Tragedy on New Year's Day: The Richmond Family Massacres
Feb 12, 2024
Imagine a New Year's Day filled with the aroma of chili and the warmth of family, abruptly turning into a chilling crime scene that would haunt Richmond, Virginia, forever. As hosts Alexa and Cherish, we guide you through the tragic fate of the Harvey family, whose sense of security was shattered by a single unlocked door. Bryan and Kathryn Harvey, known for their love of music and community, together with their daughters Stella and Ruby, were brutally taken from a world they made brighter. This episode strips back the veneer of daily life, exposing the vulnerabilities we all share and the devastating choices a mother had to make when that security was threatened.
We then pivot to dissect the criminal history of Ricky and Ray, uncle and nephew, whose lives spiraled into a series of increasingly violent crimes. From the overlooked murder of Ricky's wife, Treva, to the senseless end of Ashley Baskerville and her parents, their story is a stark reminder of the consequences of unheeded warning signs. Through the tapestry of these harrowing events, we critique the failures within the criminal justice system and discuss how easily danger can weave itself into the fabric of a community, leaving an indelible mark on those left behind. Join us as we piece together this complex puzzle, shedding light on the ripple effects of violence and the echoes of loss that reverberate long after the headlines fade.
Imagine a New Year's Day filled with the aroma of chili and the warmth of family, abruptly turning into a chilling crime scene that would haunt Richmond, Virginia, forever. As hosts Alexa and Cherish, we guide you through the tragic fate of the Harvey family, whose sense of security was shattered by a single unlocked door. Bryan and Kathryn Harvey, known for their love of music and community, together with their daughters Stella and Ruby, were brutally taken from a world they made brighter. This episode strips back the veneer of daily life, exposing the vulnerabilities we all share and the devastating choices a mother had to make when that security was threatened.
We then pivot to dissect the criminal history of Ricky and Ray, uncle and nephew, whose lives spiraled into a series of increasingly violent crimes. From the overlooked murder of Ricky's wife, Treva, to the senseless end of Ashley Baskerville and her parents, their story is a stark reminder of the consequences of unheeded warning signs. Through the tapestry of these harrowing events, we critique the failures within the criminal justice system and discuss how easily danger can weave itself into the fabric of a community, leaving an indelible mark on those left behind. Join us as we piece together this complex puzzle, shedding light on the ripple effects of violence and the echoes of loss that reverberate long after the headlines fade.
Music Playing]. Hey everybody, I'm Alexa and I'm Charish, and welcome back to Murder in the Mountains. So we took a week off because the stomach bug hit our house. It was Beckett's first stomach bug and it was terrible, so Harris didn't want to come over and get the cuties and keep spreading them back and forth, understandably, so we took the week off instead of compromising the audio integrity of the show and doing it via Zoom. So that's that. Charish, would you also like to share what today is not?
Speaker 2:
So I woke up this morning Actually, let me just back up a little bit. Last night I texted Ryan and I was like, hey, do you have anything planned for Alexa's birthday? If you do, I'll be happy to keep the kids, I can pick Peyton up from school, I'll come watch Beckett, like whatever. Just let me know. And Ryan, very nonchalantly, was like, eh, not yet, but I'll keep it in mind. So this morning I woke up. We were texting about recording today and I was like, oh, by the way, happy freaking birthday. And guess what, today is not, it's not Alexa's birthday. Facebook.
Speaker 1:
I think it's somehow linked to another Facebook page or something. So I said today was my birthday, also, like six years ahead or five years. And she was not the only one who wished me happy birthday. I told her to mark her calendar for in about six weeks, when my actual birthday is. But that explains why Ryan was like. I mean. So I asked him. I said so, charish asked you about my birthday. He said yeah, just thought that she was planning way too.
Speaker 2:
He said even think about it. Also told Peyton on the way to school this morning that today was Alexa's birthday, to make sure to tell her happy birthday. So Peyton got in the car and was like what are we doing for your birthday today?
Speaker 1:
He said it's not my birthday, so it's very funny, but it's not my birthday, so we will just jump in on that note. Sounds good to me. It's for today's case. This week's case takes place in Richmond, virginia. It was New Year's Day, 2006 and the Harvey family was preparing to have a chili dinner with some friends, which sounds delicious, because it left me a good chili.
Speaker 2:
But no black beans and greens on New Year's.
Speaker 1:
Day no. Collard greens, yeah, and black eyed peas, yeah, that's what I meant.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, black beans and greens, there we go. No chili instead which.
Speaker 1:
I would prefer. The Harvey family consisted of 49 year old Brian, who was the husband and father, 39 year old Catherine, who was the wife and mother, and two girls, 9 year old Stella and 3 year old Ruby. Brian was somewhat of a local celebrity as a singer-songwriter for an indie band called House of Freaks. He even played a show on New Year's Eve night because he just loved music. It wasn't his full-time job, it was just a hobby, but one that he was very passionate about. Catherine owned a local toy store called World of Murth and she was a loved and respected member of the community.
