New leads developed in 1996 cold case murder of NY millionaire, officials say
ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Two new suspects have been identified in the 1996 deaths of a New York millionaire and his home health aide, a case in which another man had been tried five times.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah on Monday revealed the new developments, a result of a probe into the double homicide investigation. The identities of the suspects were not released.
The newly identified suspects in the case have no connection to Selwyn Days, who faced charges and spent 16 years in prison in the case, according to authorities. There has also reportedly been a "confession … supported by forensic evidence," per court documents obtained by The Journal News.
In November 1996, the bodies of Archie Harris, 79, Betty Ramcharan, 35, and Harris' pet dog were found beaten and stabbed in Harris' home in affluent Eastchester, about 25 miles north of New York City. Police suspected burglary, noting in 1996 that Harris’ wealth and volatility could have contributed to the attack.
Authorities initially accused Selwyn Days, whose mother previously worked as Harris' home health aide. Arrested in 2001, Days confessed after interrogation but later recanted, arguing that police coerced him.
Prosecutors argued in court that Days believed Harris had abused Days’ mother and acted out of revenge. Defense attorneys, meanwhile, made the case that Ramcharan committed a murder-suicide over Harris's money.
Neighbors called Harris abusive and boastful about large sums of cash stored on-site. A diabetic and retired millionaire, he had a contentious public history with his aides and police. When she worked for him, Days' mother accused Harris of sexual assault. He'd also caught criminal charges for a gun threat against an employee.
A jury acquitted Days in 2017 after 16 years of incarceration. No physical evidence linked Days to the crime scene, and his alibi placed him in North Carolina during the murders. Detectives had also only recorded a portion of the interrogation where he confessed, beginning after 1 a.m.
In 2023, a state judge dismissed Days' lawsuit seeking compensation for his wrongful conviction.
Harris' will named Ramcharan as the primary beneficiary of his $2.1 million estate. However, her death meant that Harris' three estranged children would get the inheritance instead. The estate settled with Days' mother for close to $9,000 over her accusation.