GUILTY PA - Dr. Melissa Ketunuti, 35, murdered in her Philly home, 21 Jan 2013

[Tucarra]

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/20664536/sources

Just watched the police press conference live...can't find a link yet...

But he was a contract exterminator who got mad because he felt he was being 'bossed around'....knocked her down and strangled her with a rope he found in her basement...

Oh so glad they caught him...

 

[Ausgirl]

The stalking seems to negate that it was not pre-med, IMO. What tradesman walks behind a woman through the streets, prior to a bugspray appointment?

And he had contact with her the Thursday before.. unless that report was incorrect.

 

[bourne]

"Police say Jason Smith, 36, of Crescent Lane gave a statement laying out his involvement. He has been charged with murder and abuse of corpse, said Capt. James Clark of the Philadelphia police homicide unit.

Smith, who works for an extermination company, had an appointment at Ketunuti's home the day she was killed. He gave a statement that he attacked her and killed her in the home after an argument.

Sources said Smith struck, then strangled Ketunuti. He set the body ablaze. She was not sexually assaulted, police have said.

Ketunuti let Smith into her home, Clark said. The two got into a fight during the appointment.

"During the course of him servicing her, they got into some type of argument," Clark said. That disagreement "escalated into murder," he said.

The surveillance video shows Smith entering Ketunuti's home wearing a coat, and gloves, and carrying a work bag. He was seen leaving about 50 minutes without a coat. Ketunuti had been running errands around the neighborhood just before the encounter with Smith.

Sources say police scoured Ketunuti's personal records, including her phone, and found that she had an appointment with an extermination company. They traced a number to Smith's phone.

Police sources say Smith gave a statement confessing to the crime during questioning."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...r_being_charged_today_in_doctors_slaying.html

 

[bourne]

The stalking seems to negate that it was not pre-med, IMO. What tradesman walks behind a woman through the streets, prior to a bugspray appointment?

And he had contact with her the Thursday before.. unless that report was incorrect.

Yep, to me, it sounds like this murderer knew who she was and how she looked, and that was why he was stalking her all the way to her home where he had an appointment to provide exterminator services.

Presser did not mention she had appointment with him last Thursday, only on Monday when he killed her. So I'm wondering why that was not mentioned by police?

If there was a prior appointment and she had canceled, he might have felt disrespected if he had shown up at her home and she wasn't there to accept him. Then maybe he ran a background check on her to see how she looked, what she did for a living, became jealous of her being a doctor/researcher. Maybe he had been seething with anger and rage since last Thursday.

In any case, this murdering lunatic is a psycho.

 

[bourne]

I'm really surprised there's no domestic violence.

And I am betting a fifty (sorry to be so graphic here... ) that he burned Melissa to hide semen or saliva left on her upper body.. He didn't bind her like that and strangle her, without getting a sick thrill from it. Not after four days of building up to the attack.

ETA: Another fifty says his lawyer will try to plead temporary insanity or something - since he "just snapped" and all.

I think he bind her to humiliate her. It was a sick display of his "power" over her.

 

[enzeder]

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/gallery?section=news/local&id=8963537&photo=3

 

[Ausgirl]

I think he bind her to humiliate her. It was a sick display of his "power" over her.

I 100% agree.

And thanks, enzeder, for the mugshot!

 

[colette]

He probably had the rope and tape in the bag with him when he entered the home. I don't believe that there was an argument. The guy likes Dexter on FB.....

 

[JoeFromLB]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...r_being_charged_today_in_doctors_slaying.html

Monday was the first time Ketunuti and Smith had met. (Police Capt. James) Clark said Smith's only prior contact with police had been minor traffic violations.

Police say Smith was captured on surveillance footage at a coffee shop at 18th and South Streets near Ketunuti's house around the time of the slaying.

He was taken into custody about 9 p.m. last night in the Levittown home he shared with his girlfriend of six years and their daughter. The girlfriend's parents also lived at the home. Smith has a son who does not live with him.

Police arrived as the family was watching American Idol. They searched the house and truck. They shot and killed the family's boxer, who charged at them at the scene, sources said.

 

[matou]

I wonder if he would have killed a guy who disagreed with his contract? Fuming mad here. Him stalking her before she got to her house is not "just snapping." Was he going to put her body in his extermination bag but then decided against it? Why did he burn her? Didn't he think that wouldn't cause people to notice (smell of smoke, fumes, etc.) What about her dog? This snapping thing is BS. Was the rope in his bag?

