He was an aspiring filmmaker, eagerly planning to move to Hollywood with his wife to pursue his dreams. Then, one ordinary evening in Baltimore, he received a mysterious phone call and vanished without a trace, leaven behind a home that suggested he might be right back. However, days later, his body was found, kicking off one of the most baffling unsolved mysteries of our time. This is the story of the impossible death of Ray Rivera.
My name's Ben, I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked and Grim.
A true crime podcast.
The following podcast and.
Material intended more.
Mature audience listener discretion.
He's advised, welcome back.
That's what you got. Welcome back.
Yeah. Ben was just pointing at me to start this off, and I don't what do I don't even have anything to say.
I threw it over to Nicole without any prompts, and she's like, well, I was.
Gonna say Happy Friday, but we say that a lot, so I just like, welcome back.
Hey, whatever works, right. Honestly, I do have to say it can be difficult at times to like have a little intro going in the show, not like the intro that I read out or anything, but like the little chatty moments at times, like do we have something to chat about? Should we just dive into the case. I know some of you want us to just dive in, but some of us want the chat.
Well. I think sometimes the chat is nice in the sense that it like it gets you to know us a little better, which I feel like is important.
Well, honestly, that's kind of the point of our show, not just to deliver true crime. We're hosts of the show. We want you to feel like, hey, you're sitting down chilling with us, so we get to chat with you guys. At the beginning of the episodes, it gets relaxing, Like you say, gets to know us sort of thing.
I'm about to literally we're going to record this and then I'm like leave it on.
A road trip yep. So yep, Yeah.
I feel like my brain is kind of in two places right now here and there.
And one of the conversations we had this morning, it's a very important conversation when you're going on a road trip along this section of road, extremely important that you discuss it.
Aha, how much syrup do you want me to get?
Yes? How much maple syrup are you bringing home? So there is a little town called seventy Mile. It's driving south through British Columbia, and they get a little food stand, a little store, sugar shack called a sugar shack, and there's this guy who moved over from Quebec and he brought with them some like real poutine, some real good like Canadian meals, and in my opinion, it's the best place in British Columbia to get poutine. And of course he also has like real syrup and stuff like that.
So it's it's whenever we go on a road trip, we always stop by and get some stuff from them.
Mm hmm. And last time, apparently I bought too many, and you're like, what the frigger's supposed to do with all this? But we're out, so okay, clearly I did not buy too many.
Well, because we started having more pancakes and waffles and such to go through the syrup. And now we've gone through it, so that's to be expected.
Yeah, it's staying good. I'm not sure if I'm going to stop on my way down or my way up, but at one point I will.
Why not both get a poutine both ways. Right, yeah, anyways, let's get into this case. Have you heard of this one, the impossible death of Ray Rivera.
I don't think so.
No, So this one, it's a lot of speculation. That's most of what's going on in this case is hearsay, theories and opinions throwing it out there right now, that like, the facts in this case pretty minimal, but it's a very interesting one to dive into and it gets your mind thinking. It is, of course a mystery because hey, it's the impossible death of Ray Rivera, right, so it's an unsolved case. So get your thinking caps on because you can need it for this one.
Okay, I'm ready.
So starting off, I want you to imagine a young man, he's driven with a quiet ambition, whose path seems set for the bright lights of Hollywood. Eventually. That is Ray Rivera now. He was born on June tenth, nineteen seventy three, in the vibrant city of Madrid, Spain, and Ray carried
a creative spark from a very early age. His passion for storytelling eventually led him across the Atlantic to the University of the Pacific, where he graduated in nineteen ninety five with a degree in communications, specifically honing his skills in creative arts and filmmaking. Now, after college, his life took an interesting turn. In September of two thousand and four, Ray, along with his wife Allison, packed up their lives and
moved to Baltimore. Now the reason for the big move there was a job offer from an old high school buddy. The guy's name was Porter Stansbury. Porter's going to be throughout the story, so remember that name. Now. Porter brought Ray into the fold at Stansbury Research, where Ray began contributing to a newsletter called the Rebound Report. He was offering insights on turnaround stocks and that sort of stuff.
So while financial or finance might seem like a bit of a departure from the film aspirations, he had Ray's innate creativity, sharp mind in writing ability. It proved to be a very valuable asset for this position, not just at the research facility, Stansbury Research, but also for its larger parent company, A Gora, which was a powerhouse in financial research and advice. So with his ability in this position, it was like an amazing fit. Now, despite his apparent
competence in the world of financial writing. Ray, deep down he was far from content doing this work. The truth was, his heart wasn't in it. The intricate world of stocks and market reports felt miles away from the vibrant stories and characters he dreamed of bringing to life on a screen creative writing, right, mm hmm, Yeah, that.
There's quite a difference there. Hey.
Yeah, he's assessing numbers, projecting different things and he's just writing reports. That's way different than creating a world, a character and bringing him to life and a story. Yeah, you know, beginning, middle, and end. With this financial there's no beginning, no end, and it's just what happened today, what's going on today. Tomorrow might like look like this, but today it's like that. Oh my god, Like dang, I couldn't do that. That would drive me nuts.
