DE - Susan Ledyard, 50, found dead in river (suspected homicide), Wilmington, 23 July 2019

[Tighthead]

In the video that was posted from BrainScratch, he has some very good images of the river. It twists and turns, with several places of very shallow water heavy with large rocks.

I’ll look for that thanks. I wonder if someone could have put her in the river there and pushed the body around obstacles. The video should give me some sense of that.

I also wonder if the time of death (7:00am approximately) was supported by her body temp or if it was just determined by the fit bit.

 

[Truecolors]

<modsnipped quoted post>

I found it a little odd that the police woke the husband at 9 am by banging on the door. Totally possible that he’s a late sleeper, but it surprised me. I’d think there would be at least one trip to the bathroom before that when he might’ve noticed SL not in the bed. But I suppose Ambiem might explain it.

MOO

 

[MsKitty]

I keep going over the time line as well as the fact that her car was found parked blocking a driveway, unlocked, with her purse and keys inside. I’m thinking if I can work out those details to make sense, it would give a good indication of the circumstances that brought her to that area.

 

[Tighthead]

I found it a little odd that the police woke the husband at 9 am by banging on the door. Totally possible that he’s a late sleeper, but it surprised me. I’d think there would be at least one trip to the bathroom before that when he might’ve noticed SL not in the bed. But I suppose Ambiem might explain it.

MOO

I thought that was curious as well, and I assume he wasn’t working that day. The only thing that might make sense is they may have slept in separate rooms. A surprising number of couples do at that age.

I do agree that no 50 year old man is sleeping until 9 without at least getting up once.

This is a situation where I can think myself in circles. <modsnipped>

 

[Mikee1510]

It seems to me that burner or not, it would be very hard to completely hide the kind of relationship that draws an adult Woman out to a deserted area at 3AM. Either they have that relationship uncovered via interviews with friends, email etc or they don’t. If they rule out the 3AM lover and it isn’t a suicide, and a random homicide at 3AM feels way improbable (was the assailant hoping someone came along to that spot at 3AM?), you are left with something closer to home. My guess is they know a lot about this but not enough direct evidence yet.

 

[oviedo]

<modsnipped quoted post>

I didn't see a thread here for Susan yet.....just heard about her on the 11PM news.

‘Not Finding Out Is Not An Option’: Family Of Delaware County Teacher Found Dead In Wilmington River Pressing For Answers

" Police say Ledyard was discovered in the Brandywine River around 7:40 a.m. on July 23. Just 80 minutes later, police found her car unattended on Walkers Mill Road, approximately three miles upstream from where her body was recovered."

“To hear they were looking at it from a standpoint as a homicide was a shock,” Jack Morrissey, Susan’s father, said. “I don’t know who in the world would want to take her life.”

Two months after a Delaware County English teacher was found dead in a river, questions remain

"She had visible injuries, although authorities declined to provide more information..."

"Investigators said they ruled out the possibility that Ledyard, a longtime teacher at Academy Park High School...., had killed herself."

"“Susan was the love of my life, my best friend, my beloved wife,” said her husband, Ben Ledyard. “She is so missed and I am so heartbroken.”

"On the morning Ledyard died, investigators said she stayed up late, texting friends until 2:45 a.m. At 3:02 a.m., ....she drove two minutes to a road near a bridge. She then turned the headlights off and got out. Police said they do not know what Ledyard, 50, did between then and 7 a.m., when they were alerted that her body was in the river."

"“Susan was the love of my life, my best friend, my beloved wife,” said her husband, Ben Ledyard. “She is so missed and I am so heartbroken.”

"On the morning Ledyard died, investigators said she stayed up late, texting friends until 2:45 a.m. At 3:02 a.m., ....she drove two minutes to a road near a bridge.
BBM
...until she wasn't...
JMO

 

[oviedo]

What happened to Susan Morrissey Ledyard? Mystery of death of Academy Park teacher continues

snipped
Grassi said investigators were able to pinpoint the Civic’s activity from surveillance cameras, but Morrissey noted the video was so dark that it was impossible to tell who was driving the car and whether Ledyard was alone.
----
lots of details in this article - sister knows everyone and has spoken to everyone she was texting - no reason apparently to go out at that time. it's all odd
JMO

 

[bkgregg5]

I’ll look for that thanks. I wonder if someone could have put her in the river there and pushed the body around obstacles. The video should give me some sense of that.

