Police Short on Motive in Murder-Suicide

The Town of Woodbury Police Department in upstate New York continues to investigate a murder-suicide that took the life of a 22-year-old woman visiting from the Philippines at the hands of her American boyfriend.

Ramy “Zendy” Jacildo had arrived in the country March 26 and was preparing to introduce her boyfriend, 26-year-old Ashburn resident Vincent Russo, to her parents, who also were in the United States from the Philippines.

The two first met last year when Jacildo – described by one acquaintance online as “one of the nicest people I have ever known”– visited Washington, DC. They connected again Wednesday, April 20, in New York City, about a month after her arrival in the country, and made plans to introduce Russo to Jacildo’s parents, according to Woodbury Police Investigator Erik Johnson.

Jacildo was staying at her brother’s home in the Hudson Valley community when Russo arrived to meet her parents. Jacildo went out to meet him at his car. Russo never entered the home.

“Apparently, they were out in his vehicle for about three hours,” Johnson said, adding that no one witnessed the incident. However, he also said there was little doubt what happened – Russo fired multiple shots, killing Jacildo before turning the gun on himself. But that conclusion will not become official until autopsies are complete.

When asked if Russo and Jacildo were getting along or arguing, Johnson said, “That’s unknown.”

The investigator also said Russo had no apparent criminal record.

A Sterling store where Russo reportedly worked declined to confirm his employment there.

At least one friend of Jacildo who had met Russo said in an email that Russo made him uncomfortable.

A Facebook page has been created in Jacildo's honor.

[Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included information from a blog by one of Jacildo's friends. That person respectfully asked that her blog not be quoted in a news story, so the direct references were removed.]