Case Profiles #75
Wanda Cartagena
On August 14th, 1989, 17-year-old Wanda Cartagena was found lying on the floor of the Mill Street apartment in Springfield, Massachusetts that she lived in with her boyfriend. He had returned to the apartment at around 4:30 p.m. and was surprised Wanda was still home as she and her mother had plans to go shopping that day. As he got closer, he took in the full extent of the scene and realized Wanda was not moving. She also had a plastic bag over her head that had been secured with a drawstring. Wanda and her boyfriend’s toddler-aged daughter named Amanda was thankfully unharmed in the playpen just feet away from Wanda’s body. Wanda was also pregnant with a baby girl at the time of her murder. Wanda’s aunt, Idaliz Ortiz, was four years older than her and the girls were more like sisters than aunt and niece. Just the night before, Wanda had been at Idaliz’s house with other family members hanging out and having a good time. The night got later, and Idaliz said that Wanda’s husband picked her up from her house at around 3:30 a.m. Idaliz wanted Wanda to stay, but she said Wanda was worried that her boyfriend would be mad. Later that day, Idaliz’s ex-husband, who was an officer with the Springfield police, knocked on her door to tell her that Wanda was dead. She stated, “He knocked on the door and my sister told me: ‘Wanda, someone killed her.’ It was a nightmare, the worst thing. And I kept thinking maybe if she had just stayed at my house nothing would have happened to her.”
Idaliz said that Wanda was trusting, sweet and loved being a mom. She was so in love with her toddler Amanda and couldn’t wait for her baby girl to arrive. Wanda was the oldest of five and cared for her siblings growing up as well. Idaliz stated, “She was really just a kid. A good kid.” The Hamden County District Attorney’s office is looking at cold cases with fresh eyes and new DNA technology, and Wanda’s is one of these cases. Prosecutor Dunphy Farris said that her office is laser-focused on unsolved cases with well-preserved physical evidence, stating “Trent (Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda) and the team met regarding this case. It was reviewed and we concluded it would benefit from renewed DNA testing.” After meeting with the state police lab to see what kind of testing would be recommended, the case is moving forward. Anyone with any information on the murder of Wanda Cartagena is asked to please call the State Police Unresolved Cases Unit at 413-505-5941 or 1-855-MA-SOLVE.
Kwaku Osei-Owusu and Frank Vanney
Kwaku Osei-Owusu was born and raised in the African country of Ghana, and eventually moved to Worcester, Massachusetts with his family in 1999. He graduated from high school in 2001 and by the late summer of 2003, he was preparing to begin his first semester at a local community college to study radiology. Kwaku was described as being kind, quiet, and not one for trouble. He became friends with a man named Frank Vanney, who was also Ghanaian. Frank was born in Liberia and eventually moved to Missouri with some family before making his way to the Worcester area as well. Frank worked in the electronics department at the local Walmart and was described as being fun, friendly, and a sharp dresser. Early on the morning of August 1st, 2003, Kwaku and Frank were nightclub hopping with three other friends around Worcester when they left the bars at 2:00 a.m. They were driving around in Kwaku’s car when suddenly a sports car, potentially a Mercedes-Benz, pulled up to their vehicle and rapidly fired 10 shots at them before fleeing. Kwaku was shot in the head and torso while Frank was shot in the head. Both men were pronounced dead at Saint Vincent Hospital a short while later. There have been no witnesses or any substantial evidence to point police in the direction of who could’ve murdered these two men, however, investigators did not seem to think it was drug or gang related. Unfortunately, just three weeks prior to their murder, Frank was arrested with three counts of statutory rape and three counts of indecent assault on a child under 14. Police believe this could potentially be a reason for their murders, however they are unsure. To this day, the double homicide remains unsolved. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the murders of Kwaku Osei-Owusu and Frank Vanney, please call the Worcester Police Department at 508-799-8651 or send “TIPWPD” to 274637 anonymously.
Image sources:
masslive.com - “A look at cold cases Hampden County prosecutors hope to solve with DNA advances”
thisweekinworcester.com - “Episode 6 of Unsolved Worcester Season 4, ‘Double Murder in Downtown Worcester,’ Now Available”