Where is Janie Ridd now?
The Netflix series Worst Roommate Ever is back for a second season with four chilling episodes that may make you rethink your choices for a housemate should you ever decide to share a living space with somebody.
The first episode of Worst Roommate Ever: Season 2 tells the story of a woman named Rachel whose best friend and roommate, Janie Ridd, turned out to be not so friendly.
In this article, we take a look at this gruesome true story and ask the question: Where is Janie Ridd now?
When did Rachel and Janie Ridd start living together?
Utah resident Janie Lynn Ridd met Rachel in 1995 when she was looking for someone to share her house with her. Rachel, who was recently divorced, was desperate to move out of her parent’s house, where she had been living since her divorce.
The two moved in together and for a while, their relationship seemed to be a positive one. Janie helped Rachel manage her finances and Rachel helped the introverted Janie to socialize with others.
After 15 years of living together, Rachel’s health started to deteriorate. Between 2015 and 2018 she suffered several back injuries and was unable to work.
During this time, she gave birth to a boy, Ryder, to a father who didn’t stick around. She also became financially dependent on Janie who had become her caregiver and took out a $500,000 life insurance policy naming her as the beneficiary. She also named Janie as the guardian of Ryder in her will.
In 2019, Rachel was hospitalized with low blood sugar levels, even though she had never been diagnosed as diabetic. This happened several times, for unexplained reasons at the time. However, it was later discovered that Janie had been secretly injecting her with insulin.
Around this time, the FBI had begun investigating Ridd after they discovered she had purchased a bacteria called Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) on the dark web. This deadly substance has also been termed a biological weapon.
What did Janie Ridd do?
The FBI discovered Janie had been injecting Rachel with the bacteria.
During this assumed plot to kill her ‘friend,’ Ridd fell into a trap when she bought the bacteria from an FBI agent posing as a dark web vendor.
When explaining her purchase, Ridd claimed she ordered it for research purposes. However, the FBI knew she was buying it with the intent of injecting Rachel with the substance. It later became clear that she was purposefully harming Rachel because she wanted to gain custody of her son, who she had grown closer to.
After Janie was sentenced for the crime, Rachel said:
“She watched me suffer, and she doubled down and did it worse. Instead of one injection of E. coli where I’d scream and writhe in pain, she did three when that didn’t kill me.” (source)
What happened to Janie Ridd?
Janie Ridd was arrested on December 20, 2019, and was charged with attempted possession or use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, and aggravated abuse of a disabled or elderly person.
In June 2020, Ridd pleaded guilty to attempted possession or use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult. The third charge was dropped as part of a plea bargain. (source)
Third District Judge Kara Pettit ordered Ridd to serve consecutive sentences of at least one and 20 years in prison.
Where is Janie Ridd now?
Janie Ridd served 25 months in prison and was released in 2022. At the time of writing, it’s not clear where she is currently residing. Should you be sharing a house with her, you might want to reconsider your living arrangements!
What do you think about this case? Let us know in the comments below.