Ilion High School - Class of 1983

Source is here Utica Observer Dispatch - May 13, 2013

Image Courtesy of The Observer Dispatch

Ex-boyfriend apprehended in N. C. in former Ilion woman's killing - By Rocco DeLuca

Nearly two months ago, Deborah Massocco Castellano and her boyfriend at the time, Ryan Matthias, were both arrested by Herkimer police following a domestic incident at her home, authorities said.

Castellano, 47, soon broke off the relationship and moved to Maryland, yet Matthias continued to stalk and harass her, police said.

Castellano, however, never reported the harassment to Maryland authorities, they said, and by May 4 the mother of two was dead, found repeatedly shot inside her vehicle – allegedly by Matthias.

On Saturday, Matthias, 43, of Charlotte, N.C., was apprehended on an arrest warrant in North Carolina and is now awaiting extradition to Howard County, Md., to face murder charges in Castellano's shooting death, officials said.

Castellano's body was discovered in a Toyota Corolla parked outside her apartment in Columbia, Md., after someone called 911 to report a woman who appeared to be injured.

Police sought help from the public to identify a suspect, and last week they offered a $2,000 award for information leading to the killer's arrest.

Police knew that Castellano recently had begun working as a gaming supervisor at the Maryland Live Casino in Columbia, after years spent working at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.

But after Castellano's death, her family contacted police and told them they had been concerned for her safety.

Investigators in Maryland confirmed that Matthias had rented a car in North Carolina on May 3, the day before Castellano was killed, police said. The car was returned the day after her homicide, with more than 1,000 miles logged on the vehicle, Howard County police officials said Monday.

Further investigation revealed additional information that led them to confirm Matthias as Castellano's suspected killer, police said. As warrant was issued for his arrest and he was soon taken into custody by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

On Monday, Herkimer police confirmed that both Castellano and Matthias had been arrested on March 17 following an incident at 307 N. Caroline St. in the village. That address was listed as Castellano's residence in her obituary.