After five days of deliberations, a White Plains jury on Thursday acquitted Rafael Ramos of his wife’s murder in a cold case that had been largely based on the testimony of his ex-girlfriend.
The jury’s not guilty verdict rebuffed allegations from prosecutors that Ramos killed his 34-year-old wife Nusinaida Ramos in 1997 in Yonkers.
Defense lawyers Lynda Visco and Andrew Restivo had urged jurors to acquit Ramos of the lone charge, second-degree murder, based on what they argued was ample reasonable doubt, particularly the lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime. They also highlighted the inconsistent accounts of his ex-girlfriend, Claudia Botero, who testified that Ramos had confessed to the killing.
Visco argued in her summation last week that Botero was not a reliable witness, describing her as a scorned woman bent on revenge after Ramos left her for her sister-in-law in 2001.
A statement from the Westchester District Attorney’s Office said: “We are, of course, disappointed in the outcome but respect the jury’s verdict. We thank the jury for their service and continue to mourn with the family of Nusinaida Ramos.”