Westchester County, NY – A decades-old double homicide case has taken a dramatic turn as the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office announced a reinvestigation has identified two new suspects, moving away from a man who was tried five times and ultimately acquitted. This development marks a significant shift after 16 years of the office’s unwavering belief in the guilt of Selwyn Days, who was eventually freed in 2017.
The office, under outgoing District Attorney Mimi Rocah, revealed the new findings which show "no connection" between Days and the deaths of Archie Harris and Betty Ramcharan. This is the first time the office has publicly acknowledged that the guilt for the 1996 killings might lie elsewhere. Days’ lawyer, Glenn Garber, has called for full vindication for his client, emphasizing the need for a just closure to the case.
Rocah, who took office in 2021 and did not oversee the previous prosecutions of Days, provided no details about the newly identified individuals, citing an ongoing investigation. The new leads emerged recently, requiring additional work before any potential actions can be taken. Rocah will be leaving office this week after opting not to seek re-election.
Incoming District Attorney Susan Cacace has pledged to continue reviewing the case. Both Rocah and Cacace are members of the Democratic Party. Garber expressed confidence that Cacace's administration will pursue charges against those truly responsible for the crimes.
The case originally involved millionaire Archie Harris, known for keeping large sums of cash, and his home health aide, Betty Ramcharan. Harris had legal issues with several caregivers, including Days’ mother, and controversially left the bulk of his estate to Ramcharan, who died alongside him.
Selwyn Days, the man previously prosecuted, gave a video confession, which his lawyers argued was coerced. Days consistently proclaimed his innocence, stating, "I didn’t commit this crime. I don’t know who did." Despite the video confession, multiple trials ended in hung juries or overturned convictions, with Days eventually being acquitted after serving 16 years.
Rocah established a Conviction Review Unit in 2021, which started looking into the Harris and Ramcharan case last year. The efforts of this unit led to the identification of the new suspects. At this time, contact information for relatives of Ramcharan and Harris could not be immediately located.
