NEW BERLIN ­– More than four months have passed since Ganesh Remy Ramsaran first reported his wife, Jennifer L. Ramsaran, missing, the mother of three allegedly last seen leaving the couple’s 473 Sheff Road home to shop at Destiny USA in Syracuse on Dec. 11. The subsequent discovery of Ramsaran’s body, located Feb. 26 down an embankment adjacent to Center Road in the Town of Pharsalia, has only led to more speculation in what many are calling the area’s most recent homicide. In fact, a number of people have repeatedly asked the same question in recent weeks, be it on the street or online via social media: Is there a murderer on the lose in Chenango County?
It’s a mystery that has only deepened in the days and weeks that have passed, and very little in the way of information or details in the case have been made available by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office pending the results of an autopsy, first expected to take six to eight weeks. Nearly ten weeks have passed since Ramsaran’s body was found, even as local law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, and the community as a whole wait for a cause of death to be established.
“Due to tests that the medical examiner has ordered, we’re still awaiting the results of the autopsy,” stated Lt. Rich Cobb of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, “this is still an ongoing investigation.
Cobb added that it’s not unusual for an investigation of this kind to take longer than people may realize. Some have wondered at the district attorney’s early involvement with the case, although Cobb said that is nothing new.
“In a general sense, in a major case such as a missing person or possible homicide, the DA’s office is typically involved early on, it’s not unusual at all,” he added.
Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride released the following statement:
“Jennifer Ramsaran’s death is obviously a major concern, for my office and the community. We’re working in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Office and other involved agencies and we’re moving forward with the case. We cannot proceed without certain information and, when we receive that information, we’ll proceed as appropriate. Obviously our hearts go out to Jennifer’s family and she is in our thoughts and prayers while this investigation continues.
The weeks that passed between Dec. 11, when Ramsaran was last seen, and Feb. 26, when her body was discovered, only add to the mystery. On Dec. 12, one day after she went missing, Remy Ramsaran located his wife’s iPhone, utilizing the Find My iPhone application. Days later, Jennifer Ramsaran’s father, Thomas Renz, discovered her 2006 Chrysler Town and Country minivan at the Plank Road Manor, Plymouth Street, Norwich.
According to authorities, Ramsaran’s minivan, cell phone and body were all located within approximately twelve miles of one another along the state Highway 23 corridor.
The Sheriff’s Office – along with the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office – is continuing to investigate the cause of her death. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 337-1924 or 337-1864. All calls will be kept confidential.