m not so sure the victim in this case fits that description and would be included with this possible serial killer. That being said, I know pretty much nothing about the victim here except her age, so please let me know if I am wrong about this.