Post by Scumhunter on Feb 25, 2015 5:29:07 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: WBRC Alabama)
It has now been two years since the still the death of Kate Ragsdale- a 74-year old librarian who was killed by a still unknown suspect in her Tuscaloosa, Alabama home. Below is a new article on the case from WBRC Alabama:
It's been two years since Kate Ragsdale was found dead inside her home on Feb. 24, 2013 in the upscale Highlands neighborhood, right in the heart of Tuscaloosa.
Since then, no arrests have been made, but the lead investigator says he's just as sure as ever that they will solve this case.
“I am most confident, that I have talked, over the last two years, probably more than once, with someone who knows exactly what happened to Kate Ragsdale, who knows who the killer is,” Sgt. Dale Phillips said.
“And I may have even talked to the killer.”
But Phillips says to bring the case to a close, investigators have to find the connecting piece, to put a lot of other pieces together.
He says the death of 73-year-old Kate Ragsdale, a retired University of Alabama librarian, is one of the most complex cases he has ever encountered.
He describes it as the type of case that comes along only about once in a decade.
“A lot of times serious assaults and murders like this happen because someone loses their temper. While I can't say that this person when there to kill Kate, this person had the opportunity to not kill Kate. And they chose not to, they chose to follow through and end her life," he said.
Like a lot of other details in this case, Phillips couldn't elaborate on that statement.
He says it is important to keep certain aspects of the case confidential, details only investigators and the killer would know.
There are some details of the case investigators have released.
Investigators say Kate Ragsdale's death was the result of sharp force trauma. Investigators do not believe it was a burglary attempt, but the person was likely looking for something specific.
Phillips also believes the person is local and knew Kate Ragsdale.
“They knew who lived there, they went there for a specific reason. Again, we don't know what that specific reason was, but they went there knowing this was Kate Ragsdale's residence, looking for something specific.”
Phillips also says investigators have developed an extremely detailed timeline of Ragsdale's life, in the weeks and days leading up to her death.
Even though two years have passed, Phillips says the passage of time has some benefits for the investigation.
He says investigators are able to take advantage of developing technology, in reanalyzing evidence.
In just the past few weeks, Phillips says investigators have been able to resubmit some evidence. He believes this may reveal important details about the identity of the killer.
“We're very optimistic that these new tests will kind of give us a jump start to move on.”
Meanwhile, Phillips says there's another path to solving this case.
“There are a handful of people who know what happened to Kate. And they need to think about what that family's going through, and what Kate went through.”
"I think those people, maybe not the ones that were there, maybe not the ones who took Kate's life, but there's people who know what happened. Those people really need to search their soul, and do the right thing and come forward."
Phillips also says at the two year mark, there is still daily work that can be done on this case.
"This case is nowhere near a cold case. A cold case requires you to get to a point that all the leads have been followed up and there's no new information. That is not the case here. We have so much information and so much evidence to process and examine, and sometimes you have to wait for other steps to be followed."
"The best way to sum up this case, I think is to say we are in a position that every move we make has to be a calculated move," he said.
Phillips can't say when the case will be solved, but he says he's determined to bring the investigation to a close.
"I never had the opportunity to meet Kate, but I feel like I know her better than anyone. And she didn't deserve how her life ended."
Thoughts? This is a baffling case but the good news is Tuscaloosa detectives seem to have a good sense of it. It should also be noted Kate Ragsdale's murder is the only unsolved homicide from the year 2013 for Tuscaloosa so obviously they have a good track record.
What also may help is former FBI agent and criminal profiler Charles Dorsey's profile of the suspect. Some of this may have already been mentioned in the article but here is what he said:
"Dorsey's analysis indicates that the suspect is probably young, lived "in close proximity to the Ragsdale residence" and likely walked to and from the crime scene.. Dorsey believes the suspect was familiar with the location of the crime, Ragsdale's home in The Highlands subdivision in Tuscaloosa.
The suspected killer also appeared to "exhibit an extreme lack of criminal sophistication," Dorsey said.
Of course as police noted, no possible suspect should be eliminated just based on the profile, but in my opinion it is a pretty good theory.
I am curious what this specific thing is they keep referring to that the killer may have wanted, however.
In any case, a lot of people in Ragsdale's neighborhood obviously cared about her. It's about time someone also cares enough to share more information on who killed her.
www.wtvm.com/story/28185359/two-years-later-kate-ragsdale-murder-investigation
www.myfoxal.com/story/24804975/kate-ragsdale-murder-investigation-still-active-1-year-later
www.myfoxal.com/story/21438235/former-fbi-agent-releases-profile-of-kate-ragsdales-killer
Admin Note #1: According to online articles: There is a total reward of $20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Ragsdale's killer. The Governor's Office is offering a $5,000 reward and people in Ragsdale's neighborhood associated offered a $15,000 reward in the case.
To submit a tip, visit the Tuscaloosa Police Department's Facebook page , e-mail the homicide unit directly at tips@tcsoal.org or call them at 205-464-8690. You can also call in an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 205-752-STOP.
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form