Ten people have been charged in the abduction and death of a homeless man reported missing in the spring in Ithaca, New York, authorities announced Monday.
One hundred days after police say he was kidnapped, 33-year-old Thomas Rath’s believed abductors were charged, with two of the 10 suspects (48-year-old Angelo Baez and 31-year-old Jonathan Glennon) facing second-degree murder charges, state police said in a statement. More arrests are coming, according to New York State Police Capt. Lucas Anthony.
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Rath was allegedly abducted on May 20 from the homeless encampment known as the “Jungle” behind Lowe’s and Walmart in Ithaca. The area remains a contentious topic as city leaders and citizens grapple with how to deal with the growing homelessness crisis in the area, per the Ithaca Times.
An investigation into Rath’s disappearance was launched, and several months later, on Aug. 3, his remains were found in a shallow grave in Candor, Tioga County, about 15 miles southeast of Ithaca, police said.
Authorities say that ten people have been arrested after an investigation into the death of Thomas Rath, who went missing 100 days ago.https://t.co/m2a8Y8eJLq
— News 8 WROC (@News_8) August 28, 2023
To New York State Police Major Jeffery VanAuken, as the case evolved, “it revealed a particularly disturbing and heinous series of events which ultimately revealed the kidnapping and murder of Mr. Rath.”
Baez and the other suspects, ages 27 to 52, each face a charge of first-degree kidnapping, according to state police. It is unclear whether any of those charged lived in the same encampment as Rath.
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Anthony, the state police captain, said, “Motive is something we’ll be addressing more in the court proceedings.” He added that all the men allegedly involved knew each other, per NBC News.
Anthony gave condolences to Rath’s loved ones, saying, “Mr. Rath was the victim. But to his family, he was a father, a brother, a son.”
