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

[steffi_s]

Black railings look like the short ones surrounding garden beds in the neighborhood.

 

[JKD700]

Update-

BREAKING: Police Release Surveillance Video of 'Person of Interest' in Ballston Murder

Pigeon toed/bowleggedness is a great distinction.

 

[_Patches]

Black railings look like the short ones surrounding garden beds in the neighborhood.

Yes, on looking through google maps street view, it could be in the surrounding block/across the street.

Also youtube video makes it pretty clear where this was taken.

 

[spspspsp]

Clear under armour gloves, any ID on any of the other articles?

 

[JKD700]

Clear under armour gloves, any ID on any of the other articles?

Nothing else so far

 

[Jacksmad]

That gait gets more pronounced as he moves out of frame. He had the presence of mind to cover his face for the cameras as he was leaving, he could be walking that way on purpose? It could be the angle of the camera, but it looks like he’s putting on a show to me.

If you look at what he is wearing, it’s about a grand worth of clothes. He looks small. The other fella shoulda been able to fight him off? He was attacked in his sleep?

Really odd case. My guess is the police have nothing/screwed up the crime scene due to lack of experience. Not the place you expect this type of thing to happen at all.

 

[JMapes]

Found via @_Patches link above:

Surveillance video recovered from an exterior camera shows a person of interest leaving the area around the suspected time of the homicide. The individual is described as a White male, approximately 5’6” – 5’8” tall, weighing 150 – 175 lbs, dressed in all black, carrying a black backpack and walking with his feet turned inward, often referred to as a pigeon-toed gait. Detectives would like to identify and speak with this individual.

Police Seek Information Ahead of Anniversary of Ballston Homicide, New Surveillance Video Released - Newsroom

 

[lisette]

Why in the world would they wait a year to release this video?! It is critical to the investigation and the identification of the killer! Don’t understand the delay!

 

[scdiv]

Was just coming on to post this too

ETA: sorry, did not see this same link posted above.

BREAKING: Police Release Surveillance Video of 'Person of Interest' in Ballston Murder

 

[NervousNellie]

Why did it take them a year to release this video? Surely this would have been more helpful closer to the actual crime?

 

[_Patches]

That gait gets more pronounced as he moves out of frame. He had the presence of mind to cover his face for the cameras as he was leaving, he could be walking that way on purpose? It could be the angle of the camera, but it looks like he’s putting on a show to me.

Seems like he had "presence of mind" to not only cover his face, but also wear all black and have a backpack that maybe has other equipment/clothes in it. I agree, it almost seems like he knows what he is doing and is walking like that on purpose as a misdirection tactic. I'm leaning that way imo.

After watching the video a few times, it's not clear what his route is. Impossible to tell what sequence the videos were actually taken, but regardless, he is walking north in two scenes and then heading south in two. All on the west side of Randolph St, on the north and south side of Wilson, then the last scene shows him crossing Randolph heading east. Maybe another calculated move trying to add confusion on where he is heading?

 

[Jacksmad]

Seems like he had "presence of mind" to not only cover his face, but also wear all black and have a backpack that maybe has other equipment/clothes in it. I agree, it almost seems like he knows what he is doing and is walking like that on purpose as a misdirection tactic. I'm leaning that way imo.

After watching the video a few times, it's not clear what his route is. Impossible to tell what sequence the videos were actually taken, but regardless, he is walking north in two scenes and then heading south in two. All on the west side of Randolph St, on the north and south side of Wilson, then the last scene shows him crossing Randolph heading east. Maybe another calculated move trying to add confusion on where he is heading?

Scary thought, but i was thinking along the same lines.

I may take a walk over there today if work is quite and see if I can make some sense of his direction.

as far as the delay in realizing the video, local news says that ‘they’ were on the scene recently with big poles, determining his height. The building was under major renovations at the time and many cameras were covered in protective plastic wrap. There was also issues getting the video off the servers. This may have been posted here now that I think about it.

The video does seem to show him leaving the apartment building. Maybe LE thought they had it in the bag and something didn’t pan out, they may even know who he is, but can’t make an arrest without someone placing him at the scene by recognizing him in the video?

the POI is just such a small dude, he had to have taken Scott by surprise or he has a weapon they aren’t saying. In the back of my mind I keep coming back to if he was closeted? Hookup gone really wrong...but that does not appear to be the case.

 

[Citizen1]

Seems like he had "presence of mind" to not only cover his face, but also wear all black and have a backpack that maybe has other equipment/clothes in it. I agree, it almost seems like he knows what he is doing and is walking like that on purpose as a misdirection tactic. I'm leaning that way imo.

After watching the video a few times, it's not clear what his route is. Impossible to tell what sequence the videos were actually taken, but regardless, he is walking north in two scenes and then heading south in two. All on the west side of Randolph St, on the north and south side of Wilson, then the last scene shows him crossing Randolph heading east. Maybe another calculated move trying to add confusion on where he is heading?

