NORWICH — Footage from numerous local businesses was played in front of the jury Wednesday, none of which support accused killer Ganesh Ramsaran’s story of jogging by them on the morning of Dec. 11, 2012.
Norwich police officer Justin Carpenter, Karen Anderson (manager of Valero in Norwich), and Richard J. Pitts (Wellness Prevention District Manager of Rite Aid) each took the stand Wednesday to testify in relation to video footage obtained by the prosecution.
Ramsaran, who is facing a second degree murder charge, told police that the morning his wife went missing, he went for a run, and his destination was the Norwich Family YMCA. He told police the specific route he took — from the Ramsarans’ home on Sheff Road near Chenango Lake down State Route 23 into the City of Norwich. Based on what he told police, it was believed he would have arrived at the YMCA from the east.
Footage was presented, and there was no clear sign of Ramsaran on the videos.
McBride specifically was looking for the approximate time Ramsaran would have been running by each business.
Pitts left the stand and sat at the prosecution’s table to work the videos he had obtained from the Rite Aid cameras.
“Let the record reflect the witness is using the prosector’s computer,” said Ramsaran’s attorney Gilberto Garcia.
Chenango County Court Judge Frank B. Revoir Jr. said, “So noted.”
Garcia questioned Pitts as to why the time stamp on the video from Rite Aid was an hour off. McBride had requested Pitts to play footage from 12:35 p.m. through 12:45 p.m., but the video’s timestamp read 1:35 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. Pitts said the time was off because of daylight savings time.
“How can you assure us it’s not two hours different?” Garcia asked. Pitts said he was too much of a perfectionist to have to go back to re-do things, so he made sure he had it right the first time.
Footage was additionally shown from Valero and the Howard Johnson Hotel, neither of which showed Ramsaran.
Testimony in the case even came from overseas, as Rob Houston testified via webcam. He said he had known Jennifer Ramsaran since August, 2012.
Chenango County Sheriff’s Office Detective Kevin Powell said Houston was one of the names found in the late Jennifer Ramsaran’s phone. Powell also said there was a total of five names of men in the phone, but he did not pursue those leads himself. Two of the five were located in England, he said; both of whom are named Rob.
Houston, a married man, testified that he and Jennifer had been communicating daily, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to talk via an app for up to six hours per day.
He said Jennifer sent him panties as a Christmas present, and he wired her money.
Det. Powell used Jennifer Ramsaran’s phone to inform Houston of Jennifer’s missing. Once Houston learned her body was found, he said he cancelled the wire transfer.
Houston said that Jennifer always told him of her daily comings and goings, but didn’t the morning of Dec. 11, 2012 – the day she was reported missing. He said the communication that day ended at 8:13 a.m. and he did not hear from her again.
When cross-examined by Garcia, Houston said that on Dec. 11, 2012, Jennifer said she intended pick up the money Houston had wired to her, and that she had plans with Eileen (Sayles) later that week. Sayles, who took the witness stand earlier this week, has testified she was not only Jennifer’s best friend, but that she had been having an affair with Ganesh Ramsaran.
According to Houston, he and Jennifer Ramsaran had plans to meet in New York in the spring.
Houston told the jury he had sent Jennifer a message via the smart phone app. He said he couldn’t recall exact dates, but the last message he sent to Jennifer was not marked as “opened” for days.
The next communication he got was from Detective Powell, who was using Jennifer’s phone.
Garcia asked Powell if “it would have been better for your case if you could have kept it (the message) that way (unread).” Powell said it was standard procedure to open and read the message.
Following that communication from the Sheriff’s Office, Houston was later visited by someone from Interpol.
Houston said the contact between he and Jennifer extended beyond the online role-play game they played together, and they even messaged each other on weekends.
Lisa Harvey, a secretary at a local law firm, testified that Jennifer had called the law office on Dec. 6, 2012 to schedule an appointment with a matrimonial attorney. The appointment was scheduled for Dec. 21, 2012. Since she was missing at that time, Harvey said she changed the name in the appointment book to Renz, as her parents were going to go to the appointment.
Testimony from Det. Powell continued Wednesday. He said the first time he met with the defendant, the conversation was recorded and he did not tell Ramsaran. The audio of the interview was played in court Tuesday.
Det. Powell said he records every conversation that takes place in his office, and doesn’t tell anyone.
Additionally, Powell recalled going to the scene where the phone was found and to the defendant’s house. Garcia asked if he had obtained a search warrant before going through Ramsaran’s house. Powell said he was not a suspect at that time.
“He (Ramsaran) never gave me a hard time any time I spoke to him,” Powell said.
When asked by Garcia, Det. Powell said Ramsaran voluntarily offered Jennifer’s computer along with the clothes he was wearing the day she went missing.
The only difference in Ramsaran’s story, Det. Powell said, was that when they spoke three days later, Ramsaran claimed he and Jennifer had sex the morning she went missing (information Ramsaran volunteered). When they met on Dec. 15, 2012, Powell said Ramsaran made no negative or derogatory statements about Jennifer. Powell recalled that the defendant’s demeanor was calm, but that he seemed concerned. Additionally, Powell said Ramsaran said he did not want the affair he had been involved in to be made public.
With regard to using Jennifer’s phone, Garcia asked Powell if he had notes on what he did within Jennifer’s phone. Powell said he had four pages of notes, but nothing about what he did within the phone.
The trial continues Thursday and is expected to finish in early October. Live updates of the proceedings will be posted on Twitter @evesunashley.