VA VA - Scott Ratigan, 24, found murdered in apartment, Arlington, 17 Jan 2020

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves

New Posts

MoeInVA said:
Please keep sharing Scott’s case and the surveillance video on social media, everyone! Especially Virginia / northern VA / DC social media pages (Reddit, FB groups, etc).

My opinion and theory only: Someone actually reached out to me recently about a social post I made a long time ago on this case. There are people with credible leads about this suspect out there. I suspect Arlington PD just needs more evidence, more people to come forward. Let’s get people talking!

It’s been way too long, but I am actually feeling a bit hopeful!
Click to expand...

So you are thinking LE has a potential suspect in mind but can't prove it yet? That would give me a lot more hope about this being solved.
 
MoeInVA said:
Please keep sharing Scott’s case and the surveillance video on social media, everyone! Especially Virginia / northern VA / DC social media pages (Reddit, FB groups, etc).

My opinion and theory only: Someone actually reached out to me recently about a social post I made a long time ago on this case. There are people with credible leads about this suspect out there. I suspect Arlington PD just needs more evidence, more people to come forward. Let’s get people talking!

It’s been way too long, but I am actually feeling a bit hopeful!
Click to expand...
In my opinion your request for more social media sharing is valuable information. Someone knows something and someone knows the person in the video, even though they're trying to disguise. Thanks so much!
 
Recently became aware of this SR case. Sad. It's always awful when someone passes due to foul play, but it's especially horrible when they're young & have their whole life ahead of them.

What's especially disturbing about this case is that it's relatively recent & there seem to literally be 0 leads. I.e., we live in a world where security cameras & other technology are common-place - and these types of crimes still occur.

SR seemed to be living a low-risk lifestyle. I.e., he was a young professional living in an expensive apt. - in what was seemingly a good/safe area. And, there is no indication he was into drugs & also no indication that he had outstanding debts and/or other financial problems/issues, etc.

I haven't read anywhere that his apartment was robbed/ransacked and/or that anything was stolen, etc.

Could the perp. have been a jealous b.f./husband?! I.e., if SR wasn't robbed/burglarized - what was the motive here?! Very odd.
 
Last edited:
I doubt this helps much, but wanted to add something about the jacket. If it’s true that the person is wearing waterproof clothing, that’s significant because it drastically narrows the possible sources of the jacket. It looks like a waterproof jacket (would help to see the zippers), but iso materials waterproof for a decent length of time that are that pliable (notice folds in the fabric on the arms) are relatively new. They were introduced to the market in 2015, in Europe, I believe. The first company to carry those garments in the US was Rab in 2016 at their store in Denver only. I was researching it for covering camera gear at the time and made the trip to buy one, which ended up being $300-400 on the low end. Since then, the number of manufacturers using it has expanded greatly, but it’s still pretty expensive gear.
 
''Jan 15, 2021
The Arlington County Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance identifying a person of interest captured in surveillance video as they continue to investigate a homicide that occurred on January 17, 2020. Case # 2020-01170229. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline@arlingtonva.us.''
 
branmuffin said:
Still don't understand why there isn't a peep from the family or attempts to keep Scott's name in the news. Nearly 4 years. It's baffling to me.
Click to expand...
Maybe they think they know who did it and don't feel public help is needed. Possibly the killer left the country and they are aware there is nothing that can be done at this point. My gut is telling me the killer is no longer in the US.
 
scriabina said:
Maybe they think they know who did it and don't feel public help is needed. Possibly the killer left the country and they are aware there is nothing that can be done at this point. My gut is telling me the killer is no longer in the US.
Click to expand...

It's a possibility that the family does know who did it and hopefully have provided LE with the details. But if that is the case why wouldn't there be a concerted effort from LE regarding a PSA listing the name of the person of interest? As for the killer being out of the country, I don't see that as a possibility unless it's really remote, if you are alluding to the fact that some think the killer may be Asian. I personally feel the killer is white, was known to Scott, albeit maybe for a very short time, and is still in the US.

One thing that I find odd is that Scott's job/career has never been made public so I wondered, since he lives so close to Washington, practically a bedroom community of DC, whether his job may have something to do with his murder.
 
This is one of those cases that really bothers me, because IMO it was so chillingly premeditated.

@branmuffin asked what what job he worked.
I found an MSM link that said he was in "corporate sales." BREAKING: Man’s Death in Ballston Ruled a Homicide | ARLnow.com
Post 133 on this thread cites a LinkedIn account that says this was for Konica.

I know this may seem far-fetched but I have always wondered if this was related to intelligence work. Scott was very young and didn't seem to have the type of background for it (e.g., ex military or gov't), but the apparent professionalism and premeditation cause me to speculate.
 