 

[Ausgirl]

I think he did bring tape and possibly rope with him. Total premed. He knows enough to say he 'snapped', or his lawyer suggested it. Good luck proving it, bozo, is all I can say.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

They said in the presser that the rope was in the basement.

 

[matou]

I can't believe this guy didn't sexually assault her. Did he force her to do oral sex on him while she was hogtied? That could be why he burned her face. I think this guy is such a loser and acted like a deviant by following her, IMO.

 

[Ausgirl]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...r_being_charged_today_in_doctors_slaying.html

Monday was the first time Ketunuti and Smith had met. (Police Capt. James) Clark said Smith's only prior contact with police had been minor traffic violations.

Thanks for that Joe! An earlier report said he had an appt with Melissa on the 17th but she cancelled, so he came on Monday instead. Might have been an inaccuracy, they happen a LOT when news is flying as fast as this is.

I've missed so many posts, lol - just went and thanked everyone, the thread is moving fast too!

 

[Ausgirl]

I can't believe this guy didn't sexually assault her. Did he force her to do oral sex on him while she was hogtied? That could be why he burned her face. I think this guy is such a loser and acted like a deviant by following her, IMO.

I just noticed Filly suggested this (the fluids) earlier and I thought much the same thing. Defacing someone is done to depersonalise them, usually in a blind rage against the victim (or someone the victim represents). But upper body fires, says John Douglas and friends, are often a means of covering incriminating evidence. So I reckon you're right, matou, likely another way to "show her who's boss" sort of thing.

 

[bourne]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...r_being_charged_today_in_doctors_slaying.html

Monday was the first time Ketunuti and Smith had met. (Police Capt. James) Clark said Smith's only prior contact with police had been minor traffic violations.

Police say Smith was captured on surveillance footage at a coffee shop at 18th and South Streets near Ketunuti's house around the time of the slaying.

He was taken into custody about 9 p.m. last night in the Levittown home he shared with his girlfriend of six years and their daughter. The girlfriend's parents also lived at the home. Smith has a son who does not live with him.

Police arrived as the family was watching American Idol. They searched the house and truck. They shot and killed the family's boxer, who charged at them at the scene, sources said.

That's what I find strange. How do you stalk your extermination client for blocks without knowing who the person is or how they look, and end up at the precise location where you'll be exterminating their home?

Maybe they did not meet in person until Monday. But I'm positive that he had searched for her online or knew her face on sight. He had to have some way of recognizing her on the streets. Otherwise he would have been blindly following any woman. If he didn't know her face, how did he end up stalking the very customer he was supposed to provide extermination service on Monday?

 

[Ausgirl]

This is why I'm wondering about the mention of "Thursday", bourne.

No way was him following Melissa any kind of coincidence - he knew exactly who she was, and didn't want his truck out front when she died..

 

[bourne]

I wonder if he would have killed a guy who disagreed with his contract? Fuming mad here. Him stalking her before she got to her house is not "just snapping." Was he going to put her body in his extermination bag but then decided against it? Why did he burn her? Didn't he think that wouldn't cause people to notice (smell of smoke, fumes, etc.) What about her dog? This snapping thing is BS. Was the rope in his bag?

It looks like he didn't care.

Complete depraved indifference to a human life.

When the police found him last night, he and his family were watching "American Idol" on tv -- this is just hours after he killed an innocent, promising, talented woman. He acted as if NOTHING happened! How pathological is that?!

 

[bourne]

This is why I'm wondering about the mention of "Thursday", bourne.

No way was him following Melissa any kind of coincidence - he knew exactly who she was, and didn't want his truck out front when she died..

In the presser, they said he followed Melissa around for many blocks, and got as close behind her as 6 seconds away! He must have seen her face before. I think he did some research on who she was. He likely felt dissed because she's a petite woman with more socioeconomic power than him in society. His living with his gf and her parents tells you how low on the totem pole he is. I think he was seething with jealousy and rage that this doctor had the audacity the diss him when he badly needed the contract/money. Machismo.

LE even said he drove down her streets twice after killing and setting her ablaze. It was like he was taking glory in his kill. Disgusting!

 

[Ausgirl]

Well, the murder would have relieved some of his tension, bourne, maybe..

And just a wild thought -- but his gf has a child - could he have known Melissa from the hospital, I wonder, and recognised her name when she made the appointment?

He -had to- have had some kind of prior contact, I truly believe it.