COUDERSPORT — A 10-day trial in October has been scheduled for two women charged in the 2020 torture and murder of Joshua Ramos, 19, in Potter County.
Krysten Lauren Crosby, 25, of Tioga and Felicia Cary, 38, of Galeton are both scheduled to stand trial from Oct. 7 to 18. The cases have been joined for trial.
Jury selection will be held the week of Sept. 16.
Both are death penalty cases, as is the case against the third suspect, Kyle Moore, 33, who has a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Aug. 12. All three remain incarcerated, as they have since their arrests in July 2020.
With the death penalty being pursued, the jury selection may include questions about the juror’s view on capital punishment, and whether they can remain impartial knowing that a guilty verdict could mean a death sentence. When a slate of jurors is picked, it is a “death-qualified” jury, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
These particular cases have progressed slowly through the criminal justice system, with attorneys saying there’s a massive amount of discovery in the cases. For example, in Crosby’s case, the 22nd delivery of discovery took place July 2 to attorneys Eric Gurney and Joseph Ryan. That’s four years after the case was initiated.
From a preparation standpoint, all of that takes time to review.
Cary is represented by attorneys Chris Pentz and Walter Stenhach of the Potter County Public Defender’s office.
Moore is represented by attorneys Edward Rymsza and Thomas Walrath.
All three defendants are charged with murder of the first, second and third degrees, kidnapping, conspiracy and tampering with evidence.
According to testimony at the preliminary hearing, and to the criminal complaints in the cases, Ramos, who grew up in foster homes in New Jersey, had been dating Crosby. They, along with several other people, were living at a residence in Galeton. In late March 2020, Crosby and Ramos had some sort of disagreement, and he allegedly pushed her.
After that, according to the complaints, is a disturbing story of Moore, Cary and Crosby beating, torturing and leaving Ramos for dead in the woods in Potter County in March.
His body was found in July, after a person who saw the alleged attack came forward to police.
According to the complaints, Crosby, Cary, Moore, Ramos and a fifth person — whose name was redacted — were at a home in Galeton. The fifth person, who eventually came forward to tell police about the alleged murder, told police that Cary and Crosby were smashing dishes, with Cary using a bat for smashing. A short time later, Moore punched Ramos, knocking him to the floor, and began kicking him in the ribs; soon all three were striking and swearing at him, the complaint stated.
Court records indicate they beat him for about an hour, then began humiliating him.
The complaint stated that they then all got into a van and told Ramos to lie down in the third-row seat. They drove to Ole Bull State Park in Stewardson Township, but, concerned they would be spotted on a trail camera, they started driving to Whitman Road in Harrison Township.
On the way there, the van was pulled over by a Westfield Borough Police officer — with Ramos lying in the third seat under a blanket — for a loud exhaust, according to court records. They were issued a verbal warning and sent on their way.
When they arrived at Whitman Road, Crosby, Cary and Moore allegedly took Ramos into the woods. They were gone for about two hours, and came back without Ramos, the witness told police. On the way back to Galeton, the three told the witness they had left Ramos in the woods, and began to brag about their actions. The witness told police he heard the three talking about “how tough the victim was and that he wouldn’t die,” the complaint stated.
On July 6, after the alleged crime was reported to state police by the fifth person, Ramos’ body was found in a wooded area near the intersection of Harrison Rooks Road and Whitman Road in Harrison Township.
The defendants were quickly arrested, and have been held without bail ever since.