As those who have followed this case from the beginning know, there's unfortunately very little public information out there to work with. I have only recently acquainted myself with Scott's murder. One thing that I have gathered that has been touched on here before, is that IMO, the day Scott was murdered (a Friday) he took the day off work. I think this could considerably narrow the field of suspects because how many people would know this, or plan for this? I think we can presume that there's no concrete digital trail between Scott and his murderer, or at least not one pointing to communication between the two on the day he was killed. If there was, I think we would have seen more movement in the case. So, we have someone dressed with the intent to conceal themselves arriving at Scott's shared apartment on a day Scott has taken off work. This person was able to gain access to the apartment. What are the possible scenarios allowing this person to gain entrance?

1. Scott opened the door for someone he did not know
2. Scott opened the door for someone he did know
3. The murderer broke in with force (we have no indication of this but with a lack of information I don't think we can definitively rule it out)
4. They had a key

From our informative posters here who lived at the building, we have learned that there are no cameras beyond the first floor so movement in the hallways between residences is not monitored. This would allow the killer to remove any clothing without detection, including his balaclava/mask, so that Scott would see his face at the door. We don't know if the killer was aware of this fact or if they were simply lucky - assuming they did this.

Unfortunately without knowing Scott's disposition or his aversion to risk, we can't say with much confidence whether he would open the door for someone he didn't know or if he would open the door without looking through a peephole. All we've really been told is that Scott was apparently "caught off-guard" by this person. Whether that means caught off-guard inside the apartment after letting the person inside, or caught off-guard at the door, we can't say for sure.

Returning to my initial point - I think the circumstances surrounding Scott taking the day off work and the pool of people who would have been aware of this in time to plan this murder is a very, very important element to hopefully one day solving this. I imagine the police have attempted to compile a list of people who fall under this category. An optimist could even go as far as saying they have identified a solid suspect out of this group and they are trying to find more concrete evidence to satisfy an arrest.

The wild-card? The killer went to the apartment for a different reason and was not anticipating Scott would be home, at which point they improvised and it resulted in Scott's death. Personally, I don't view this scenario as very likely but I also don't think it is without merit.
 
Last edited:
Calcano said:
As those who have followed this case from the beginning know, there's unfortunately very little public information out there to work with. I have only recently acquainted myself with Scott's murder. One thing that I have gathered that has been touched on here before, is that IMO, the day Scott was murdered (a Friday) he took the day off work. I think this could considerably narrow the field of suspects because how many people would know this, or plan for this? I think we can presume that there's no concrete digital trail between Scott and his murderer, or at least not one pointing to communication between the two on the day he was killed. If there was, I think we would have seen more movement in the case. So, we have someone dressed with the intent to conceal themselves arriving at Scott's shared apartment on a day Scott has taken off work. This person was able to gain access to the apartment. What are the possible scenarios allowing this person to gain entrance?

1. Scott opened the door for someone he did not know
2. Scott opened the door for someone he did know
3. The murderer broke in with force (we have no indication of this but with a lack of information I don't think we can definitively rule it out)
4. They had a key

From our informative posters here who lived at the building, we have learned that there are no cameras beyond the first floor so movement in the hallways between residences is not monitored. This would allow the killer to remove any clothing without detection, including his balaclava/mask, so that Scott would see his face at the door. We don't know if the killer was aware of this fact or if they were simply lucky - assuming they did this.

Unfortunately without knowing Scott's disposition or his aversion to risk, we can't say with much confidence whether he would open the door for someone he didn't know or if he would open the door without looking through a peephole. All we've really been told is that Scott was apparently "caught off-guard" by this person. Whether that means caught off-guard inside the apartment after letting the person inside, or caught off-guard at the door, we can't say for sure.

Returning to my initial point - I think the circumstances surrounding Scott taking the day off work and the pool of people who would have been aware of this in time to plan this murder is a very, very important element to hopefully one day solving this. I imagine the police have attempted to compile a list of people who fall under this category. An optimist could even go as far as saying they have identified a solid suspect out of this group and they are trying to find more concrete evidence to satisfy an arrest.

The wild-card? The killer went to the apartment for a different reason and was not anticipating Scott would be home, at which point they improvised and it resulted in Scott's death. Personally, I don't view this scenario as very likely but I also don't think it is without merit.
Click to expand...
My personal opinion is that Scott took the day off work because he was expecting a visitor. I can't say whether the visitor was well known to him or a recent casual acquaintance. I also don't know whether the murder was planned or not. If it was planned there is a lot more we don't know about Scott's life. If it wasn't well planned then some interaction between the two triggered an assault that turned deadly.
 
