What would you do if your best friend tried to kill you? This is the case explored in the first episode of Worst Roommate Ever Season 2, as Rachel recounts her sinister encounter with her former BFF Janie Lynn Ridd.
The second chapter of the Netflix anthology docu-series is a gripping addition to the plethora of new true crime to dive into this month.
Each episode examines a different case of a rogue roommate whose actions make leaving the dirty dishes in the sink seem like the act of a good samaritan.
Worst Roommate Ever Season 2 Episode 1, ‘My BFF Tried to Kill Me’, provides a chilling start to the latest chapter thanks to Janie Lynn Ridd – who turned out to be more of a foe than a friend.
What did she do?
Janie was discovered to have repeatedly poisoned her roommate Rachel with a variety of substances, including ketamine and insulin. Her sinister plot escalated when she attempted to purchase a deadly biological weapon from the dark web, intending to kill Rachel.
As is revealed in Worst Roommate Ever, her motive was to obtain custody of Rachel’s young son, Ryder.
Their friendship started in 1995, when Janie integrated herself into Rachel’s life, gaining her trust. Although she exhibited some controlling behaviors, Rachel didn’t look too much into it and they continued to maintain their bond.
In 2010, Rachel discovered she was pregnant – around the same time, she sustained a back injury while working as a paramedic. She depended on Janie’s help throughout this time, saying she trusted her 100%.
When Ryder (who has autism and is non-verbal) was born, Rachel took out a $500,000 life insurance policy that would be handed to her son’s guardian to take care of him. And Janie was listed as beneficiary in the will.
Initially, Rachel was grateful for the help, saying Janie’s “main focus became taking care of Ryder.” Between 2015 and 2018, Rachel had seven back surgeries, and she allowed Janie to dispense her medications during this time.
But as her health deteriorated, Rachel was slapped with the news no mother wants to hear: Janie was suing her for full custody of her child.
Ryder was eventually returned to Rachel when Child Protective Services discovered Janie had lied and falsely accused her of being a drug addict.
However, with Rachel’s health issues and ongoing surgeries, she was unable to take care of Ryder alone and decided she had no other choice but to move back in with Janie.
During this time, Janie would tend to Rachel’s surgery wounds. When one on her neck became so swollen and painful that she was unable to breathe, she went to the hospital, where it was discovered to be infected with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
A MRSA infection is caused by a type of staph bacteria that can be difficult to treat due to its resistance to many antibiotics.
Although Rachel recovered, when she went home, she had a conversation with Janie about a true crime doc they were watching. Rachel made a throwaway comment that insulin would be the best way to kill someone as it could go undetected.
Following this, Rachel was rushed to hospital several times with dangerously low blood sugar levels. It was later discovered that Janie had purchased various sedatives including ketamine and Xanax as well as insulin pens on the dark web, administering them to Rachel in a bid to kill her.
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When none of these methods worked, she turned her attention to Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA). But it was this action that caught the attention of the FBI, sparking an investigation that led to Janie’s downfall.
What is VRSA?
It’s a specific type of staphylococcus bacteria that is resistant to most antibiotics. VRSA infections can look like pimples, boils, or other skin conditions, and can lead to death. As said by an FBI agent, VRSA is worse than MRSA.
VRSA can be considered a biological weapon, which is why Janie attempted to purchase it on the dark web. As is shown in the Netflix docu-series, she told the vendor that she worked as a biology teacher and needed the VRSA cultures for a school project.
The FBI intercepted Janie’s attempted purchase, sending her a package containing a petri dish with fake VRSA on it. Since the transaction was official, they were able to arrest her.
Although she eventually admitted to purchasing the VRSA, when the authorities asked her whether she intended to administer it to Rachel, she replied, “No, and I wouldn’t even know how to do that.
“No, she’s my best friend and whether we argue or not, she’s been my best friend for 25 years and I love her like a sister.”
When they found her past online purchases, as well as a used insulin pen with Rachel’s DNA, they realized what had been happening. Steve Cadiz, special agent with the FBI, explains: “From reading the medical records, I think Janie tried to kill Rachel at least five times in the course of a year.”
What was Janie Lynn Ridd charged with?
Janie was charged with three felonies: attempted possession or use of a weapon of mass destruction; attempted aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult; and aggravated abuse of a disabled or elderly person.
As part of a plea bargain, Janie agreed to confess to the first two listed charges in exchange for the latter being dropped. In 2020, she was sentenced to at least one and up to 20 years in Utah State Prison.
Her defense attorney, Scott Williams, said at the time (via Deseret News): “Such actions with such a motive truly are and were atrocious.
“It was serious and harmful criminal activity, and Ms. Ridd has accepted criminal responsibility, and even accepted imposition of the harshest sentence that can be meted out against her – prison.”
Meanwhile, Rachel told the judge of how her former best friend robbed her of her life for so many years.
Where is Janie now?
As is revealed at the end of the Worst Roommate Ever episode, in January 2022, after serving just 25 months behind bars, Janie was released on parole.
In a chilling audio taken from a jail phone call ahead of her release, Janie says, “I know what’s going to happen. I’m going to end up out of here. I’m going to find a way to get him away from her. He needs to come back to me now.”
Although it’s currently unclear where Janie is now, according to a LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to her, she is still living in Utah and working at an education center. Since she hasn’t posted any updates, it’s unclear whether this is still the case.
Worst Roommate Ever Seasons 1 & 2 are streaming on Netflix now. For more true crime, find out who Smegma is in relation to the Sherri Papini case, what Tell Them You Love Me is all about, and whether Ashley Madison’s Sam and Nia Rader are still together. You can also check out all of the new TV shows heading to streaming this month.