Yeah, I mean I feel like there's certain there's certain people that are like number people. Oh and then and they honestly thrive and just love that, right, they get excited about following that kind of thing.
All the power to them. I'm just saying it ain't for me.
Yeah, and it's obviously not quite for him either.
Yeah. Now, the growing tension between his day job and his true passion eventually led to a significant decision. By two thousand and five, Ray had decided to step away from his role at Stansbury Research. But Ray wasn't one to simply idle buy With financial writing behind him, he plunged back into that creative and athletic interest that he
had on the side too. He took on coaching positions, guiding the water polo team at John Hopkins University, and just doing what he could to get back into the groove of what he used to be doing. More importantly, his artistic soul. He dedicated himself to a new screenplay, pouring his energy into crafting his own narratives, writing that story what he wanted to do. He even started a small production company, working on projects for various businesses connected
to the Agora Network, that parent company. Right, he was staying loosely within there the sphere of his previous employer, but on his own terms a bit more this time, by the sounds of it, almost like a bit more
of a contractor even, I guess yeah. Now, Ray and Allison shared a vision for their future, one that wasn't rooted in Baltimore's financial district, where they currently were their hearts were set on the West Coast, specifically Los Angeles, where Ray could fully immerse himself in the filmmaking world, the one that he so deeply desired and.
Loved, good old La Hey.
Yeah, the big lights, right mm hmm. Now, to make this dream a reality, they'd already taken a few concrete steps in that direction. For example, in the spring of two thousand and six, they made a significant trip over to La not just for a visit, but to firm up some of their plans for their new chapter, you know, scouting out living places or workplaces, all these sort of things.
And upon their return, they wasted no time listing their Baltimore home for sale, ready to fully commit to these aspirations.
Out in La Dang. Good for them, because that would not be easy.
One hundred percent would not be. So props to them for going forward to Yeah Dive. Everything seemed to be falling into place their shared dream of life dedicated to cinema. It was within reach, and as of May sixteenth, two thousand and six, dawned it felt like just another Tuesday, a seemingly ordinary day in the life of a couple who was on the cusp of you know a major exciting change in their life. Little did they know it
would actually be anything but ordinary on this day. So May sixteenth, two thousand and six began as most Tuesdays would for many couples. Ray's wife, Allison, had an early start, heading out for a business trip to Richmond, Virginia. Ray meanwhile settled into their Baltimore home, ready for a hard day of work. He was deep into an editing project for an Agora's filiates, a task that suited his creative
you know, inclinations quite well. He even had plans to continue his work that coming weekend, having already booked an editing suite, suggesting a clear schedule and no inkling of an unplanned departure, let's say now. Throughout the day, Ray was busy with various phone calls managing his project and personal affairs, but one call in particular stands out. At around four pm, Ray made contact with representative from the Freemasons.
He mentioned that the call was quote possibly related to a script idea end quote, which wasn't entirely surprising giving his pursuit now. The person on the other end of that line later described Ray's demeanor as laid back and friendly, yet noted that he seemed a bit pressed for time. As evening approached. At around six thirty pm, Allison's coworker, Claudia, arrived at the Rivera home, planning to stay the night
while Allison was away. It was some time between Claudia's arrival at six thirty pm and seven PM that the atmosphere in the quiet house abruptly shifted. Ray was on another phone call, and Claudia, present in the house, overheard his stunned reaction when he said a sudden, sharp, oh shit,
the on the call now without another word. Ray quickly grabbed a few essentials, his key, cell phones, some cash around twenty bucks, and a credit card, and then rushed out of the door, jumping into Allison's black Mitsubishi Montero. But he briefly returned, stepping back inside for only a moment before darting out once again. He left the lights on, his computer was running. There was even a bag of chips some sparkling water sitting on the counter, all signs
that he intended to be right back. However, Ray Rivera never returned home.
Oh man, okay, I just have to say something. There was like a shift in your voice because I was like, forgot for a minute, I was listening to like a true crime podcast because I was like, Yeah, they're gonna move to LA, It's gonna be so great. And then your like voice kind of shifted and I was like, oh, yeah, oh yeah, that's probably not gonna happen.
You're getting too amped up, hey.
I was. I was like cheering them on, and then ohnfor.
Actually, the stories we generally tell are not the best stories in that regard. They're not feel good stories. I mean, some of them are like survival stories and stuff. What they end up accomplishing and like going on and surviving from those are pretty feel good they.
Are, but they still went through shit.
They go through hell, And in this case, I'll just continue telling the story. That's all I'm going to say.
Okay, I amn't confused why the coworker was there though, a little bit. What do you mean so Allison was out of town, so her coworker comes and stays at the house.
Yeah, she was basically house sitting because because Ray was working and busy too.
Oh okay, I see, I see.
Okay, why do you have some thoughts about nefarious things between them?
Well? No, not necessarily. I was just I just was confused there. I guess. Okay, it was something else going on, I guess, but yeah, clearly not so well.
