In the summer of 2021, the disappearance of 45-year-old Gina Josephine Baca from Angola, New York, caused concern among her family, who had not heard from her for several days. Their fears were realized on July 1, 2021, when New York State Police discovered her body in a wooded area off Route 438 in the Town of Brant. It was determined that the Caucasian female had been killed on or around June 26, 2021.
The cause of her death was a gunshot wound.
An investigation into the homicide was launched by the New York State Police in collaboration with the Seneca Nation of Indians Marshals. Their efforts quickly led to a suspect, Keith Renaldo, Jr., a 38-year-old man from Brant. Renaldo was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Gina Baca.
The legal proceedings against Renaldo moved forward, and in July 2021, an Erie County Grand Jury returned an indictment, formally charging him with one count of murder in the second degree. Following his arraignment, he was held without bail. After an eight-day trial in June 2023, a jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding the now 40-year-old Keith Renaldo, Jr. guilty of murder. The following month, he was handed the maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison for his crime.
