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

[DaisyMaesMama]

I wonder if the apartment management kept records of when residents buzzed non-residents in? It’s possible the POI “tailgated” a resident and slipped in after them so in that case any possible data from the intercom system would be irrelevant and useless. But would be interesting to know if there’s any indication that Scott buzzed a person into the building at around 10:30am-ish (or even if another resident did).

I lived in this building for years right before this incident (2013-2019). There were multiple entrances (I can think of 6, but I am probably forgetting a few) that were very easy to tailgate into, so it would be unlikely they would have accurate records.

For further context, it’s a massive building, with a lot of people coming and going. The way the building is designed is two towers of 21 floors each, connected by a shared lobby on the first floor. There was also a convenience store attached on the first floor that was open to the public/street. It would be very common to have a lot of non-resident traffic as it was adjacent to a metro station, bus stop hub, and office buildings.

For entry points that I can recall (each required a fob/access)

- 2 each tower’s main entrance. During renovations, the main entrance for the entire building including the lobby was to moved to the other side temporarily.
- because of the size and volume of people in the building, at the time, concierge would allow sign ins and you could wait to go up but it was so busy that visitors often just walked up with/behind someone
- 2 entrances from the pool in the courtyard (in the space between the towers right across from the lobby on the first floor)
- a side/back entrance from the sidewalk/street on one tower
- the entrance from the convenience store
- entrances from the parking garage - the parking garage was accessed with a separate parking fob and then there were several entrances from the garage (garage was underneath, four or so levels, under both towers)


During the time of this murder, the entrance and first floor were also undergoing extensive renovations, so some of the keypads/entry access points weren’t active.

 

[Kittybunny]

Where the Sherman and Bevers cases involve potential disguises like Scotts, I could not help but think more about a different case. A case about a woman found murdered in her bed. Anita Knutson was found murdered in her bed in 2007.

After being away at college, her family became concerned for her and after not being able to get in contact with her, her father went to check on her. She had been stabbed in her chest as she lay in bed. The case had a few suspicious characters, such as a maintenance man, construction workers, and a male friend that acted a heck of a lot like Stephen McDaniel, crying and being weird at the crime scene etc.

There was a knife found cleaned in the sink, and the case went unsolved until 2022. Her female college roommate seemed to have a very solid alibi, and with all the aforementioned suspects being much more suspicious, she was ultimately charged and arrested for the murder in 2022. Arrest made in 2007 murder of Anita Knutson in Minot, North Dakota

This is a really great angle, and one I hadn’t really seriously thought of. When I really think about the possible motives here, there aren’t that many that make sense, but roommates don’t always get along. Unusual for it to rise to the level of murder but you never know. Since I’m sure the victims and girlfriend are considered victims, we won’t be able to post anything here about them, but it would be an interesting angle to explore.

Another case of a young man being killed in a high-rise was in NYC. A wealthy startup founder was killed by his assistant who had been stealing a lot of money from him. The founder had given him several chances to pay the money back, but the killer never did, and instead killed the poor guy when he threatened to go to police.

Tyrese Haspil: Former executive assistant to a tech CEO found decapitated has been convicted of murder | CNN

The former executive assistant of a tech CEO was found guilty Monday of murdering his boss – whom he then decapitated and dismembered – in 2020, according to a news release from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

amp.cnn.com

I doubt Scott had that kind of money, but fear of getting caught for stealing can be a powerful motive for some.

 

[dotr]

Neighbour, past or present? speculation.....
February 20, 2024

Four years after unsolved Ballston murder, no new details from police | ARLnow.com

A grim anniversary quietly passed last month: four years since the still-unsolved murder of Scott Ratigan. The 24-year-old was found dead with "trauma to the upper body" in his Ballston apartment in January 2020. The 911 caller reported a strong smell of bleach in the apartment, according to...

www.arlnow.com

The Ballston apartment building that was the scene of the unsolved Scott Ratigan murder (via Google Maps)

 

[hexicon]

This is my tinfoil hat case.

For many of the cases I follow, my theories have gotten simpler over time. Here, I think that principle doesn't apply. The degree of preparation makes this seem professional. Not professional in the mere sense that someone was paid to do it, but professional in the sense that this is someone who regularly commits murder and was trained to do so.

