Sheriff: Man admits killing 2 relatives

A Philadelphia man was charged Tuesday night with capital murder after he admitted to strangling his grandmother and greatgrandmother in their home in Spring, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Office.

Jaryd Ramos, 22, has been taken to Montgomery County Jail.

Deputies on Sunday had discovered the body of the 59-year-old grandmother, Barbara Gromley, in a plasduring tic tote bag near an abandoned church off Westridge in Spring. Another family member had reported her and the great-grandmother, Regina Gromley, missing on Nov. 26, the sheriff’s office said.

The investigation led detectives to the home in the 24400 block of Kingbriar Drive, where they spoke to Ramos and searched the premises. They found the 90-year-old Regina dead in a trash can in the backyard, the sheriff’s office said.

“This is a very horrific and very troubling crime the (holiday) season and our thoughts and prayers are with the Gromley family and their friends,” Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Office Lt. Scott Spencer said during a news conference.

Ramos, who was living with his relatives at the time, confessed to strangling both women Nov. 5 because he was “tired of them,” Spencer said. Investigators have not identified any further motive, but they believe he planned the slayings, he said.

“He had done a lot of research and a lot of careful planning into what he had decided to do with the bodies in order to alleviate the smells or problems that can come with a decomposing body,” Spencer said.

Ramos also admitted to placing Barbara in the plastic bag on Nov. 25 before dumping the body off Westridge, Spencer said.

It’s unclear why Ramos was staying with the women. They were the only three people staying in the home at the time, Spencer said.