We do briefly touch on that near the end of the episode, so okay, don't worry now. The morning of May seventeenth, in the year two thousand and six, brought with it a cold wave of dread. Allison's coworker, Claudia, woke up to the Riviera home being very quiet, and then she realized Ray still wasn't back. The lights were on, the computer was still humming, just as he had left it. Then a phone call to Allison actually confirmed the shared concern.
Ray wasn't answering his phone, and his hurried departure that evening before was now looming over what had happened. A lot of anxiety tightened in Alison's stomach. Her business trip immediately became secondary. She cut it short race back to Baltimore, her mind reeling with unanswered questions. Upon her return, Alison found the house exactly as Ray had left it. This wasn't a man who'd planned to be away for very long.
As I mentioned, you know, the chips, the sparkling water, They were there, his laptop running, his invisil ligne, the teeth thing right yeah, and toothbrush they were still sitting there. These were items no one leaves behind if they're heading
out for an extended period. It seems so sudden and unexpected. So, with a growing sense of panic, Allison officially filed a missing person's report for Ray on May seventeenth, hoping the police could shed some light on this baffling disappearance and where he went.
That's the next day, right correct.
Yea yeah. Now, as the search began, Allison couldn't shake a disturbing feeling Ray hadn't quite been himself in the weeks leading up to the day he went missing May sixteenth. She noticed a shift, a new layer of stress, and almost a protective tension about him. He repeatedly expressed the need to quote protect her, though he never really elaborated from what. One unsettling incident particularly stood out. While jogging, Ray had encountered an unknown man who seemingly watched him.
Ray's reaction was immediate and defensive, physically turning his body to shield Alison from the stranger's view. The sense of unease was compounded by tube bizarre incidents right before Ray vanished as well. Both on May fifteenth, and as well the same day May sixteenth, at around one am, their home alarm system had inexplicitly gone off. Each time. Ray's response was one of genuine fear. He'd grab a baseball bat,
his eyes scanning for an intruder. On another occasion, he even suspected their living room window had been tampered with despite the alarm. The police, you know, after checking, had dismissed these incidents, attributing them to common causes like animals setting off motion detectors or something like that.
Yeah, so he's like really on edge.
She is. So the idea that Ray also might have simply walked away it fell completely alien to Alison and his family as well. He had so much to live for, so many plans bubbling just beneath the surface. In fact, he and Alison even had a definitive trip booked to go to New Mexico in the coming weeks. They were actively pursuing their move to La. Their house was for sale, he was working on his screenplay. These weren't actions of someone planning to leave, to run away, to end it,
you know, it just doesn't make sense. They were the actions of someone eagerly anticipating a future something. Adding another layer to Ray's recent behavior change was the sudden and unexpected death of his close co worker and friend, Tom Hickling, who passed away in a car accident in Africa. Now Tom's death had deeply affected Ray. Allison observed his profound grief, and she noted that Ray seemed to harbor almost hinted
that suspicions regarding the circumstances of Tom's death. He never really elaborated at these suspicions, keeping his thoughts to himself, but the unresolved questions surrounding his friend's death seemed to weigh heavy on him in Ray's final weeks before he disappeared. But as days turned into a week with no signs
of Ray, the focus search it broadened. It's rather than just saying, okay, we need to find out where he went, looking at the home, the possibilities, they started looking out and going from there, and eventually the spotlight fell on a grand, imposing building in Baltimore's Mount Vernon hood, one called the Belvidere Hotel, was built in nineteen oh three. This architectural Marvel was a Baltimore landmark and eleven story, one hundred and eighty eight foot tall structure with a
distinctive French French style roof. While its upper floors had been converted into a residential type units, its lower levels still housed public areas. It was a place of historical elegance, to put it lightly now. It was on May twenty third, two thousand and six, almost exactly a week after Ray's disappearance, that a crucial lead emerged. Allison's black Mitsubishi Montero, the vehicle Ray had last seen been driving and leaving the house in, was found. It sat on a surface parking
lot directly next to the Belvidere Hotel. A parking ticket stuck to the windshield indicated it's been sitting there undisturbed for about the last six days. While finding the car offered a glimmer of hope, its presence there only deep in the mystery rather than solving it. Why was the there and where was Ray? The answer began to reveal itself through an unsettling detail, a pervasive and strong smell that began emanating from the Belvidere Hotel for several days.
It was particularly noticeable this smell specifically around an unused conference room on the second floor, and the following day, on May twenty fourth, two thousand and six, at around one thirty pm, a maintenance worker named Gary was sent to investigate the persistent odor. What he found in the
rarely access conference room was horrifying. The smell led him to a gruesome sight, and at the very same time that this was happening, Ray's co workers Mark, Stephen and George, who been relentlessly searching for him, were also in the vicinity. George had a hunch to check the parking garage next to the Belvidere from its upper levels. They peered down and spotted a small narrow hole punched through the roof of the hotels second floor extension, and then an even
more chilling sight. Scattered around the edges of that hole, it appeared to be some not debris, but items, and upon closer inspection there were some of Ray's personal belongings, his flip flop, cell phone, keys, and eyeglasses. Even the connection clicked and they immediately called Detective James Mingle, who
was already handling Ray's missing person's case. The police. They quickly arrived, entering the previously locked conference room, and there they found Ray Riviia's body, confirming Gary's simultaneous and horrific discovery behind that locked conference room.
