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A ransom note, fingerprints and cell phone pings. How New York police tracked down a missing 9-year-old girl and the suspect in her disappearance
CNN ^ | October 31, 2023 | Elizabeth Wolfe and Andy Rose

Posted on 10/03/2023 3:36:58 AM PDT by lowbridge

A ransom note dropped in the mailbox at the home of missing 9-year-old Charlotte Sena before dawn on Monday provided investigators an invaluable break in the case that ultimately led New York authorities to arrest a suspect and reunite the girl with her family after a frantic two-day search, state officials announced.

Fingerprints left behind on the note were instrumental in identifying suspect Craig Nelson Ross, Jr., 47, and tracking him to a residence where law enforcement arrested him Monday evening and immediately found Charlotte hidden in a cabinet, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in a news conference.

-snip

At around 4:20 a.m. Monday, the suspect drove by the Sena family home and placed the ransom note in their mailbox, according to Hochul. Despite the early hour, Charlotte’s parent’s were still at the campsite searching for their daughter.

When state police discovered the note, they were able to recover fingerprints from the document and began running them through law enforcement databases to see if they could find a match, the governor said.

A hit came at 2:30 p.m., identifying the fingerprint as Ross’, the governor said. Ross’ fingerprint had been entered into the database for a 1999 incident of driving while intoxicated, she said.

Investigators then determined Ross may have been living in a residence behind his mother’s home. Two state and federal SWAT teams descended upon residence in helicopters, made entry and arrested Ross around 6:30 p.m., Hochul said. Charlotte was immediately found inside a cabinet.

-snip

In addition to the fingerprints, investigators also analyzed cell phone pings around the park at the time of Charlotte’s disappearance, Hochul told CNN Monday night. Additional insight came from park records, which contain information about visitors who paid an entrance fee or registered to camp overnight, she said.

(Excerpt) Read more at amp.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: kidnapping; newyork
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To: Hieronymus

this was not a cold case, so why would they need to do so.


41 posted on 10/03/2023 12:39:09 PM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: bantam

not even close..

criminals are not smart and always make a mistake and get captured, plus with everyone with a cell phone today makes it easier to get caught


42 posted on 10/03/2023 12:45:54 PM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: babble-on

“It was first reported he was a sex offender, and then I believe that statement was retracted.”

Wouldn’t surprise me if he had been arrested for a sex offense (or several) but plead them down to lesser charges. And the paper doesn’t want to be sued for libel.


43 posted on 10/03/2023 12:52:59 PM PDT by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant. Never Fearful.)
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To: markman46

If DNA can rapidly narrow down a suspect pool (people connected to the park at that time), why not?


44 posted on 10/03/2023 2:44:49 PM PDT by Hieronymus
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To: Hieronymus

i do not think they needed to use dna in this case, besides fingerprints dont lie either.

it takes a while to get a dna test back and try to match it in CODIS


45 posted on 10/03/2023 3:15:39 PM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: mewzilla

Like most rat controlled states they protect the criminals, Anyone read the school shooting trans manifesto, how about the las vegas mass shooting or any one of the dozens of school shootings. All key secret and locked up


46 posted on 10/03/2023 3:58:39 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: Jamestown1630

thanks- i had to run so couldn’t keep looking for his photo-


47 posted on 10/03/2023 7:31:42 PM PDT by Bob434
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