Speaker 1:
So New Year's Day morning started off as usual. The Harveys woke up early to prepare for their lunchtime get together and Brian went out to grab the newspaper. He walked back into the house and he did not lock the door behind him. A lot of people don't keep their door locked in that area because it was a safe part of town, so it didn't really faze him to do so. As Catherine was in the kitchen baking cookies for her guests, she heard people talking in the living room. I personally hate it when guests show up early because I'm hardly ever ready like on time. But so don't show up early. I'm not ready for you Come a little late.
Speaker 2:
Or, if you're going to show up early, be prepared to help One of the two.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, one of the two Doctor said there are walks, but Catherine walked into the living room to greet her early guests. Horror must have absolutely flooded Catherine when she realized it wasn't guests in her living room. It was two men that she had never seen before, men that literally just walked into her home without worst injury because the door was unlocked. That's right. The men immediately moved Brian, catherine and Ruby into the basement playroom. Stella was out of sleep over but was expected to be dropped off any minute.
Speaker 2:
So the men obviously didn't see her. Then she moved her kids.
Speaker 1:
No, the men moved the kids and her and the husband into the basement.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I missed that part. Yes, sorry.
Speaker 1:
Yep. They tied the family up with electrical tape and began tearing the house apart, looking for anything they could steal. In the middle of their ransacking there was a knock on the door. Catherine and Brian knew it was probably Stella being dropped off. One of the men untied Catherine and told her that if she said anything about what was going on, that they would kill Brian and Ruby. So she's left with the toughest choice, like she could refuse to answer the door and risk Brian and Ruby getting killed. Or maybe, if she does what they say, there's a chance that they'll get let go.
Speaker 1:
So, making what was probably the worst decision of her life and the hardest decision of her life, Catherine decided to obey her captors and answered the door.
Speaker 1:
It was in fact nine-year-old Stella, and before Catherine could even say anything, Stella pushed passed her and made her way straight to the playroom, which is where her and her sister spent the majority of their time. Stella's friend tried to follow her in, but Catherine blocked her from getting into the house. Her mom, the little girl's mom, thought that was definitely strange, because Catherine wasn't normally like that. When she asked her she was okay. Catherine told her that she wasn't feeling well and immediately closed the door to end the conversation. So where she normally would be like, yeah, come on, we're having friends over, come hang out, she was like er, oh wait, you're not coming in. By the time Catherine got back to the basement, Stella had already been tied up. Imagine this little girl's terror like or all of theirs, but especially Stella, because she literally just got back from a sleepover, made her way to her favorite room in the house, which just happened to be where the captors were holding her family.
Speaker 2:
And got smashed.
Speaker 1:
Yes, but what came next was unthinkable. Once Catherine was restrained again, the men, without any warning at all, began murdering the Harvey family one by one. Using a knife he had taken from the Harvey's kitchen, the man who seemed to be in charge began splitting the victim's throats. I wasn't able to find exactly who went first. I saw that the parents saw the kids, the kids saw the parents, who don't know. But either way is equally terrifying. The man then told his partner that they weren't dying fast enough for his liking, so he grabbed a hammer and beat them to death. The pair then took Catherine's wedding ring off her finger, grabbed a DVD player, Catherine's fresh baked cookies and set the home on fire to cover up the evidence and flood the scene.
Speaker 2:
Why those three things?
Speaker 1:
I don't know, maybe that's just all they could grab and Hungry and wanted a momento. I guess so.
Speaker 2:
That's weird to me.
Speaker 1:
So, just to recap, they murdered four people, including two little girls, for a wedding ring, dvd player and cookies. That's it. Not long after Johnny Hot, brian's good friend and former bandmate, arrived for the party, when he opened the front door, smoke came pouring out and he could smell something burning. He immediately called 911, and that was when paramedics arrived and found the bodies of Brian, catherine, stella and Ruby Harvey still bound. She's revealed that both Brian and Catherine died from blunt force trauma to the head. Stella died from a combination of blunt force trauma and smoke inhalation, which means she was alive to the very end and potentially saw everything that happened. Three year old Ruby died from stab wounds to her neck and back.
Speaker 1:
Police were absolutely shook. This wasn't just a robbery gone wrong. It was a full blown family massacre. They were watching the home. They saw Brian grab the newspaper and walk back inside. They knew that people were home, so it wasn't like a maybe nobody's home. We can get in and steal some things. They knew. Yeah, he had just walked out. Despite the horrific nature of the crime, there was little evidence, so police reached out to the public for help. Five days later, on January 6, 2006, a woman named LaToya Pauley called the police asking for them to check on her friend, ashley Baskerville. She hadn't heard from her in a few days and she thought that Ashley's boyfriend and his uncle were responsible for the murder of the Harvey family. She went further and said that there was proof of this at her home, because the men left evidence of the crime there. The men's names were Ray Dandridge and Ricky Gray.