What the shit, okay, I was like, what is this smell? Is it like a bad smell? Or so clearly was a bad smell.
It was the smell of decay.
Yes, okay, awesome.
Now Ray's body lay in the center of that infrequently used conference room, a space that was mostly empty. The room itself was accessible from both Charles str and the adjacent parking garage, offering multiple pathways into the building. The roof he's presumably fallen through was made of durable gravel and tar, a tough material. What immediately struck investigators was the lack of any nearby structures on the main building that could have easily facilitated a straightforward jump or fall
onto the specific lower roof. The initial idea despite this, though, was that he had jumped from the main roof of the Belvidere Hotel, which would mean a fall from fourteen stories up, which would explain the horrific injuries that were found on him. However, as investigators delve deeper, into this theory, it quickly crumbled under the weight of basic logic in physics. The Belvidere's main roof line was incredibly high, and the second story roof where Ray landed was set set back significantly.
For Ray to jump from the main roof and land in that specific spot, he would have had to not only drop roughly one hundred in seventy seven feet vertically, but also propel himself a staggering forty three feet horizontally.
Holy shit.
Experts calculated this would have required a significant athletic feet a sprint of about ten miles per hour from the only available fifteen feet run up space.
So not possible.
Basically not possible. Or if it is possible, you're gonna have to be like a fucking Olympic athlete to pull it off if you're lucky.
Okay, So holy shit. They're thinking he like jumped and then hit the second floor roof and like fell through the roof.
And ended up inside the second floor conference room.
Correct, holy shit? Okay, Okay, I mean, I feel like I roofs would be stronger than that, but I have no idea. I guess it's quite.
A fall, that's I mean, This is called the impossible death for a reason because things like that are thrown into this scenario. How did he actually break through a fucking roof like that?
Yeah?
So now this scenario though, with him making this run up and this like forty three distant foot distance, like this whole thing, it became almost lappable when you consider two details. Ray Riviera was he was known to have significant fear of heights, and he was last seen wearing and was found with flip flops flipflops. Attempting such a daring, precise jump in flip flops with the fear of heights seems utterly impossible.
It does now.
The official autopsy, performed by medical examiner doctor Melissa Brassel, confirmed that Ray had suffered extensive and severe injuries, including fracture to his skull, ribs, legs, along with cuts and bruising. While these injuries were consistent with a fall, what wasn't
consistent began to raise serious red flags. Crucially, Ray showed a complete lack of defensive wounds, no scratches, scrapes, or bruises on his hands or arms that would indicate he tried to break his fall or brace himself which you
would definitely find someone from falling. I mean, you have instincts, reflexes, and someone who's terrified of heights, they're going to be shielding them their face or they're bracing themselves for impact, even if they're looking to you know, self delete, it's just instinct.
Yeah, you'd still most likely do that, So.
No defensive wounds in that regard. Furthermore, there was surprisingly minimal damage to his spine, which is highly unusual for a fall of such magnitude. Medical illustrator Marie dune Heemer Duneheimer, dwen Hemer. I don't know. I really cannot pronounce this one. Sometimes if I do that bad on a name, I will pause, we will stop, and I'll try and get the name right. There is no m getting this name right. Okay, it is a German name. I believe d a U E n h E I m E R duen Hemer dwen Heimer.
The last one you just said sounded kind of right, okay.
Marie Dwenheimer. That's what I'm gonna go with. But I'm not going to go back and rerecord this because I'm still going to butcher regardless. Anyways. Medical illustrator Marie Duennheimer, who later received the case, pointed out the minimal damage to his feet, which contradicted the feast feet first impact, and noted that his injuries were largely concentrated to his left side, instead creating an asymmetrical pattern, unlike typical falls
people who jump. It's again instinctual to jump feet first, even if you're killing yourself, so you have. He didn't brace himself, even if he's horizontal. He didn't jump feet first, which is instinctual. He just kind of impacted. Forensic biomechanics expert Miriam Moya also observed that one of Ray's flip flops, one of the straps, was broken with scuff mark, suggesting
a struggle or trauma which could have occurred before he landed. Ultimately, despite the extensive injuries, doctor Brassel officially listed Ray's cause of death as quote undetermined.
Humm wow, Okay, that seems everything you're just saying right now is so odd. I'm hoping you have more to say, because I'm like, what the shit.
As I mentioned at the very beginning of this, this is a unsolved case. It's a mystery, and most of what we talk about is pretty much pure speculation.
Okay, poor Alison, I'm just going to throw that out there too. No, kid, that would be this this whole thing. Well, first of all, her her husband is dead, and then also all this weird shit. You know, you would have no idea what happened or what's going on.
Now, one other tidbit I want to throw in here, kind of adding to that medical mystery. During the autopsy, they did discover potato chips traces in Ray's stomach, which suggested like he had that bag next his computer.
Right, and he was snacking away at home he was.
So what this means is he likely didn't die long after leaving home.
Oh okay, that makes sense.
Yeah, so it's not like, oh, this was two days. It's like most likely. I mean, he could have eaten potato chips later too, but it's most likely he left home and this incident, whatever it was, occurred, happened shortly thereafter Z.
