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

[Ausgirl]

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!

^+1, I think you're spot on there. And WOW, driving up and down the street. That's not a man who 'snapped', that's a killer doing laps of triumph.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Just a thought here. Its been reported that gf has a small child - so I'm wondering if she was this child's doctor and there had been interaction in that respect?

Just wondering - that's all.



JMHO

 

[JoeFromLB]

She could have cancelled the Thursday appointment by telephone, so Monday would have been the first time they met in person. I'm wondering if there was something that set him off on Thursday, and started him on a course of action that led to murder. The stalking of her on foot does suggest premeditation. A contractor does not park his truck blocks away and follow the customer on foot.

Perhaps he demanded additional payment for the Thursday cancellation and she refused?
What was the argument over "services rendered"? The police are not revealing that at this time.

 

[Ausgirl]

GMTA, Wise Old Owl!

I'd love to know if there was an abuse report lodged or something that could have made him seething mad.

And Joe, I bet they only have the killer's word for it that Monday was their first meeting... he'll be going for a lesser charge, trying to minimise things - he is already with this 'snapped' BS when he clearly stalked her with intent.

 

[colette]

I believe "the argument" is just made up BS so the killer can blame the victim. What woman who is in her home alone with some large strange man is gonna start arguing? No way.

 

[Yellow]

This case seems similar on spirit to Anne Le, the Yale murder victim. Loser guys feel unhappy in their own life and take it out on successful doctors. It is almost like they dislike the fact that a woman can be more accomplished than them and they take it out on the woman.

I wonder as women get more accomplished we will see more of this new category of murders -the jealousy murder.

Of course we do not know if this applies and what he knew about Melissa, whether she perhaps had her Dr. Coat on since she had meetings that morning. Etc. Although of course nothing can excuse murder, I doubt any argument could have been about a fee. I imagine it was more about her perhaps being educated on the needs of her home and her knowledge into "his" realm of things set him off. Made him feel "disrespectful."

Was it premeditated? Did he follow her before? Did he facebook her and look her up before he went? We do not know that. But if would see he looked her up online and followed her- he had to have because how else could he have followed her? and if he followed her, something HAD to have been brewing in his mind before, maybe sexual? could it have been that he saw her online, and during the visit he tried to make a move which she rebuffed and this is what he calls an "argument"?

Defense will say no bc penalty for snap decision will be less than premeditated. But it could have been premeditated rape and when she rebuffed he turned anger on her. again, similar to Yale case, where there too was an attempted rape.

Anyone who does this has to be EXTREMELY STUPID. If you murder someone during work it is very easy for police to find out you had a service call. He would be the number one suspect. That is one reason why I, as a single female, never feel that unsafe w a service person like cable, etc in my home. If they try anything, they would surely be caught and very swiftly so it would seem really stupid why someone would do that.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

GMTA, Wise Old Owl!

I'd love to know if there was an abuse report lodged or something that could have made him seething mad.

And Joe, I bet they only have the killer's word for it that Monday was their first meeting... he'll be going for a lesser charge, trying to minimise things - he is already with this 'snapped' BS when he clearly stalked her with intent.

I wasn't thinking about an "abuse" claim at all - more like an outstanding bill that's been turned over to collection - but I guess both ideas are plausible.

And its said he does a child that doesn't live with him - he's paying support - so maybe she was that child's doctor and mom wanted him to pay the bill?



JMHO

 

[Ausgirl]

I think finances - directly or indirectly, or both - were part of the motive, for sure.

I'm not sold on the abuse idea, just mulling it over. But I agree that he could have contact via the hospital.

Did he have NO idea there's street cameras Phone records? For a guy who watches Dexter, he's a total dumbass at crime.

Melissa's family - I can't imagine their sorrow. From her blog posts, she seemed to openly love her family and friends very much. At least they have the cold comfort of knowing the killer is behind bars.

 

[Moxie Vi]

Her dog walker must have come by shortly after he had left considering that she was still on fire. If the dog walker had come any earlier there might have been two victims.

He has to have a violent past. This doesn't sound like a first crime. Perhaps in the past he hadn't been caught.

 

[Ausgirl]

SMITH, JASON T 36

Associated names:
SMITH, JASON S

MARCUS HOOK, PA
LANGHORNE, PA
BRISTOL, PA
LEVITTOWN, PA


He -might- have gone under 'Schmidt' at some point, too. German for 'Smith'.

