The case of Janie Lynn Ridd and the treatment of her longtime best friend Rachel was explored in a Netflix episode. Worst roommate ever.
What did the worst roommate ever, Janie Lynn Ridd, do?
Janie Lynn Ridd had lived with her roommate Rachel for 15 years and gone through a 25-year friendship before a dark turn occurred. The couple met in 1995 and Rachel had worked as a paramedic for about six years until she suffered a herniated disc in her back and became incapacitated.
Worst roommate ever described how Ridd acted as Rachel’s caretaker, with the power to control her finances and personal documents, and was left with “100% control” over after her when she became pregnant. She would even become a pseudo-parental figure to her roommate’s son, Ryder, after he was born.
However, when Rachel sought treatment for her illness, she only became ill due to Ridd’s intervention.
According to Today, Ridd tried to buy VRSA (vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in October 2019 from a dark web seller. He claimed to the seller that he was a biology teacher who needed VRSA for a school experiment.
Ridd was working at a job assistance center in West Valley City, Utah, but still managed to acquire a VRSA in December 2019 for $300, paid in Bitcoin.
A police indictment shared by Today noted how Ridd had developed a “hostile relationship” With Rachel, who saw her file for temporary custody of Ryder. The pair’s friendship presumably deteriorated over time “sometimes alleged power issues and control-type domestic violence dynamics.”
Where is worst roommate ever Janie Lynn Ridd today?
Worst roommate ever revealed that Janie Lynn Ridd’s dark web seller was actually an undercover FBI agent. Agents delivered a fake package to Ridd’s mailbox in a plastic coffee container before interviewing him about the package until he admitted to buying the VRSA “doing simple experiments.”
In the interview, Ridd revealed Rachel’s will, which would have given her custody of her son Ryder upon his death. However, a conflict arose in October 2019 when Rachel began planning to change her will to name her niece instead.
In addition, both Rachel and Ridd were said to have life insurance policies, each named as the other’s sole beneficiary.
The investigation showed that Ridd had administered various drugs to Rachel in overdose amounts, which caused her health to deteriorate and could have (but thankfully did not) lead to her death.
Ridd was arrested and charged with three felonies: aggravated intentional abuse of a disabled or older adult, attempted intentional abuse of a disabled or older adult, and attempted possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
As reported by Utah’s Deseret News, Ridd pleaded guilty to attempted battery on a disabled or elderly adult and attempted possession of a weapon of mass destruction in August 20202, and a third charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal.
The Worst roommate ever the criminal was sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison for the second charge and 15 years in prison for the second. Now 55, Ridd was granted parole and released in January 2022 after serving 25 months in prison.
During the documentary, an undated phone call was made from the Salt Lake County Jail, where Ridd was heard saying he was “ends up out of here.” He also shared the desire “take her away from him” which may indicate a plan to separate Rachel from her son Ryder.
“I know what’s going to happen. I’m going to get out of here. I’m going to find a way to get him off of her. He needs to come back to me now.”
Further information on Ridd’s current whereabouts is currently unknown, and the criminal appears to remain under the radar following his release.
Worst roommate ever now streaming on Netflix.