I also wonder if the time of death (7:00am approximately) was supported by her body temp or if it was just determined by the fit bit.

There is no way her body could have been manually moved around obstacles in the river. There are simply too many. One area of the river is heavily trafficked in the am with runners and walkers and if her body had somehow miraculously floated by, someone would have spotted it long before she reached her final destination.

If I recall, her body was found and removed right around the fire depts shift change, which takes place at seven am. <modsnipped>

 

[Tighthead]

BL found the thread

 

[Bella528]

BL found the thread

What does this mean?

 

[Bella528]

BL found the thread

Can you please expand on your statement?

 

[Bella528]

I am curious why Susan’s Facebook discussion group was shut down about a month ago. There was a lot of good discussion going on. Things seem awfully quiet now, but hopefully things are happening behind the scenes.

 

[oviedo]

By now, I would think LE would have the cell phone data - did she leave to meet someone or not? Did she even drive herself to the location the car was found? Did LE dust the car for fingerprints or anything? since the manner of death is homicide - yet no arrest has been made - what do they know? They don't seem to be asking for the public to help that I am finding. I think if it weren't for her siblings - we wouldn't know anything at all and her murder would "fade away".....
JMO

 

[Tighthead]

I am curious why Susan’s Facebook discussion group was shut down about a month ago. There was a lot of good discussion going on. Things seem awfully quiet now, but hopefully things are happening behind the scenes.

As to your post above this one, just remarking on some moderation of posts I made that were long-standing.

I liked the group and from what I can tell the family supported it. Maybe it was just more trouble than it was worth.

 

[Ratliff76]

What does this mean?

I don’t know but that is the intials of her husband name so maybe he is watching this thread ?

 

[toowired]

in one article i saw the husband was quoted as saying (paraphrased) 'i didn't know why she wasn't next to me.' - this after being awakened by the cops or describing same to Dateline.

this guy is guilty as sin, btw

 

[toowired]

As to your post above this one, just remarking on some moderation of posts I made that were long-standing.

I liked the group and from what I can tell the family supported it. Maybe it was just more trouble than it was worth.

i believe for some reason the FB link got changed. see active in blue below.

Who Killed Susan?
.

 

[Bella528]

i believe for some reason the FB link got changed. see active in blue below.

Who Killed Susan?
.

There was another private Facebook group called “Susan Ledyard: Case Analysis and Discussion,” which was the one that was shut down.

 

[MntnHiker]

I was brought to this case because of the Murder Squad podcast covering it this week: Episodes/Cases - The Murder Squad

Just getting caught up on this thread after listening to the podcast. My thoughts are this:
-In terms of the spike in heart rate recorded on the FitBit, it could be due to a sexual encounter and not just an attack. I am trying really hard to think of why you'd leave the house at near 3 AM and drive somewhere and the only thing I'm coming up with (outside of suicide which was ruled out) is meeting up with someone you don't want your husband or others to know about. Could she have had a burner phone OR could she have made plans with someone in person rather than over text/call? Where had she been earlier that day? Making plans with someone in person would leave no trail.
-In the podcast they mention no Ambien was found in the tox report but alcohol was, and Ambien stays in the urine/blood longer than alcohol, so if she had taken the Ambien, it should/would have shown up. I personally feel she knew all along she was leaving at 3 to meet with someone. She figured her husband would be long asleep and probably knew that when he took Lunesta, he was out cold. She may have been texting with friends until the wee hours to keep herself occupied and busy until it was time to go to this rendezvous. Maybe she was getting ready to leave and go back home around 7 to get there before her husband woke up.

This is all MOO. Like I said, I just heard of this case today and have only listened to the podcast and read this thread. It is a very odd case. I did a Google search and couldn't find any recent articles (more recent than this past July on the anniversary).

 

[Ratliff76]

The husband weeks after she was killed had a girlfriend already and is already engaged traveling around with her just need the evidence they know who did it