Clearly that conference room never actually gets used.
Yeah, so this actually is a direct contradiction to a common belief that he fell much later at around ten pm. And we talk about that ten pm time later on. So this potato chip could potentially debunk that time. Now, The condition and placement of ray'sed personal items at the scene were equally baffling. As I mentioned, on the roof and around him were some of personal items that were found.
His eyeglasses were found near the whole which his eyeglasses were nearly untouched, without a single crack or a bend in them. His cell phone, also recovered nearby, was completely undamaged, no shattered screen, no dnse nothing. The idea that these fragile items could survive a fourteen story plunge and be found so neatly, basically almost.
Placed there makes no sense.
Yeah, it defies any sort of belief of a great impact basically now. His flip flops did show some scratches in one broken strap, they were largely still intact and bore unusual drag marks. Most perplexing of all was the inexplicable absence of his cherished antique money clip, which was a wedding gift from Allison, one that he had always carried.
Even though his credit card and driver's license were found with him, the money clip was gone, and to top it off, Ray was found in different clothing than he
had last been wearing when he left the house. He was last seen wearing a black jacket and those flip flops, but now he's wearing a yellow shirt and long green pants, different attire, still the flip flops, but now Perhaps the most critical detail was the inexplicable fact that the rooftop surveillance cameras were mysteriously disconnected on May sixteenth to Ti thousand and six, the very day that Ray had vanished.
Of course they were.
Yeah, despite being fully operational the day before and the day.
After yep, of course, of course.
So this meant there was absolutely no footage of Ray entering or leaving the hotel or anything happening on the roof beyond the cameras. The hotel itself it had some known security weaknesses. The elevator to the roof was often unlocked, the fire door alarms and even bartenders often sometimes left roof access to the doors propped open and for smoking brakes things like that, like the alarm's not going off, they propped the door open. You know, it's people get
in where they probably shouldn't go. So there's a lot of issues with the hotel in that regard. Compounding these issues was the questionable initial handling of the crime scene by police. Few photographs were reportedly taken, Officers were seen allegedly tossing items, and even police cadets were allowed to
walk through the crime scene, potentially contaminating crucial evidence. After Ray's body was removed, the conference room was left unsecured and accessible, raising further concerns about the integrity of the scene.
Ah, that's maddening.
It is. These lapses, whether intentional or accidental, only added layers of unanswered questions to an already basically impossible puzzle. So, despite the mounting contradictions, police officials, particularly Police Commissioner Fred Bielfeld, were quick to dismiss any notion of foul play, stating they had not found a single trace of any information to suggest that there was criminal activity. The initial favored theory leaned heavily towards Ray's death being an intentional act
quote unquote on his part. Whether it was a suicide or the result of a potential severe mental breakdown is unknown.
I don't know that that's hard to buy. Really. I agree, he had so much like to look forward to and coming up and stuff, right, Yeah, I mean, I guess it could have been overwhelming, but I don't know.
Well, the FBI. They did weigh in speculating that Ray might have suffered from like an undiagnosed schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and influenced by a cryptic note that he left behind. This theory was put into play. And yes, that's right, there was a note that he left behind. I haven't really mentioned it yet because it's it's really odd and no one really knows what to make of it. So this weird note can support that theory of you know,
schizophrenia bipolar disorder. So this note is described as being a multiple page note taped to his computer. The contents of the note were a bunch of unusual and rambling compilations of names, movies, and Masonic mottos and is still
a highly debated piece of evidence in this case. So something like this had the FBI and also actually behavioral experts joining in on the line of thinking that you know, undiagnosed schizophrenia or bipolar disorder could be at play, suggesting, you know, Ray's recent paranoia and withdrawal could come a point of or point towards, something like a psychotic break
occurring and causing him to do this. Sure, he might have had a lot to look forward to a lot to live for a lot going for him, but all that kind of doesn't really matter if you have this sort of break.
Mm hmm, that's true. Well, couldn't the note just be like sometimes people write their passwords or stuff like that in kind of hidden code, right, I mean, I guess, Or maybe he was just having fun, or it was just like I don't know, movies he wanted to watch and he's a smart dude and he was just doing it creatively, or I don't know.
I mean, it's possible. It's possible. But along the same line of this psychotic break thing, some people have floated the idea of like a Truman Show delusion, where you know, Ray might have believed that his life was a staged reality much like of course the Truman Show, but also of the movie The Game, and that he was attempting to replicate a scene for like some victorious revelation or something like. I don't really understand that one myself, but to be fair, I don't think I've seen the movie
The Game, only the Truman Show. So however, many, especially those closest to Ray, strongly pushed back against the idea of a suicide or a psychotic break. But whatever anyone believed, it didn't take long for the sole detective on the case who openly suspected foul play to be reassigned. Oh why Yeah, it was a move that fueled a lot more speculation as well.
Damn Now.
