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

[citizen_sleuth]

Just finished reading through this thread and I have a few thoughts:

APD released CCTV footage showing a POI in what appears to be at least 2 separate locations, but did not specify whether the videos were taken before or after (or both) SR's murder, although others here have speculated as to when the videos were taken IIRC APD has not confirmed the time(s) of the videos. Earlier in the thread there was discussion about how the killer may have gained access to the building (i.e., multiple entrances, not needing key fobs, concierge waving delivery personnel through, etc.), but I wonder what the killer might have done after the murder. Did they drive to the AVA? If so, where did they park? Would they use a private parking garage or park on the street? In my experience most garages have CCTV cameras and many have an attendant which could be used to identify the perp.

Street parking might be less 'risky,' although I used to live in the area and remember most street parking in the area directly around the AVA being metered (IIRC with a 2-hour limit). Buses and metro are also options, but CCTV would also be a risk, especially with the metro. Unless the killer lived nearby, walking seems unlikely IMO -- Ballston is blanketed with CCTV and a person wearing all black and a balaclava with a distinct gait would be a relatively unusual sight. A taxi or rideshare also seems unlikely to me as LE would likely be able to request those records, plus most taxis/rideshares now have dashcams and/or cameras inside the vehicle.

MOO but after mulling over all the possible ways the killer could've left the area, I feel that the killer used their own vehicle to get to Ballston but likely parked far enough away from the AVA that they were out of range of security cameras/metered parking. There is lots of unmetered street parking on the other side of Glebe Road, and that area has single-family homes and low-rise apartment complexes which might be less likely to have CCTV than the high-density, mixed-use area around the AVA. There is also a large open parking lot in Quincy Park off Washington Boulevard.

 

[MesquiteO21]

Just finished reading through this thread and I have a few thoughts:

APD released CCTV footage showing a POI in what appears to be at least 2 separate locations, but did not specify whether the videos were taken before or after (or both) SR's murder, although others here have speculated as to when the videos were taken IIRC APD has not confirmed the time(s) of the videos. Earlier in the thread there was discussion about how the killer may have gained access to the building (i.e., multiple entrances, not needing key fobs, concierge waving delivery personnel through, etc.), but I wonder what the killer might have done after the murder. Did they drive to the AVA? If so, where did they park? Would they use a private parking garage or park on the street? In my experience most garages have CCTV cameras and many have an attendant which could be used to identify the perp.

Street parking might be less 'risky,' although I used to live in the area and remember most street parking in the area directly around the AVA being metered (IIRC with a 2-hour limit). Buses and metro are also options, but CCTV would also be a risk, especially with the metro. Unless the killer lived nearby, walking seems unlikely IMO -- Ballston is blanketed with CCTV and a person wearing all black and a balaclava with a distinct gait would be a relatively unusual sight. A taxi or rideshare also seems unlikely to me as LE would likely be able to request those records, plus most taxis/rideshares now have dashcams and/or cameras inside the vehicle.

MOO but after mulling over all the possible ways the killer could've left the area, I feel that the killer used their own vehicle to get to Ballston but likely parked far enough away from the AVA that they were out of range of security cameras/metered parking. There is lots of unmetered street parking on the other side of Glebe Road, and that area has single-family homes and low-rise apartment complexes which might be less likely to have CCTV than the high-density, mixed-use area around the AVA. There is also a large open parking lot in Quincy Park off Washington Boulevard.

interesting to note that user _Patches in this post said that the route as seen in the footage doesn't really make sense since he appears to be going north in two segments, south in another two, and both north and south side of Wilson, and going east from Randolph:

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

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

www.websleuths.com

i'm not really sure what to make of that, although personally I feel the cops have more surveillance they didn’t release so the weird route is most likely due to the footage being fragmented. i also used to live in the Ballston general area, about 6 blocks from the metro station. as i remember it from 10 years ago, the area isn't overly confusing to me (unlike DC streets which can be) so I’m not sure he was lost. Although i suppose people can get lost anywhere and construction can add to that if there was any at the time.

traveling on Wilson does kinda make me think he used the Ballston metro at least one way.

 

[Kaylas]

When 911 was called for the Nov 2022 deaths of 4 students at the U of Idaho, the transmission went out for "an unconscious person." People must be declared legally dead before 911 transmissions of such can be reported, is my understanding. We were told Scott had upper body trauma which aligns, however slightly, with cardiac arrest.

It was interesting to read about the whistleblower theory. Thanks for that data.

