'Missing': Kassandra Ramirez, a 25-year-old Bronx woman, vanished in 2018

Could a clue Kristin Thorne found 1,200 miles away in Kansas help solve the case?
Thursday, May 4, 2023
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Kassandra Ramirez was a 25-year-old aspiring chef who disappeared from the Bronx in September 2018. Her family says one week before Kassandra disappeared she testified to a grand jury that she was raped by a family friend a few months before.

Eyewitness News investigative reporter Kristin Thorne hit the streets of the Bronx to try to get answers for Kassandra's family only to find that the biggest clues in her disappearance could be not only on Long Island, but 1,200 miles away in Kansas.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Ramirez, call the NYPD Missing Persons Squad at 212-694-7781. All tips can be kept anonymous.

The general public is able to add a missing person to the Department of Justice's national database of missing people called NamUs. Visit https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/ and click on "Register."

This conception of the series "Missing" began back in September of 2021, the first day Kristin Thorne covered the disappearance of Gabby Petito and met with her distraught parents on Long Island. The story consumed the next two months of Kristin's life.

Throughout this time, Kristin spoke routinely with Gabby's father, Joseph Petito. Most of what they spoke about, she has never reported, but one thing he made clear to her is that he wanted the media to cover other missing people. He said they deserved attention, too, and he was right.

WATCH | Kristin Thorne on the emotional process behind investigative series 'Missing'
Kristin Thorne on process behind investigative series 'Missing'

Kristin started to look at databases of missing people across the Tri-State area and as she scrolled through the hundreds of faces, she thought about not only those people but their families and friends and the ripple effect of pain that is caused when they disappeared.

She thought, "Maybe I can help?"

She started calling private investigators around New York City looking for cases to profile.

We first profiled the story of Leanne Marie Hausberg.

In our second story, we examined the disappearance of Chelsea Michelle Cobo.
In our third story, we investigated the disappearance of Corinna Paige Slusser.

In our fourth story, we examine the mystery of Dr. Sneha Anne Philip - the doctor who disappeared the night before 9/11.

Our fifth episode, on the disappearance of Kassandra Ramirez, can be viewed above.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Dr. Sneha Anne Philip, call the NYPD Missing Persons Squad at 212-694-7781. All tips can be kept anonymous.

If you want to have a better viewing experience, did you know you can watch 'Missing' on your television set? Just make sure you add the ABC7NY app on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV. To download our app, viewers can search "ABC7 New York" in the app store.

CREDITS
Kristin Thorne | Writer, Producer, Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter
Stephen Cioffi | Photographer, Videographer, Editor
Emily Hartmann | Senior Digital Producer, Videographer, Editor
Rolando Pujol | EP Digital Content, Innovation and Strategy
Yoomi Chong | Creative Director, Design
Joseph Kollar | Graphic Artist
Lori Steinberg | Graphic Artist
Marilu Galvez | President, General Manager
Scott Matthews | News Director
Kim Dillon | Assistant News Director
Peter Kunz | Assistant News Director
Jim Gorham | Vice President, Marketing
Robert Monek | EP Web, OTV Digital Project Manager
Brandon Nelson | Creative Director, Brand
Johanna Trupp | Marketing Producer
Townsend Davis | Attorney
John Del Giorno | Aerial Photographer
Brandon Cook | Media Manager
Omar Rodriguez | Assignment Editor
Sarah Kim | Assignment Editor
Alex George | Desk Assistant
Rachel Schwartz | Director, Content Operations ABC Owned Television Stations
Debra O'Connell | President, Networks Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution

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