The first episode of Season 2 of the Netflix series Worst Roommate Ever, titled My BFF Tried To Kill Me, shows how Janie Lynn Ridd’s obsession with the son of Rachel led her to misuse her role as a caretaker.
Rachel, then 22, met Janie Lynn Ridd in Utah in 1995. At the time, Rachel, the recently divorced one, was living at her parents’ house and wanted to move out. Then, she found Janie to share a house with her.
She worked as a paramedic for six years until she herniated a disc in her back and could no longer work. Soon after that, Rachel found out she was pregnant.
Rachel gave birth to a boy, Ryder, whose father didn’t stay around, and problems began when Janie tried to take custody of Rachel’s son while Rachel was stuck in bed after major spine surgery.
In the interview, she said, “Janie had 100% control over me because I didn’t have a job, I was pregnant, I had a back injury, and I was in so much pain, I needed her.“
Worst Roommate Ever
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| Director | Domini Hofmann |
| Release Date | March 1, 2022 |
| Studio | Blumhouse Television |
| Cast | Alex Miller, Susan Miller, Arleen Hairbaedian |
| Runtime | 47 minutes |
| Writers | Domini Hofmann |
| Rating | TV-MA |
Janie and Rachel watched a true crime documentary together, which inspired Janie to find a way to harm her roommate!
Rachel recalls watching a documentary with Janie about a nurse who used succinylcholine on a patient, which was detected in an autopsy. They even discussed how the nurse was foolish to use something detectable.
In 2019, Janie put Rachel to bed with her usual medication, and the next day, Rachel woke up in the hospital with low blood sugar, even though she wasn’t diabetic.
Around this time, the FBI was investigating someone who bought a bacteria called Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) on the dark web, which led them to Janie.
Janie Lynn Ridd, 50, of Utah was arrested Wednesday for possessing a weapon of mass destruction.
— Graphenes (@Graphenes1) December 20, 2019
“Through an investigation, officers learned a subject later identified as Janie Lynn Ridd purchased a weapon of mass destruction … a biological agent online” pic.twitter.com/xEHHsrzZ3O
Janie claimed she ordered the deadly substance for research purposes. However, it became clear she was harming Rachel with it because Janie wanted custody of Rachel’s son.
Moreover, she had grown closer to Rachel’s son, and according to the indictment, Rachel had named Janie as her son’s guardian in the event of her death.
On August 25, 2020, Janie pleaded guilty to attempted intentional abuse of a disabled or elderly adult and attempted possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
The court sentenced Janie to consecutive terms of at least one and 20 years in prison. Now 55, she served 25 months in prison before being granted parole and released in January 2022.
“She didn’t ruin my life,” Rachel said in the episode of Worst Roommate Ever, “She ruined hers, and that’s sad. That’s very sad.“
Additional Information
- Season 2 of Worst Roommate Ever premiered on June 26, 2024, with 4 new episodes.
- In the case of Janie, she pleaded guilty to three charges but dropped the third one as part of a plea bargain.
- The court also ordered Janie Ridd to pay $1000 plus interest in restitution along with the sentence.
- In the latest audio clip from Salt Lake County Jail played at the end of the Worst Roommate Ever episode, Janie said, “Gonna find a way to get him (son of Rachel) away from her.”
