In the autumn of 2014, the life of 40-year-old Deshanda Ragland was tragically cut short in her College Park, Georgia, apartment. Known to her friends for her smile, laughter, and jokes, Ragland's death was discovered on Sunday, November 2nd, by her brother. He found her in her Alexandria Landing Apartments residence on Godby Road, prompting an immediate police investigation into what was clearly a violent end to her life.
The scene that confronted investigators was grim and suggested a
desperate struggle. Deshanda Ragland was found between her bed and a nightstand with a dog leash tied around her neck. The apartment was in disarray, with blood on a phone, indicating she may have been trying to call for help. The door to the apartment had been barricaded from the inside, adding another layer of mystery to the unfolding tragedy. A friend who was with Ragland's brother at the discovery described the scene as bloody and gruesome.
In the immediate aftermath of the discovery, College Park police treated the case as a homicide investigation. Detectives worked the scene, collecting evidence and trying to piece together the last hours of Ms. Ragland's life. She was reportedly last seen alive on the morning of Saturday, November 1st. In the early stages of the investigation, police questioned Ragland's brother and another man, stating that they had developed several leads from these interviews.
Despite the initial promising leads and the conviction of her family that she was murdered, publicly available information regarding the case appears to cease in the weeks following her death. There have been no subsequent announcements of any arrests made or suspects identified in the killing of Deshanda Ragland. The case has seemingly gone cold, leaving a family without answers and a community with the unsettling knowledge that a killer may still be at large.
