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78-year-old George Volz was beaten and strangled to death in Southwest Philadelphia in May 1998. His neighbor Ramel Anderson turned out to be the culprit.
A few days later, Volz's family discovered his decomposing body and immediately informed the police. They also found signs of forced entry into the house.
Watch Investigation Discovery's latest episode of Homicide City as they delve into the details of the case. The episode, which is a part of their Danger Comes Home series is slated to air on January 10 at 6 PM.
The synopsis reads as follows:
"When 78-year-old George Volz's family finds him hogtied and decomposing in his Philadelphia row house, police turn the elderly man's neighbors for help."
Exploring the circumstances around George Volz's death
George Volz was living a retired life in his Philadelphia home for the last 50 years. He moved into the neighborhood in the 1940s and was having a peaceful time.
Volz was described as a lovable person and a regular fixer in the neighborhood. He was also close to two of his family members - his brother, Frank, and his nephew, Joseph.
How George's body was discovered
George's family decided to check in on him when they did not hear from him for a few days. On May 24, 1998, when Frank and Joseph knocked on the door, nobody answered. After the two of them made their way inside the house, they found Volz's decomposing body, and immediately informed the police about it.
How Volz was killed
According to the investigators, Volz was hogtied and killed. When his body was found, he had a bedsheet tied around his neck, along with an extension cord.
Upon further investigation, it was revealed that George had been strangled and had been gagged with a cloth.
The investigators believed that Ramel entered Volz's apartment through the basement window of the house. He later tortured George for his ATM pin when the bank card did not work.
Lack of evidence led to the case being closed
Despite the gruesome manner in which Volz was murdered, the case went cold due to a lack of evidence that could lead the investigators to the killer. However, an important lead by an inmate led to the case being reopened, finally narrowing down upon the killer.
The inmate identified Anderson's grainy image caught on the CCTV camera of an ATM. This was the first lead that the investigators got hold of.
Anderson was in complete denial
Despite the evidence against him, Anderson refuted that he had killed George. He accused another person named Brad, saying that the latter had asked him about Volz's home address. He even claimed that he had seen Brad with Volz's bank card and his car.
Upon further questioning, Anderson admitted to having used George's card but refused to having used his car. However, his statements were not consistent with the evidence.
The DNA of the hair follicles found in the driver's seat in the car matched those of Anderson's, which was enough evidence for the investigators to arrest him.
Anderson was accorded life imprisonment
Ramel Anderson was charged with second-degree murder, burglary, and robbery in March 2006. He was also accorded a life sentence a few months later. He is currently serving time at the State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy in Frackville, Pennsylvania.