Speaker 2:
Did she say what they had left?
Speaker 1:
She did not, frustrating. So who exactly are these men? Ricky Javon Gray was born on March 9, 1977 and Ray Joseph Dandridge was born on January 24, 1977. Despite the fact that they were the same age, ricky is actually Ray's uncle.
Speaker 2:
I mean I was somebody's aunt that was older than me by marriage, so my my cleared.
Speaker 1:
But yeah, my nephew's uncle is the same age as him. Awesome, so it happens. The pair grew up together as more like brothers than Uncle and Nephew. According to Ronald Wilson, ray's father, the boys quote Ray's held together. Anytime the two got together they got in trouble, he said. One didn't influence the other, they just both fed off each other as teens. Neither boy completed high school but instead started life as career criminals. In October 1995, both Ricky and Ray were caught robbing two Georgetown University students with a gun. They took a pager, sunglasses and one dollar from the boys.
Speaker 2:
Why.
Speaker 1:
I mean, I guess you never know what somebody has on them when you rob them.
Speaker 2:
So you, just take what you're gonna get. Makes sense, I guess.
Speaker 1:
but Unless you see like a Rolex on them. You know like, unless you see like what you're going after.
Speaker 2:
I feel like the risk to reward there is not a very great.
Speaker 1:
They haven't gotten high return, it appears, yeah. As a result, ray Dandridge was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but for some reason Ricky Gray was only sentenced to four and was released after three. That's because Ricky told the first to talk. It's a better deal, I'm sure. Honestly.
Speaker 2:
Snitches, get stitches.
Speaker 1:
However, soon after his release, he was arrested again, this time on drug charges. In 2000, he went to trial for abduction charges, but was acquitted. Never do.
Speaker 2:
Did they say? Did you figure out who, or or no, okay.
Speaker 1:
She gave shifty eyes like hmm. During his life of crime, ricky Gray managed to find love. You know, you gotta make time for things that matter. Treva Turell and Ricky met during one of those times where he actually wasn't in jail. Treva had a criminal record as well. While she was an inmate. In 2002, Treva was victim of sexual assault by one of the police officers that ran the work release program she was in. She testified that she complied with his sexual demands in order to stay in the work release program. Once she was out, she moved with her family to a safer part of town. When Ricky and Treva got married, he moved in with her and she helped him get back on his feet. He enrolled in school to be an electrician and then began working at the same telemarketing company as Treva.
Speaker 1:
On October 26, 2005, 28-year-old Ray was released from prison after serving his 10 years from armed robbery. So he's been in prison since he was 18 and just got released. Once he was released, he moved in with his uncle, ricky, and his wife of six months, 35-year-old Treva. By all accounts, their relationship was not a good one. Trava's parents said that they fought bitterly, and just a week after, ray moved into the home owned by Trava's parents. Her badly beaten body was found in a shallow grave in Washington, pennsylvania, which is a suburb of Pittsburgh. So, literally, uncle and nephew have just been reunited after a prison stint, and a week later the body of Trava was found.
Speaker 1:
Mmm don't like it, Despite the fact that she had clearly been beaten and that Ricky had claw marks on his arm when police interrogated him. Police didn't launch a formal homicide investigation and just kind of let it go, Just like, oh, I think she overdosed in a shallow grave. She buried herself and beat herself up.
Speaker 2:
Okay well.
Speaker 1:
A week after Trava's murder, her parents evicted Ricky and Ray because the home belonged to them. Ray went to live with his father in West Philadelphia and Ricky went to live with his grandmother in Arlington, virginia. But you can't keep these two apart for long. By Christmas Day 2005, the pair was back together. Ray went to Virginia to be with Ricky. Just a week later, ricky and Ray attacked 26-year-old Ryan Carey in front of his parents' house. They proceeded to beat him and stab him in the chest, neck and arms. Luckily he escaped and he was able to make it to his parents' home like crawl to the front door, completely covered in blood. His father called 911 and Ryan was taken to the hospital where he was stabilized. He spent two months in a coma and lost use of his right arm. That he survived. These men are bold.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, a lot like broad daylight right in front of somebody else's home.
Speaker 1:
Broad daylight, no people are home. A week after you get out of prison, the wife winds up murdered. Just all very you know, and they're getting away with it.
Speaker 2:
So you have to confess something. When you said West Philadelphia, I definitely sang the Fresh Prince song in my head. Sorry, as did I.