Alison Ray's wife was unyielding in her conviction, saying that he was not a quitter. This doesn't add up. She argued that as a writer, Ray would have left a clear, coherent explanation if he intended to end his life like a letter like that, he would have actually written a proper letter explaining it if that's what he intended to do. Beyond Allison's gut feeling, there was all complete absence of
any history of mental illness and raised life. And then there were all the physical impossibilities and contradictions that had already emerged, you know, the jump itself defying physics, the autopsy revealing things that simply didn't align with a straightforward fall, and his fragile belongings were found suspiciously intact. These points collectively argued a powerful story against the narrative that the police initially concluded. Another less discussed theory, let's say suggest
a bit more of a tragic accident. What if Ray was fatally struck by falling debris or building material from the belvedere itself, It wasn't entirely far fetched for an old building. Author Makita Broughton, a resident of the Belvidere whose apartment overlooked the very rooftop where Ray landed, recalled hearing a loud crash at around ten pm on May sixteenth,
initially dismissing it as typical city noise. And that's that ten pm estimation where I said the chips in the stomach may suggest otherwise, being that time, the chips in.
His stomach would suggest that it should have happened.
Earlier, correct, because digestion wise, yea, yeah, just to clarify, but I mean that's not to say he might not have had chips in the car or grab some snacks.
You know.
He could have had chips elsewhere too.
Yeah. It was like shit, I left my chips at home and bought some more.
Yeah. Possibly now. Evidence supporting this theory included the discovery of an old banquet chair dangling off the edge of the roof, raising questions about structural instability or its use of access. Additionally, a missing piece of corner decoration from the building's exterior was noted in the episode of Unsolved Mysteries that covered the story, And there was indeed plaster everywhere in the conference room where Ray's body was found.
But I also mean, if someone's busting through a roof like that, of course there's going to be plaster and chunks found it. But the core question remained, however, if even there is debris that fell, why was Ray in that particular seemingly random spot on this roof. Why was he there? There were no confirmed sightings of him in the hotel bar, no clear reason of him taking a
shortcut or smoking in that specific area. Nothing. Investigative journalist Stephen Janis famously stated, quote he had to come from somewhere else unquote, fueling theories that Ray might have just fallen from a helicopter. Now, this premise suggested a darker scenario where Ray might have uncovered incriminating information and was somehow potentially murdered or you know, in a bad negotiation
situation or threat, was then dropped from a elevated height. However, detective Michael Bayer quickly dismissed this sighting airspace issues in downtown Baltimore and arguing that the harbor would have been a more logical location for you know, body disposal than dropping it into the city from the sky. Curiously, the Belvedere employee named Gary shiverstradicted this, claiming helicopters frequently flew
over the area. Ray's brother, Angel even took it upon himself to investigate air traffic control records and private helicopter rentals, but found no concrete evidence to support this high flying theory.
Keep it still, that would make no sense if his phone and glasses and stuff weren't destroyed, you know, even he was thrown from a freaking helicopter.
Well not even destroyed a crack, a scuff, Like, there's none of that. Sure, maybe you can argue that he's got a really good phone case and you know what, it could survive a fall from like ten plus stories, maybe even like the fourteen they believe if he jumped from the top. Yeah, sure you can argue that your phone might survive it. But there would be a significant scuff on that case at the very least, and there was none of that.
Hmm. Yeah, this case is just mind blow boggling. Really, it really is. Because I'm just sitting here. It's hard to comprehend. I'm trying my Braine come up with what happened, but yeah, it just makes no sense.
Yeah. Now it's no surprise though, that Ray's note filled with references to Freemasonry and famous historical figures and actors and blah blah blah blah. It quickly ignited speculation about
the secret society possibility. It was a fact that Ray had developed an intense interest in Freemasonry, devouring books like The Builders The Freemasons for Dummies, and he had even visited a local lodge on the very day he vanished the notes, cryptic Masonic motto quote whom virtue unites, death cannot separate, and also a bizarre reference to quote my
primary residence in Argentina end quote. This of course led some to theorize a deeper, possibly more sinister connection, But no matter what you believe, the inconsistencies in the case overwhelmingly pointed away from suicide and potentially towards foul play. So ultimately this led to two primary versions of murder theory, both suggesting Ray's death was a stage scene designed to
look like a fall. The very first proposed that Ray's killer met him at his car, perhaps lured him away, murdered him elsewhere, and then transported his body to the Belvedere. They then created the distinctive hole in the roof, likely at around ten PM, placed his body in the conference room below, and meticulously removed whatever object they used to
punch through the roof. The intentionally disabled rooftop camera on May sixteenth served as a crucial evidence piece for this theory, suggesting a premeditation or potentially a professional hit by individuals who knew the hotel's layout and security weaknesses.
See if that makes sense to me.
The second version focused on the adjacent parking garage. This theory suggests Ray went to the rooftop or sorry, the top of that parking garage, not the rooftop, so he's at the top of the garage to meet someone there, he was struck by a car, which launched him over the low three point five foot garage barrier and through
the Belvidere's second floor roof below. Physics calculations actually supported this possibility, as a body launched at just thirty miles per hour at a twenty degree angle could travel approximately thirty eight feet, easily clearing the barrier and impacting the roof where Ray landed about thirty feet from the garage wall.