@cujenn81 You've made an excellent point about whether or not Scott was discovered in his bed vs located in his bedroom. I wonder if his bedroom door was locked when his sister and their guests arrived at 5:30.

I suppose a small caliber gunshot wound to the head or chest would be quieter and quicker than a brutal knife attack. Why would the killer want to use bleach to clean up after a gunshot wound? If only we knew the motive...

Someone had suggested that the apartments at AVA would have been mostly vacant on 17 January. In the DC and Arlington area, many people can work from home on Fridays. The 17th of Jan. In 2020 was a Friday, leading into the MLK holiday weekend. Professionals tend to take the Friday off, giving them a four day weekend.

IMO, bleach may have been used to clean off the blunt object.
I don’t think it was a hook up gone bad..My opinion.

I do believe this person was aware of where the sister would be on the 17th.
That is also MO.

The detectives have not mentioned what the suspected time of death ..or known time of death was. Has anyone run across the time of death information?

I continue to think of the family of Scott. Too many years have passed without closure.

 

[Kaylas]

[The killer is with Scott at least an hour! Some of that time he's cleaning with bleach. He had time to wash and dry a load of clothes.

"Killer arrives at Scott's apt. around 11am. Killer is seen leaving high rise apts via cctv by 12:20pm."
Source is Aaron's study on the shadows in the cctv.]

Aaron’s study of the shadows in the CCTV. I recall reading over Aaron’s observations of the shadows on the street associated with time of day.
If the POI left at 12:20, Scott would have been deceased for a few hrs before discovered. His body would have been cold to the touch.

Did the friends that found him check for a pulse? If they assumed he might be alive,was his body still warm to the touch?

How did the killer know that the sister wasn’t home or wasn’t going to show up mid cleaning?

Questions that continue to creep up with the study of street shadows on the CCtv.

 

[Kaylas]

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 up

There hasn’t been any updates.

 

[_Patches]

Just finished reading through this thread and I have a few thoughts:



Street parking might be less 'risky,' although I used to live in the area and remember most street parking in the area directly around the AVA being metered (IIRC with a 2-hour limit). Buses and metro are also options, but CCTV would also be a risk, especially with the metro. Unless the killer lived nearby, walking seems unlikely IMO -- Ballston is blanketed with CCTV and a person wearing all black and a balaclava with a distinct gait would be a relatively unusual sight. A taxi or rideshare also seems unlikely to me as LE would likely be able to request those records, plus most taxis/rideshares now have dashcams and/or cameras inside the vehicle.

Based on the videos and the understood context of the order they were taken in, the suspected person looks like they came from and left towards DARPA building. Thinking they could have parked on any of the residential streets in that area behind where Golds Gym is , or even just left that way and gotten on a bus or been picked up. Metro stations are covered with CCTV and cannot imagine they went that way or there would be way more footage and also evidence from how they paid for a fare.

interesting to note that user _Patches in this post said that the route as seen in the footage doesn't really make sense since he appears to be going north in two segments, south in another two, and both north and south side of Wilson, and going east from Randolph:

When the videos were relaesed, they did not make sense to me as they are displayed out of order (although the police do not state this). The video analyzing the shadows helped put things into context.

View attachment 542673Someone had suggested that the apartments at AVA would have been mostly vacant on 17 January. In the DC and Arlington area, many people can work from home on Fridays. The 17th of Jan. In 2020 was a Friday, leading into the MLK holiday weekend. Professionals tend to take the Friday off, giving them a four day weekend.

Working from home was not really that common before Covid, even in DC. <modsnip - not an approved source>

 

[RedSlider]

I genuinely think LE knows who that is in the CCTV but they can't find the smoking gun.

E: That info about Scott being recently unemployed is interesting.

 

[branmuffin]

Is there any way to verify Scott being unemployed at the time of his death?

 

[dotr]

Is there any way to verify Scott being unemployed at the time of his death?

rbbm

Arlington neighborhood on edge after 2020's first homicide

People living in a Northern Virginia neighborhood are on edge after a young man was found dead inside an Arlington apartment building.

www.fox5dc.com

'John Ratigan confirming a LinkedIn profile picture is his son Scott Ratigan who went to Radford University and recently worked a corporate sales job.

We’re told Ratigan has a sister and also a girlfriend.

He grew up in a Gainesville, Virginia neighborhood.

Scott Ratigan was reportedly found dead Friday night around 5:30 — four people were apparently at the apartment when he was found dead but still no suspect or motive.''