Speaker 1:
So, if you remember, we got to these men because a woman named Latoya Pauley called police because she hadn't heard from her friend, ashley Baskerville. When police arrived to do their welfare check, they found the bodies of 21-year-old Ashley, her mother, 47-year-old Mary Tucker, and Ashley's stepdad, 55-year-old Perseal. I'm not sure if I'm saying that right, p-e-r-c-y-e-l-l. Perseal is how I'm going to say it. I'm sorry. Perseal Tucker. Perseal's head had been wrapped in saran wrap, with a sock stuffed in his mouth and then duct taped. Mary's mouth had also been gagged and duct taped. She also had four cuts to her neck and chest, but ultimately died from suffocation. Similar to her stepdads, ashley had a sock stuffed in her mouth and a shopping bag was placed over her head and duct taped to her neck.
Speaker 1:
Mary and Perseal Tucker were known as nice church-going people. Mary worked at the church and Perseal was a forklift operator. Ashley was in and out of trouble, which is how she met Latoya, according to Latoya. This is why she called police to check on Ashley. On January 6th, latoya, ashley, ricky and Ray were all hanging out and they needed some money. So what do you do when you need money? You don't get a job. No, I'm going to tell you that right now Step number one don't get a job.
Speaker 1:
So Ashley, who did not like her stepdad, said he had some money. They decided that they were going to fake a kidnapping plot. They were going to tie up Ashley, send some pictures to her parents for a ransom, and that was that Easy peasy, you know. I mean easiest get rich quick scheme. Latoya was like yeah, that's a no for me. But the other three went to Ashley's home and I'm not entirely sure how they're going to fake her kidnapping when she went with them to the house. But that's not the point. A few hours later, ray and Ricky returned to Latoya's house, but Ashley wasn't with them. When asked where she was, they told her Ashley went bye-bye because she asked for too much of the money.
Speaker 2:
That they got from her stepdad.
Speaker 1:
Correct Time is short, stop, thể still I don't know. Okay, okay. Police asked Latoya to record her call with Ray and asked about what happened with Ashley. When she did, he replied well, we don't have to worry about Ashley anymore. Seeing as that was basically a confession, police got right to work. They learned that Ray and Ricky had stolen Persio's car and they found it the next day, January 7th, at her relatives' home.
Speaker 2:
One of their relatives.
Speaker 1:
Yes, okay. As SWAT entered, ray surrendered and Ricky was found hiding behind the water heater. They were both arrested and charged with three counts of murder. During her autopsy, it was discovered that Ashley was wearing Catherine Harvey's wedding ring, the one that went missing.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
A connection between the two family massacres had been established when police weren't even looking for it. Pretty quickly, after being read his rights, Ray Dandridge confessed to the murder of Ashley and her family For a deal for a lesser sentence. He also confessed to the Harvey family murders. Ricky hears that Ray has spilled everything, so he too confessed. He told his account of the Harvey murders and dropped a bombshell that Ashley was their getaway driver. Oh so she was there. She was there. She wasn't in the house, she was outside of the house with them staking it out.
Speaker 1:
But yeah, she was an accomplice by summer 2006,. The men went to trial. Ray Dandridge pled not guilty, which I thought about this, because last time you were like why do they do that? You confessed yeah, but now you're saying not guilty. I guess he's just rolling the dice. Maybe he'll get acquitted, maybe he can pin it all you know the other guy and Ashley, and it wasn't me, I don't know but before the trial was even over, he changed his plea to guilty in exchange for life in prison without parole. Ricky Gray, however, stuck to his not guilty plea. His attorney tried to get him leniency by bringing up his rough childhood that included physical and sexual abuse. However, after only 30 minutes of deliberation, ricky Gray was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. So it was a death penalty case, and that's probably why Ray was like I'm a plea guilty if you just give me life in prison.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
That makes sense to me. On January 18, 2017, ricky Gray was asked if he had any last words. He said, and I quote nope, perfect, and he was put to death by a lethal injection. Ray Dandridge remains in prison serving out his sentence for the murder of Ashley and her family and the Harvey family, and she's been with the death and dice the case and she is hard blinking.
Speaker 2:
That one's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1:
Wild.
Speaker 2:
The full circle by wedding ring of all things yeah.
Speaker 1:
I saw that she was maybe the girlfriend of one of the guys, but I didn't see it in a lot of sources. But that would maybe explain why she had a wedding ring. But also, apparently he didn't love her very much if he killed her as well, however, money that they stole from her dad. Correct, and I don't know how much, but enough, I guess.
Speaker 2:
I mean, they seem pretty content with bare minimum, yeah, so for my being, I don't know. That's crazy to me, though.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, if anything else, add any other comments.
Speaker 2:
Nope, I'm good on this one.
Speaker 1:
All right, so everybody could leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts and or Spotify, and I will post pictures of everything on our Instagram at Murder in the Mountains and come back next week for another episode. See ya, see ya.