Energy calculations further show that a two hundred and sixty pound body falling thirty feet generates about ten kilodeles of energy, which is more than enough to cause the significant damage Ray sustained. The garages layout allowed a vehicle to gain speed and stomp quickly. What investigators notably didn't do was check local autobody shops for cars with recent hood damage, a potential oversight if this theory held any weight, and I think it honestly does hold some weight.
Shit, yeah right now, I'm like, okay, I guess that kind of makes sense too. Yeah, that's wild. Mm hmm. Huh.
So there was even unverified speculation, though without credible evidence, that porter stansbury raised high school friend who had gotten himself had gotten his friend that financial writing job, might have acquired a new vehicle right around this time. Again,
that's very speculation, but huh. The important takeaway from both of these murder theories that is that it does show how the scene could have been carefully manipulated to disguise the true nature of Ray's death if someone wanted to do so so.
If it was the vehicle, you mean that someone.
Either way, both murder theories show that this could be a cover up. Yeah, both of these are a possibility. If someone wanted to make it look like an accident look like a death, they could have easily have done so.
And you don't think that him getting hit by the car would have been an accident?
No, not like that? Okay, no, because it would have been going thirty miles an hour in a parking garage and specifically strike this guy.
True. True, What if someone wasn't paying attention just like boom, I feel like it could potentially be an accident and then they covered it up.
I think if that's the case, the car would have gone over the rail too. This person would have had to be going that fast, struck him and known to have to stop. If the other person wasn't paying attention, they wouldn't have had the reflexes they stop in time and potentially gone over as well.
Fine, Okay, human suck, this was intentional.
Now, at the very heart of the mystery from the moment Ray vanished was the pivotal phone call, you know, the one where he said, oh shit before heading out the door. In the frantic hours that followed Ray's disappearance, investigators moved swiftly to trace the origin of that pivotal last phone call. The number Ray was speaking to when he exclaimed oh shit was quickly identified. It belonged to the Agora Switchboard, the central phone system for the very
company where Ray and Port of Stansbury had worked. This was a critical piece of information, yet it quickly became a source of immense frustration because despite the immedia effort to identify who made the call, the precise individual or specific office remained untraceable. All they know is that it came from the Agora switchboard. Shit, okay, basically swallowed by the vast complex network of the various businesses and everything.
Lots of places are like that anyone can phone and it only kind of shows one number on the caller display and stuff. Yeah.
Now, Porter raised old friend and former boss claimed his company was on a retreat at the time, offering no further clarity, and the police, for reasons that remain unclear, failed to conduct a thorough examination of that actual Agora switchboard records. They just basically stopped and said, Okay, I guess we lost it. It could have been a crucial piece of evidence if they had actually pinpointed the exact
extension or original line. Yeah, but it seems like again speculation that they didn't really dive into actually try and find it. It was like, oh, dead end, all right. So this missed opportunity left a gaping hole at the very beginning of Ray's disappearance, with the identity of this last caller still shrouded in mystery. It was just a big old question mark. Now back to Porter, though his
reaction to Ray's death only intensified scrutiny. He quickly hired a lawyer, and it was widely reported he had gag issued orders. So he had gag orders forbidding his employees from speaking to the police or cooperating with the investigation, a claim that he has since denied. However, so whether it is true or not, I'm unsure.
This is the Porter dude, right, yeah, correct.
So this immediate distancing, combined with a Gora's own checkered pass, fueled speculation because you see, just a year before Ray joined Gora had faced significant legal trouble, including a sec violations which SEC stands for the United Securities and Exchange Commissions, which ultimately resulted in a one point five million dollar fine for disseminating false or misleading information. So, given this history,
theory began to circulate. What if Ray, through his work or his own investigations, had uncovered sensitive financial information on the company, perhaps involving insider trading or market manipulation, and planned to expose it. So the atmosphere surrounding Agora grew even more tense as the investigation lingered. Jane Miller, a reporter for WBALTV, became deeply involved, connecting with Jennifer Ray's
closest sorry, Jennifer Ray's closest friend. Now. Jennifer issued a chilling warning to Jane, this reporter, advising her to proceed with extreme caution and hinting at quote serious consequences if the investigation into Ray's death continued. She explicitly stated, quote, the people who killed Ray will stop at nothing.
Oh okay, that's scary now.
This was amplified by an in incident when a local reporter who was also looking into the case reportedly had his house burned down, an incident later ruled an accident, but one that caused the reporter to immediately distance himself from the story and raise a lot of red flags
for a lot of people. H Porter Stansbury and his firm continued their aggressive stance, even sending the cease and Assist letter to Netflix regarding the Unsolved Mystery case, betraying this despite the show undergoing rigorous fact checking.
Still hmm, okay, okay, I am very I am like ninety nine percent sure that he did not harm himself.
I am kind of with you on that, yeah. Now. Gori's lawyers also sent an angry email to Jane Miller, accusing her of making deplorable connections, demonstrating their fierce protectiveness over their reputation.