 

[branmuffin]

rbbm

Arlington neighborhood on edge after 2020's first homicide

People living in a Northern Virginia neighborhood are on edge after a young man was found dead inside an Arlington apartment building.

www.fox5dc.com

'John Ratigan confirming a LinkedIn profile picture is his son Scott Ratigan who went to Radford University and recently worked a corporate sales job.

We’re told Ratigan has a sister and also a girlfriend.

He grew up in a Gainesville, Virginia neighborhood.

Scott Ratigan was reportedly found dead Friday night around 5:30 — four people were apparently at the apartment when he was found dead but still no suspect or motive.''

So "recently worked a corporate sales job" sounds like he wasn't employed at the time of his death.

 

[Betty P]

Is it just me or does the assassin who killed the United Health Care CEO appear to be dressed very similarly to Scott's assassin?

JMO, I don't think its the same person, but odd how the "uniform" is the same. Scroll down at the link for photos

Exclusive | UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot outside Hilton hotel in Midtown in targeted attack: cops

The CEO of UnitedHealth was fatally shot in the chest Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown in what police say was a targeted attack.

nypost.com

 

[typical_vacation]

Is it just me or does the assassin who killed the United Health Care CEO appear to be dressed very similarly to Scott's assassin?

JMO, I don't think its the same person, but odd how the "uniform" is the same. Scroll down at the link for photos

Exclusive | UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot outside Hilton hotel in Midtown in targeted attack: cops

The CEO of UnitedHealth was fatally shot in the chest Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown in what police say was a targeted attack.

nypost.com

I thought the same thing!

 

[branmuffin]

Is it just me or does the assassin who killed the United Health Care CEO appear to be dressed very similarly to Scott's assassin?

JMO, I don't think its the same person, but odd how the "uniform" is the same. Scroll down at the link for photos

Exclusive | UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot outside Hilton hotel in Midtown in targeted attack: cops

The CEO of UnitedHealth was fatally shot in the chest Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown in what police say was a targeted attack.

nypost.com

I remember stating back in the day that the POI in the Ratigan case could possibility be a bike courier since it's pretty common for those guys to wear masks or bandanas over their faces because of the vehicle pollution. I'm thinking this is a revenge killing for a denied claim or lack of care of a family member that resulted in a death.

 

[Kaylas]

Screen shot taken From Betty P’s link pertaining to the assassin that killed the United Health Care CEO.

For individuals that train at Quantico in Forensic Science , I wonder if they know what type of clothing killers tend to purchase. The hoodie with an actual hood over top. Waterproof pants that can be rinsed or tossed away.

 

[branmuffin]

Screen shot taken From Betty P’s link pertaining to the assassin that killed the United Health Care CEO.

For individuals that train at Quantico in Forensic Science , I wonder if they know what type of clothing killers tend to purchase. The hoodie with an actual hood over top. Waterproof pants that can be rinsed or tossed away.

I think killers wear clothes you and I would wear. They don't dress a certain way that says 'I'm not a killer' as opposed to 'do I look like a killer dressed this way?'

 

[Kaylas]

The photo below-sent by NYPD, definitely reminds me of the cctv photos posted of the POI in Ratigan’s case. If this post isn’t allowed, it can be removed.

 

[branmuffin]

The photo below-sent by NYPD, definitely reminds me of the cctv photos posted of the POI in Ratigan’s case. If this post isn’t allowed, it can be removed.
View attachment 549193

He's dressed like a thousand other guys in a cold climate.

 

[truecrime&wine]

I submitted this to true crime junkie. and i encourage others to do the same! even if you don’t listen to their podcast. they have a massive platform. it only takes a few minutes and you can link this forum and others with your submission. You can access this via true crime junkies website. This case needs more media attention! If it gets picked up by their podcast, hopefully it spreads further than virginia. If it becomes national news, it may push LE to release more information due to the heavy pressure.

 

[truecrime&wine]

crime junkie “suggest a case”

 

[arielilane]

Is it just me or does the assassin who killed the United Health Care CEO appear to be dressed very similarly to Scott's assassin?

JMO, I don't think its the same person, but odd how the "uniform" is the same. Scroll down at the link for photos

Exclusive | UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot outside Hilton hotel in Midtown in targeted attack: cops

The CEO of UnitedHealth was fatally shot in the chest Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown in what police say was a targeted attack.

nypost.com

My first thought when I saw alleged CEO shooter, LM was that he copied the clothes/backpack of SR's killer. Thank you for your post @Betty P, though I am just now getting to this thread.