Caregiver and her family charged in connection with murder of man found in suitcase in Kensington

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A woman is charged with murdering her boyfriend, whose badly decomposed body was found inside a suitcase and trash bags in Kensington last week. Three others also face charges in the case.

Authorities said the body of Vincent Good, 53, of Northeast Philadelphia, was discovered on the morning of May 22 by someone who was searching for scrap metal in an alley on East Hilton Street, near E Street. Police said the individual found a human torso inside a suitcase.

Officers who responded to the scene found more human remains in the early stages of decomposition inside two large trash bags nearby.

The medical examiner said Good died from numerous gunshot wounds.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced Thursday that 53-year-old Liza Ridley is charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, abuse of corpse, conspiracy to commit abuse of corpse, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, and other related offenses. Officials said Ridley confessed to detectives that weeks ago, she shot Good, her boyfriend, in the head several times, and then last week, dumped his body in Kensington.

Police said Good was a partial amputee from an incident that occurred years before involving a trolley. Ridley was his caregiver, and they lived together at a home on the 5700 block of Leonard Street.

Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said they found several pieces of evidence during a search of the couple’s apartment.

"We have the firearm recovered, and we are going to have that firearm tested definitely, but we believe that may link back to this case also," said Vanore.

Prosecutor Cydney Pope said Ridley used a ride-share to move the body in a suitcase to Kensington last week, where she was "dropped off exactly where that bag was found".

The driver called the police last week and told them she asked why the suitcase smelled so bad, and Ridley told her it was wet clothes.

"The individual took a picture of her because she thought it was so odd, everything about it," Pope said. "The next day, after it was reported on the news, she contacted the police department and said she had information."

Ridley's older sister, 55-year-old Bernadette Ridley, daughter, 32-year-old Liza Robinson, and her daughter's boyfriend, 31-year-old Gnaeus Daniels, face lesser charges, including conspiracy, abuse of corpse, and tampering with evidence.

Investigators said they are examining a possible financial motive.