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Published On: Thu, Jan 24th, 2013

Person of interest captured in Melissa Ketunuti murder case, police ‘confident’ arrest will be next

A Philadelphia doctor whose body was found bound and burned inside her home was apparently strangled with rope, police said Tuesday. Wednesday a person of interest, 37-year-old man from Levittown, has been taken by police and they say they are “very confident” in an upcoming arrest.

Melissa Ketunuti

Melissa Ketunuti

According to Capt. James Clark said 35-year-old Melissa Ketunuti was found with a rope around her neck and police believe strangulation to be the cause of death. An autopsy is still being conducted by a medical examiner.

Firefighters responding to the home found Ketunuti’s body on fire in the basement Monday afternoon, with her ankles and wrists bound behind her back. Police said there was no sign of forced entry.

“I’m very confident we’ll make an arrest,” said Capt. James Clark, adding his detectives have been “working around the clock” on the case.

Clark did not say when police thought they would be prepared to make an arrest, but said police have “been receiving a lot of tips” and that detectives have reviewed surveillance video footage and will continue doing so.

Sources told The Global Dispatch that police monitored a truck on the video footage which has been located and “contains evidence important to the investigation.”

The man, the owner of the truck, is believed to have “stalked behind Ketunuti all the way to her home, where he went inside, tied her up, and set her on fire”

Sources say it is still unclear how the victim and this person of interest know each other.

 

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About the Author

- Roxanne "Butter" Bracco began with the Dispatch as Pittsburgh Correspondent, but will be providing reports and insights from Washington DC, Maryland and the surrounding region. Contact Roxie aka "Butter" at theglobaldispatch@gmail ATTN: Roxie or Butter Bracco

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  5. Melissa Ketunuti identified as woman found dead, bound and burned in Philly basement - The Global Dispatch says:

    […] 24 January, 2013 Breaking News > Hometown […]

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