The second episode of Worst Roommate Ever tells the terrible story of Maribel Ramos. She was a young woman with a promising future, but it had all been ruined by her terrible roommate-turned-murderer.
Ramos was looking for a new roommate and thought K.C. Joy was her salvation at the time. Instead, he became her assassin.
Joy was convicted as Ramos's murderer based on multiple pieces of evidence but no DNA proof. He still maintains his innocence to this day.
So, did Ramos' body ever undergo an autopsy? How did the police learn about Maribel Ramos's disappearance? This is what we discovered in Worst Roommate Ever.
How Did Maribel Ramos Die?
Maribel Ramos, 36, was an Iraq War veteran. She was a student at Cal State Fullerton studying criminal justice at the time of her death. She was last seen on surveillance tape on May 2, 2013, when she went to drop off a rent check for her Orange apartment.
Her family reported her missing the next day when her absence was noticed on various occasions in Santa Ana. Maribel had gotten into a fight with her roommate about the rent that day.
Her boyfriend, Paul Lopez, was also aware of the conflict. Interestingly, Maribel had called 911 on April 23 to say she was terrified and slept with a machete for safety following an argument with the same roommate.
Her rotting body was later discovered in Modjeska Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains in May. Barbed wire was present at the location, and her cause of death was never confirmed due to the decomposition of her body. In fact, detectives initially required dental records to prove her identification.
Who Murdered Maribel Ramos?
Kwang Choi “K.C.” Joy, aged 55, was convicted of murdering Maribel Ramos. Maribel had requested Joy to leave the residence after a heated argument between the housemates because he couldn't afford to pay the rent. Prosecutors said that this is when the murder took place.
They also said that Joy was in love with the dead but had not expressed her feelings to him. Joy had apparently had surgery to make his eyes look younger and had paid for a trip for the two of them.
“I don't know what it was,” said Orange County Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons, “but he did something that caused her great fear.” It was also mentioned that the student had been drinking that night and was prone to paranoia.
She was also suicidal and could have died as a result of a medical ailment. However, Simmons reported that she was terrified by anything Joy did that night.
His attorney, Adam Vining, maintained in court that Joy had nothing to do with her death and that he had simply displaced Maribel's already deceased body.
Authorities discovered the body after conducting an online search on the computer of a public library. Joy was the one who conducted the internet search. It was the 16th of May, 2013. Simmons went on to say, “The defendant did a virtual drive-by of where he dumped the body.”
He'd checked up on how long it takes for a body to decay. Furthermore, after discovering a search party for his roommate online, he revisited the place where he had dumped her body. Maribel's body was discovered 45 minutes later by the police.
Joy was arrested the following day. However, he had maintained from the start that he had nothing to do with the case. He claimed she was his best friend and that he would never harm her.
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Joy also wrote to the judge and Eyewitness News to declare his innocence. A plea for a fresh trial, however, was denied. “He killed my sister, and then he sits there and says he is the person who misses her the most?” claimed the deceased's sister, Lucero Gonzalez. It's revolting.”
Joy was eventually found guilty on one count of second-degree murder in the death of Maribel Ramos. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison. “Family wants me to apologize, which I cannot do for something I haven't done,” Joy explained. Maybe the truth will come out sometime, or maybe I'll just die inside the prison.”