 

[vls12345]

I don't think that what the suspect is wearing or carrying would have attracted much notice. The D.C. area has a lot of people wearing black or navy, lots of dark colors. Also, with all the walkable areas, easy subway access/use, etc., carrying a backpack is totally normal. Another normal thing is lots of young professionals in the area, as well as many contract workers. Having lots of contractors means, in general, a more transient population (people maybe there for a 12 month contract), making it harder for eyewitnesses to pinpoint people who seem "out of place" and also that quite a few residents at the time of the murder may not even live in the area anymore.

Basically, this seems like finding a needle in a haystack as there is absolutely nothing odd or obvious that would make the suspect memorable in any way.

All my own opinions due to quite a bit of time traveling there over an extended period of time. MOO.

 

[cujenn81]

Where did the information that Scott was found in his bed come from?

I’m admittedly late to the game, but I’ve just read through this entire case thread. I’ve only seen it reported that SR was found in his bedroom. I haven’t seen anything about being found in his bed.

BREAKING: Police Release Surveillance Video of ‘Person of Interest’ in Ballston Murder | ARLnow.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njY2yh_9Hzg Police are releasing new photos, video and information in the year-old unsolved murder of a 24-year-old man in a Ballston apartment. Scott Ratigan was founded bloodied and unresponsive in his bedroom, at the AVA Ballston Square apartment building (850...

www.arlnow.com

The adult male victim was located inside his bedroom suffering from trauma to the upper body and was pronounced deceased on scene by medics.

I also skimmed through quite a few articles on Google, but they all say the same thing. Can someone provide an approved link that says he was actually found in bed? I only ask because that paints a very different picture of the crime, in my opinion.

 

[hexicon]

In addition to Anita's case, I am also reminded of Shelby Thornburgh. Shelby put an ad on Craigslist for adult services. An unidentified man met her in a hotel room and was caught on CCTV. He managed to go to her room and make an EXRTREMELY messy gorey scene in the room and leave wearing the exact same clothing without a drop on him. I have attached the images.

In Shelby's case I think the answer is pretty simple: The killer took off his clothes before he cut her throat from behind. As a sex worker, she would not have been alarmed by a client removing his clothing. Even though he wasn't in the room for very long he would also have had a chance to take a shower. I feel bad that Shelby's case has not received much publicity because it seems like the man should be identifiable from the footage.

In Scott's case, I doubt the killer stripped before the crime. (I know some have theorized it was a scheduled gay hookup, but if Scott was on the DL would he really bring a hookup to an apartment he shared with his sister?) I think that the killer may have had a change of clothing in the backpack if it became necessary. And we don't know how Scott was killed. "Upper body trauma" could mean a lot of things, so it's possible that the killer could have used a method that did not result in a lot of blood.

My personal guess is a firearm with a suppressor. The murder took place in an apartment building. Pre-Covid, a building full of young professionals would be mostly empty during the day, but a killer would still have to assume that some neighbors would be present. A person who commits a violent, premediated murder in an occupied building by any other means (stabbing/bludgeoning/strangling) would have to be VERY confident that they could surprise and subdue their victim before the victim could struggle or cry out. Scott was a fit, athletic young man, so given the evidence of premeditation the killer would have to consider this. (Also, I know that suppressors don't make a shot "silent," but it might make the sound more consistent with those normally heard in an apartment building, such as hammering a nail or dropping an object on a hard floor). As seen in the Missy Bevers case, LE may want to withhold information about a gunshot as COD.

 

[branmuffin]

Was it ever figured out how the POI got into his apartment? Have we looked into his employer? Any reason to believe he was a possible whistleblower for the company he worked for?

I haven’t researched this case too much yet, but my immediate suspicions fall on the employer, or that he had information about something that someone in a position of power did not want to get out to the public for whatever reason.

We don't really know if the POI is the actual suspect. He just happened to be in the area of the murder. He's wearing a facemask pre-Covid which makes him suspicious. I think he may have something to do with the murder but I also wondered if the guy was a bicycle courier since in Toronto bicycle couriers have been known to wear facemasks to protect from exhaust.

 

[branmuffin]

Thanks.

Konica Minolta, his employer, was involved in a whistleblower case in August 2020, about 7 months after his murder.