Now.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing and unnerving details surrounding Agrea's involvement came to light through the Unsolved Mysteries producer Terry Dunn m er Mueller. No, there's no l mew or er mr er. That's literally me e u r
e r merr Okay. She revealed that someone had mysteriously called the Baltimore Police station a couple times after rais death, not to offer information, though, but to specifically ask to pick up raise computer, and they showed a lot of interest in their status of this computer and the investigation.
Yeah, so this.
Persistent and unusual interest and raised, you know, digital devices electronics immediately raised crucial questions. One vital clues known only to a potential killer might have been hidden on those computers. The identity of the caller might actually still remain unknown. But it's still just okay, what were they after? Now, there's still one bit of this story, one perspective that I haven't touched on just yet. And that's kind of
what you were alluding to at the very beginning. The friend that a person who largely in the was largely sitting in the background, Claudia, Allison's coworker, who arrived at the home just before Ray went out the door. She was kind of like quasi house sitting against Now, Claudia holds a unique and significant position of being the last known person to see Ray alive. However, much of what we know about her interactions with Ray that evening comes
second hand, primarily from Allison's retelling of Claudia's accounts. This led some to perceive an unusualness of the situation, particularly the detail that Allison had left Ray alone with a female colleague of friend, right, a point that, despite Allison's later suspicions about the case itself, rarely seemed to be really deeply explored. Now. Adding to the questions about Claudia was her swift exit see she departed for New York
the very next day after Ray's body was found. For many following the case, Claudia's perspective has been largely unscrutinized, and her absence from later documentaries or deep dive investigations or anything has only served to reinforce people questioning her as a link somehow or some way. Now years have passed since Ray Rivera has vanished and was found dead in that conference room, but his death officially remains a chillingly open case, the cause of death still listed as undetermined.
Despite the initial police theories, the evidence against a straightforward SUVI suicide. It's overwhelming. The sheer physics of such a jump made it practically impossible for anyone to achieve, let alone someone with raised fear of heights and footwear at the time. The autopsy, rather than providing clarity, only added more questions, revealing injuries inconsistent with a typical fall and
a surprising lack of reflexive defensive wounds. The undamaged state of the personal items found at the scene, combined with the severity of his injuries, it seemed to devi logic. And the unsettling security failures at the Belvedere, coupled with rays escalating paranoia in his final weeks, painted a picture far more complicated than a simple tragic end. Beyond the physical evidence, a persistent shadow of Agora looms large. Who
made that untraceable call from their switchboard? What if anything, did Race stumble upon in the world of financial information that could have led to such a drastic outcome, you know, a potential murder? What was the real motive if murder was indeed the cause? And who was the mysterious caller who desperately was interested in Ray's computer after his death? These questions just simply remain unanswered. Ray's story is a true crime enigma, a puzzle with too many missing pieces
and too many that simply just don't fit. Despite the extensive investigation, the theories, the public fascination, the truth about what happened on May sixteenth, two thousand and six continues to elude all of us. Sadly, it's an interesting end for Ray, tragic yet ironic. Almost the aspiring filmmaker poised for a new chapter in Hollywood instead became the central figure of a real life mystery far more complex than
any script he likely could have ever written. And that's the impossible death of Ray Riviera.
Hmm. This one gets me because I feel like this one should be solved.
I agree. I do want to before you go any further, sorry, I just want to make a clarification. Ray Rivera. I started saying his name at the beginning, right, and I started saying Rivie Era as we were, so, okay, it's Rivera.
I just feel like it should be solved and that there could be potential like cover ups or something. I am glad that his on like his death certificate, it doesn't say because I was thinking this was going to end where it was just deemed suicide and like that was it. So I am glad that the death certificate doesn't say that.
Yeah. No, it's it's basically just a big old question mark across the tire board.
Oh, but it does seem like there was enough evidence and stuff there what evidence that it could have been solved. I don't know. I just like, like the body, you know, where it happened. I guess, yeah, there the fact that there was no cameras, but like the phone call coming where the phone call was coming from.
Like, it seems like there's some loose ends that weren't properly investigated. I agree with you, But as far as evidence, I don't think there is any. Well, yeah, those loose ends could have led to evidence for sure.
Okay, not evidence, but yeah, there just seems like I don't know. This one bugs me that it's not solved.
Well, like I said, this entire case, basically everything I said is pretty much entirely pure speculation.
Hmmm. Shit for a friggin murder like that to happen, and just you know, no one is held accountable. Yeah huh. And then yeah, I can't imagine how Alison just like goes forward because it seems pretty have it pretty clear.
That something happened someone, someone did something to him.
I agree, And no one is having to pay the present. Yeah.
So anyways, Nichole's got to hit the road in her road trip. So thank you for being here. We appreciate you. Links in the description of this show go check it out, give us a review. We appreciate it because those reviews go a long way. As an indie podcast, produced, hosted research, all of it by our little lonesome in our little tiny home. Things like that really help up get our
name out and gets to new listeners to view. Does new people who want to, you know, share this story as well and learn and be here chatting with us about nothing at the beginning of the show, just like you.
Oh my gosh, okay, that was quite the ending. Thank you for listening, and yeah, we'll chat with you next week.
Yeah, we'll chat about nothing every time.
Oh my gosh, I'm just ending.
This all right, go for it. You got it.
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