Calcano said:
As those who have followed this case from the beginning know, there's unfortunately very little public information out there to work with. I have only recently acquainted myself with Scott's murder. One thing that I have gathered that has been touched on here before, is that IMO, the day Scott was murdered (a Friday) he took the day off work. I think this could considerably narrow the field of suspects because how many people would know this, or plan for this? I think we can presume that there's no concrete digital trail between Scott and his murderer, or at least not one pointing to communication between the two on the day he was killed. If there was, I think we would have seen more movement in the case. So, we have someone dressed with the intent to conceal themselves arriving at Scott's shared apartment on a day Scott has taken off work. This person was able to gain access to the apartment. What are the possible scenarios allowing this person to gain entrance?

1. Scott opened the door for someone he did not know
2. Scott opened the door for someone he did know
3. The murderer broke in with force (we have no indication of this but with a lack of information I don't think we can definitively rule it out)
4. They had a key

From our informative posters here who lived at the building, we have learned that there are no cameras beyond the first floor so movement in the hallways between residences is not monitored. This would allow the killer to remove any clothing without detection, including his balaclava/mask, so that Scott would see his face at the door. We don't know if the killer was aware of this fact or if they were simply lucky - assuming they did this.

Unfortunately without knowing Scott's disposition or his aversion to risk, we can't say with much confidence whether he would open the door for someone he didn't know or if he would open the door without looking through a peephole. All we've really been told is that Scott was apparently "caught off-guard" by this person. Whether that means caught off-guard inside the apartment after letting the person inside, or caught off-guard at the door, we can't say for sure.

Returning to my initial point - I think the circumstances surrounding Scott taking the day off work and the pool of people who would have been aware of this in time to plan this murder is a very, very important element to hopefully one day solving this. I imagine the police have attempted to compile a list of people who fall under this category. An optimist could even go as far as saying they have identified a solid suspect out of this group and they are trying to find more concrete evidence to satisfy an arrest.

The wild-card? The killer went to the apartment for a different reason and was not anticipating Scott would be home, at which point they improvised and it resulted in Scott's death. Personally, I don't view this scenario as very likely but I also don't think it is without merit.
Click to expand...
SR’s sister was picking a relative or friend up at one of the airports in DC on Friday. For people to know the time schedule that the sister would be away from her apartment on that Friday, may be key to this case.

The family put out a large reward that would hopefully bring in leads on the murderer or murderers.
I will say IMO.
 
Our victim was found in his own bed. How did he get there?

The suspect had an element of surprise in their favor in that SR did not expect to die that day.

If SR invited this person, then the attack came when SR was in a vulnerable, unsuspecting position, such as, standing in the entryway when he's threatened, then runs to the safety of his bedroom before being overcome or overpowered. Was he immediately sprayed with Mace? In some manner, this murderer was able to gain control and Scott was not a little guy.

How did the killer escape without bleached spots appearing on their black clothes unless they were undressed?

It'll the 3rd painful holiday season without their son. Parents lives flipped 180. I hope his loved ones feel the music of Scott whispering to them that all is well with his soul.

 
We see in Sloan's [WS approved] video that it is too easy to enter the AVA. The killer could have stopped in any cubby, random hallway or ducked into a restroom to change clothing, hide the mask in the backpack, etal in order to make his appearance at Scott's door to be one that Scott expected or, at least, he did not or could not turn the killer away. But, that backpack had to go inside with the killer, I suppose, since it looks like killing supplies may be found in there.

How did SR get himself trapped inside the apartment with a killer?

Sloan easily enters the AVA @ 17:00 mm
 
Starting to re-read earlier posts now, but looking at the surveillance photos of the perp, it looks like a woman to me. Maybe this has been discussed and dismissed before, but right now that’s what I see.

Very “hippy” for a male, in my book.
 
Calcano said:
The wild-card? The killer went to the apartment for a different reason and was not anticipating Scott would be home, at which point they improvised and it resulted in Scott's death. Personally, I don't view this scenario as very likely but I also don't think it is without merit.
Click to expand...

Not sure how likely this is either...but, it's also not impossible. I.e., if SR didn't know this perp. & if they went to SR's apartment for the sole purpose of robbery (thinking SR would be @ work that day) then they may have needed to either have a key or been able to pick the lock - given that the apt. door didn't appear to have any clear signs of forced entry.

However - if they didn't open the door themselves & if they weren't expecting SR to be home, is it possible that they knocked on the door to see if anyone was there - prior to trying to gain entry?! And, if so - would SR have opened the door to a stranger he wasn't expecting?! I guess it's possible, especially if they identified themselves as someone affiliated with the apartment (maintenance, etc.)

Obviously, this is sheer speculation on my part - given that we don't know what happened here.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 180 more.
Total: 1,845 (members: 181, guests: 1,664)

Online statistics

Members online
181
Guests online
1,664
Total visitors
1,845
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
599,882
Messages
18,100,723
Members
230,944
Latest member
Picle
Back
Top