Konica Minolta settles electronic health records whistleblower case for $500,000 | Phillips & Cohen

NEWARK, NJ, Aug. 27, 2020 – Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas has agreed to pay $500,000 to the federal government to settle a whistleblower case filed by Phillips & Cohen LLP that alleged an electronic health records company it acquired had cheated on certification tests to hide safety and...

www.phillipsandcohen.com

Was it possible he had information relating to this case that the employer did not want to get out? Without much to go on, I think the employer needs to be scrutinized more.

This was a highly targeted, professional contract killing. Someone with a lot of money wanted him dead. There are only a few reasons why this might be, one of which is because he had damaging information.

I find the fine the company paid to be small potatoes, not worth killing someone for. It's in line with fines lots of companies pay for various charges. Also the complaint was sealed in 2017 so I wonder whether SR even worked Minolta at the age of 21; he may have still been in university.

 

[branmuffin]

I wonder if the apartment management kept records of when residents buzzed non-residents in? It’s possible the POI “tailgated” a resident and slipped in after them so in that case any possible data from the intercom system would be irrelevant and useless. But would be interesting to know if there’s any indication that Scott buzzed a person into the building at around 10:30am-ish (or even if another resident did).

That's moving into Big Brother scenarios where your visitors are tracked. You open the door for pizza deliveries as well as visitors so I just can't see that being a thing. It would be concerning if I found my apartment owner was checking my comings and goings as well as those of visitors.

And people have to remember the POI in the videos with the strange gait is just that: a person of interest. At no time has LE ever suggested this person is the suspect, imo. He was in the general area at the right time and the right place. The only reason, I think, they've zeroed in on him is because they are out of ideas and he was covering his face pre-Covid. If that really is the only thing that's highlighting his status as POI, I'm glad this murder didn't occur in areas where there is a high Asian population since they are a demographic that constantly wears facemasks because that's what they've been used to living in high pollution areas.

 

[branmuffin]

In Shelby's case I think the answer is pretty simple: The killer took off his clothes before he cut her throat from behind. As a sex worker, she would not have been alarmed by a client removing his clothing. Even though he wasn't in the room for very long he would also have had a chance to take a shower. I feel bad that Shelby's case has not received much publicity because it seems like the man should be identifiable from the footage.

In Scott's case, I doubt the killer stripped before the crime. (I know some have theorized it was a scheduled gay hookup, but if Scott was on the DL would he really bring a hookup to an apartment he shared with his sister?) I think that the killer may have had a change of clothing in the backpack if it became necessary. And we don't know how Scott was killed. "Upper body trauma" could mean a lot of things, so it's possible that the killer could have used a method that did not result in a lot of blood.

My personal guess is a firearm with a suppressor. The murder took place in an apartment building. Pre-Covid, a building full of young professionals would be mostly empty during the day, but a killer would still have to assume that some neighbors would be present. A person who commits a violent, premediated murder in an occupied building by any other means (stabbing/bludgeoning/strangling) would have to be VERY confident that they could surprise and subdue their victim before the victim could struggle or cry out. Scott was a fit, athletic young man, so given the evidence of premeditation the killer would have to consider this. (Also, I know that suppressors don't make a shot "silent," but it might make the sound more consistent with those normally heard in an apartment building, such as hammering a nail or dropping an object on a hard floor). As seen in the Missy Bevers case, LE may want to withhold information about a gunshot as COD.

It depends on whether the victim was agreeable to certain kinds of behavior that could ultimately end in death or injury. If the killer entered the apartment as an expected visitor then who knows whether SR complied.

I personally don't see a GSW as the COD because the sister and friend thought he'd had a cardiac arrest. The only way a GSW could have been overlooked is if the point of entry was in an area where little blood loss would occur, like a head wound created by a .22. And if a gun was used why wouldn't LE state that? Why not release a salient detail that could further the investigation?

When the issue of bleach comes up the go to response is someone cleaning up blood. But that could be equally true of other bodily fluids like semen, saliva, urine, etc. It could also be used to destroy hair and skin cell DNA. If something was overlooked by the killer when using bleach and LE were able to collect some DNA it's possible they checked records on file from other suspects and drawn a blank. It also may mean they've tried to access companies that do DNA analysis for ancestry purposes and drawn a blank there, too. It's also possible that the victim got a bath in bleach to hide the perps DNA without blood being involved at all.

Four and half years later and we hear diddly squat from LE and the family. The only update I've read is the February 20/24 update to let us no there's no updates.