 

[gxm]

This case seems similar on spirit to Anne Le, the Yale murder victim. Loser guys feel unhappy in their own life and take it out on successful doctors. It is almost like they dislike the fact that a woman can be more accomplished than them and they take it out on the woman.

I wonder as women get more accomplished we will see more of this new category of murders -the jealousy murder.

Of course we do not know if this applies and what he knew about Melissa, whether she perhaps had her Dr. Coat on since she had meetings that morning. Etc. Although of course nothing can excuse murder, I doubt any argument could have been about a fee. I imagine it was more about her perhaps being educated on the needs of her home and her knowledge into "his" realm of things set him off. Made him feel "disrespectful."

Was it premeditated? Did he follow her before? Did he facebook her and look her up before he went? We do not know that. But if would see he looked her up online and followed her- he had to have because how else could he have followed her? and if he followed her, something HAD to have been brewing in his mind before, maybe sexual? could it have been that he saw her online, and during the visit he tried to make a move which she rebuffed and this is what he calls an "argument"?

Defense will say no bc penalty for snap decision will be less than premeditated. But it could have been premeditated rape and when she rebuffed he turned anger on her. again, similar to Yale case, where there too was an attempted rape.

Anyone who does this has to be EXTREMELY STUPID. If you murder someone during work it is very easy for police to find out you had a service call. He would be the number one suspect. That is one reason why I, as a single female, never feel that unsafe w a service person like cable, etc in my home. If they try anything, they would surely be caught and very swiftly so it would seem really stupid why someone would do that.

Annie Le, that was my first thought too. I wonder if it has something to do with stereotypes that some men have, and these frustrated (and homicidal) white men feel that an Asian woman should be subservient to them? But, yes, Annie Le came to mind immediately.

 

[Ausgirl]

Smith went to the doctor's home originally because of a rodent problem in her basement.

An argument ensued, he struck her, she fell to the ground and he started to strangle her with a rope and set her alight, police revealed in a press conference today.

After he killed her, he went straight to another job in New Jersey.

- from the daily mail

Didn't pause, except to do smug laps around her block in his truck, before going to another job..

And what about the hogtying with tape part that he seems to have left out of that account? Was that before he struck her and strangled her, or after? Trying to make it seem like a quick crime of passion, not a calculated murder. What a .

 

[SapphireSteel]

Hog tying a woman most definitely has sexual overtones in my opinion. Perhaps he made overtures to her which were soundly rejected.

This poor lady...how awful.

Thank God they caught him so soon. What a spineless, soulless .

 

[Elley Mae]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/24/arrest-made-in-young-philadelphia-pediatricians-brutal-killing/

Police said Smith had an appointment at Ketunuti's home on the day she was killed.

I do wonder what time the appointment was.

According to investigators, Smith was sub-contracted out to service Ketunuti's home.

"During the course of him servicing her, they got into some type of argument. It went terribly wrong. At that point, he struck her while she was in the basement, knocked her down, strangled her to death and then ultimately set her body on fire," Clark said.

I wonder where the dog was.

 

[matou]

HLN is covering this story and will reveal some details about how the suspect was caught. Probably stuff we already know.

 

[matou]

The rope around her neck appears to be the cause of death. HLN (police officer speaking from earlier today)

 

[matou]

Hospital, drug store and coffee shop cameras helped to spot him. The argument is HIS version of events, LE isn't necessary buying that. Perhaps he was trying to steal prescription pad (from Mike Newell from Philadelphia Inquirer, speaking on the phone). No criminal past other than DUI. He has a prescription drug addiction (to pain killers). Perp told this to LE. HLN

 

[jjenny]

If he had an appointment, why would he follow her? I am not sure we are getting all the details correctly.
It does remind me of Annie Le case. Annie was also suffocated then stuffed into the hole in the wall.

 

[jjenny]

Regarding criminals that are not very smart-thank heaven for that. We already have low crime solving rate. If they all were geniuses, the crime solving rate would be even worse.

 

[bourne]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/24/arrest-made-in-young-philadelphia-pediatricians-brutal-killing/

Police said Smith had an appointment at Ketunuti's home on the day she was killed.

I do wonder what time the appointment was.

According to investigators, Smith was sub-contracted out to service Ketunuti's home.

"During the course of him servicing her, they got into some type of argument. It went terribly wrong. At that point, he struck her while she was in the basement, knocked her down, strangled her to death and then ultimately set her body on fire," Clark said.

I wonder where the dog was.

Yes, I'd like to know where her dog was. Why did this bull dog mix not come to his master's rescue? Why did he not bark nor make a sound?