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.
