Man arrested in Long Island suitcase case suffocated victim by lying on her, according to the district attorney.

A Long Island man, Ronald Schroeder, aged 41, has been charged with manslaughter and multiple counts of a criminal sexual act following the discovery of a woman’s body in a suitcase. The indictment, announced by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney on Wednesday, expands upon earlier charges of concealment of a corpse and drug offenses that were filed against Schroeder last September.

The victim, identified as 33-year-old Seikeya Jones, was discovered in a partially decomposed state in a wooded area adjacent to an apartment complex in Huntington Station. Law enforcement officials were alerted to the scene after reports of a foul odor. Upon arrival, they found Jones’s remains in a fetal position, her wrists and ankles bound, indicating a deliberate attempt to conceal her.

Prosecutors report that Jones was last seen alive on August 29, 2024, in the company of Schroeder. Attempts to locate him for questioning proved challenging initially, but he was apprehended a week later at the Long Island Rail Road Lost and Found office in Penn Station, Manhattan. At that time, authorities discovered a backpack belonging to Schroeder that allegedly contained methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), a drug commonly associated with sexual assault.

Video evidence recovered from Schroeder’s phone appears to show him engaging in sexual acts with Jones while she was unconscious and subsequently resting on her, leading to her demise. An autopsy conducted by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that asphyxia due to torso compression and smothering was the cause of death.

During his arraignment on Wednesday, Schroeder faced a superseding indictment that included one count of manslaughter and two counts of criminal sexual act. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bail. If convicted of the top count, he could face a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

Schroeder is scheduled to appear in court again on June 20 as the case progresses, drawing attention to the serious implications of violence against women and the legal consequences of such acts. The case continues to unfold, with prosecutors committed to achieving justice for the victim. Media News Source provides updates on this ongoing situation.