Post by Scumhunter on Feb 23, 2014 9:50:17 GMT -5
(Above: Top: Usha Taneja Bottom: Sketch of suspect) Photo Credits: amw.com archives
The unknown Usha Taneja killer was profiled multiple times on AMW on Fox and most recently lifetime. The following is the full profile description from the old AMW.COM I was able to find on archive.org:
"Mother Killed In Cold Blood The Day Before Her Son's Wedding
Usha Taneja had waited her whole life to marry off her two sons. One had graduated from law school, the other from business school. Now, her oldest son, Veenu, was ready to tie the knot. Usha had worked for years in the financial industry to help save money for her son's wedding -- she even went back to school to get an advanced degree so that she could earn more money.
Last year, her dream to be a part of Veenu's wedding was close to becoming a reality. She was a very religious woman, so she was thrilled that 270 guests from around the world were coming into town for a spectacular Hindu wedding ceremony at the "Terrace on the Park" in Flushing, New York. More than a dozen family members were staying with Usha at the family home. On August 20, 2004 -- the day before the wedding, Usha went out with her shopping cart to get some groceries from a store up the block. She never returned home.
On her way to the store, cops say a man in a white van confronted her. Surveillance video shows Usha talking with the man for a minute before continuing on her way. But 20 minutes later, 9-1-1 received a frantic phone call from an ice cream truck driver. He told dispatchers a woman was lying on the ground bleeding. Cops say she had apparently been beaten with some kind of blunt object. She was found just four blocks from her home.
Usha Taneja went into a coma and died four days after her attack. Usha had been carrying $3,000 in cash that day to tip the wedding vendors -- an important Indian tradition for the groom's parents.
Could A Witness Be The Key To Solving The Murder?
Without a witness, it would be hard to solve Usha's mysterious murder. When a witness came forward and told cops he'd witnessed the entire crime from his bedroom window, investigators knew they had a good shot at catching the killer.
The witness' account gave police enough information to draw up a composite sketch of a potential suspect. The witness recalls a Hispanic man in a New York Yankees hat, white shirt, and jeans getting out of a white van. From his description of the vehicle, investigators believe the van was a 2001-2004 Chevrolet or GMC model. The witness recalls seeing a logo on the side of the van -- and was able to sketch it for the cops. Usha was also wearing a custom made jade necklace the day she was attacked. The necklace hasn't been seen since. The investigation was starting to come together.
Son's "Dream Wedding" Comes True
Instead of celebrating a wedding the next day, the wedding guests were laying Usha to rest. Veenu put his wedding on hold -- it seemed the ceremony would be too painful given the circumstances. But in January 2005, Veenu and his fiance told their story to a local radio station in New York -- Z-100. The station has a "dream wedding" contest every year, where couples can plan the wedding of their dreams, and Z-100 picks up the tab. The radio station was touched by their story, and Veenu and his wife won. Their wedding was held in honor of their love, and Veenu's mother."
Thoughts? Personally, I find it a bit surprising it's taken this long to find the killer. AMW had a sketch of the suspect and footage of the van. The sketch is above under Taneja's picture, but the van is the key to solving this case anyway, the half-clock white van logo, is below. I remember from the AMW airings, investigators believe the van was likely from out-of-state:
If you have any information on this case, based on crime location, our advice would be to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers number at 1-800-577-TIPS.
www.qchron.com/editions/north/police-need-help-in-solving-mugging-homicide-in/article_9a73b8fc-a71e-509b-b176-6f3252bc615e.html
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