I'm fairly certain the order of the clips, from the suspect approaching the apartment to leaving, is as follows: Clip 2, clip 3, clip 1 and then clip 4. For additional clarity, clip 3 is a continuation of clip 2, and clip 4 is a continuation of clip 1. In all of the clips he is on the West side of Randolph St. However, I'm assuming he did not leave the apartment from the entrance he entered (main) as I imagine that footage would have been released as well given that he would have passed by the same Chase Bank ATM camera that he did in clips 2 and 3. He likely exited somewhere on Wilson and went east until heading south on Randolph.

I find it extremely odd that he chose to cross over to the east side of Randolph as opposed to continuing South. Even if he had the crosswalk signal, that specific crosswalk is not an intersection. I’m curious as to whether he continued to head South on Randolph after crossing or continued east on the sidewalk between the buildings and ends up at N. Quincy St.

 

[Jacksmad]

I'm fairly certain the order of the clips, from the suspect approaching the apartment to leaving, is as follows: Clip 2, clip 3, clip 1 and then clip 4. For additional clarity, clip 3 is a continuation of clip 2, and clip 4 is a continuation of clip 1. In all of the clips he is on the West side of Randolph St. However, I'm assuming he did not leave the apartment from the entrance he entered (main) as I imagine that footage would have been released as well given that he would have passed by the same Chase Bank ATM camera that he did in clips 2 and 3. He likely exited somewhere on Wilson and went east until heading south on Randolph.

I find it extremely odd that he chose to cross over to the east side of Randolph as opposed to continuing South. Even if he had the crosswalk signal, that specific crosswalk is not an intersection. I’m curious as to whether he continued to head South on Randolph after crossing or continued east on the sidewalk between the buildings and ends up at N. Quincy St.

So he didn’t know the area? Intentional misdirection? He’s not calm. You can see the fists clenched hard. He looks stressed, then to break out in that up run...

this reminds me of Jennifer kesse, with the video of the perp wearing those ridiculously huge clown shoes. Hard to believe those weren’t intentional like this guys walk.

 

[_Patches]

I'm fairly certain the order of the clips, from the suspect approaching the apartment to leaving, is as follows: Clip 2, clip 3, clip 1 and then clip 4. For additional clarity, clip 3 is a continuation of clip 2, and clip 4 is a continuation of clip 1. In all of the clips he is on the West side of Randolph St. However, I'm assuming he did not leave the apartment from the entrance he entered (main) as I imagine that footage would have been released as well given that he would have passed by the same Chase Bank ATM camera that he did in clips 2 and 3. He likely exited somewhere on Wilson and went east until heading south on Randolph.

I find it extremely odd that he chose to cross over to the east side of Randolph as opposed to continuing South. Even if he had the crosswalk signal, that specific crosswalk is not an intersection. I’m curious as to whether he continued to head South on Randolph after crossing or continued east on the sidewalk between the buildings and ends up at N. Quincy St.

This makes sense as a theory. Clips 2 & 3 are heading towards main entrance from the south before the crime where general consensus is he tailgated into the building behind someone, then exits via the south door at the lowest point of the building that would spill onto Wilson across from Compass Coffee and then heads down Randolph where clips 1 & 4 are. Running in clips 1 & 4 like he is hurrying away from crime? I'm not surprised he left south and east, least amount of eyes and cameras in that direction.

 

[Anicole]

Interesting ... in that first image, it looks like there's someone walking in front of the suspect. It looks like a blond-ish/light brown haired person.

ETA: very distinctive gait, if it's genuine. Surely someone knows that gait.

 

[Curiousgus]

Are we sure it’s a male? That’s a small size for a guy and in one picture the person’s hips look more curved, like a female. I also believe that the odd gait is for the benefit of the cameras. Anyone in that area is aware that there are cameras everywhere.

 

[lisette]

I agree that it could possibly be a female.

 

[_Patches]

Personally I don't see female. Particularly the screenshots JMapes posted look male to me. With the way they are dressed it certainly leaves the possibilities open.

 

[Scout905]

Update:

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaPD/status/1350094843595247618?s=20

Wow. This happened on Jan 17th so this person having a mask is actually out of the ordinary, way before COVID. The all black get-up as well as the mask is also just bizarre, it looks like something out of a movie. I can't exactly tell where this photo was taken in relation to the building, all I can see is the black railing in the back. I no longer live in the area so I can't look to compare anything unless I visit at some point. My initial reaction is it doesn't look like anything directly outside of the building, but I could wrong.

Pretty shocked it took almost an entire year to just release this photo, the police specifically told us last year that "if I had a photo that I wanted you to look at, we would show it to you". I took that as they didn't have one or they had one and didn't need help identifying the person.

And here is some additional information from ArlNow (including some more info in the comments): BREAKING: Police Release Surveillance Video of 'Person of Interest' in Ballston Murder.

Edit: Sorry - didn't realize this link had already been posted!