Utica Strangulation Cold Case from 2002 is Finally Solved

A 24-year-old homicide case involving the death of a Utica woman has officially been declared solved by the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, according to Lt. Mike Curley from the Utica Police Department.

Utica Police were first called to 16 Barnes Avenue on January 10, 2002, after a deceased woman was discovered inside the residence. The victim was identified as 39-year-old Katherine Scott, also known as Katherine Liggins.

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According to investigators, Scott’s body was found wrapped in plastic and concealed beneath a mattress on the living room floor. An autopsy and medical examiner’s findings later determined her death to be a homicide, prompting a lengthy criminal investigation.
The case was initially handled by retired Utica Police Investigator Michael Acquaviva, who conducted the early stages of the investigation and identified a primary suspect. The case was later reassigned to retired investigators Anthony Salerno and Tricia Nicholson-Scully, who continued to build evidence and conduct interviews over the years.
Despite persistent investigative work, the case stalled due to the absence of a confession or direct eyewitness testimony. Investigators say Nicholson-Scully continued revisiting the case, repeatedly interviewing individuals connected to the victim and the suspect in hopes of uncovering new information.

Facebook Post: Rosi Liggins Jones - January 10, 2025:

HOW DID I LET THIS DAY GO BY, LETTING THIS SLIP MY MIND. I KNEW TODAY, SOMETHING WASN’T FEELING RIGHT. CONTINUE TO REST WITH GOD, SIS (KAT) KATHERINE (LIGGINS) SCOTT. I MISS YOU SO MUCH, AND WILL FOREVER LOVE YOU. 23 YEARS ALREADY; BUT SEEM LIKE YESTERDAY.

In 2024, the primary suspect, Jarvis “Jabo” Simpson, died while in federal custody. Authorities say his death provided an opportunity to re-examine the case and seek long-awaited closure for Scott’s family.

Working with the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Fletcher, and multiple local, state, and federal agencies, Nicholson-Scully helped coordinate renewed interviews with individuals close to the original investigation.
Those efforts resulted in what prosecutors describe as substantial and verifiable new information.
Based on the totality of the evidence — including earlier findings and newly obtained information — the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office has now officially concluded that Simpson was responsible for Scott’s death. Prosecutors say the manner of death was determined to be manual strangulation and suffocation.
With the suspect deceased, no criminal charges will be filed. However, officials say formally closing the case brings long-overdue answers.
Authorities expressed hope that the resolution will provide some measure of peace to Scott’s family, who has waited nearly a quarter century for clarity surrounding her death.