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Woman & Home
Woman & Home
Lifestyle
Katherine Sidnell

Worst Roommate Ever: Who is Janie Ridd and where is she now?

Worst Roommate Ever.

Sharing a house can be tough, with arguments over the cleaning and claustrophobia setting in. Now Netflix's Worst Roommate Ever has shone a light on some of the most dreadful home share experiences - including the story of Janie Ridd. 

Each episode of Worst Roommate Ever reveals how seemingly normal housemates turned into con artists, criminals and even killers.

With the new series of the show now on Neflix, it opens with the shocking story of a woman who slowly poisoned her best friend.

Though it may sound like the plot of a thriller, the real life crimes of Janie Ridd have shocked viewers - and many are wondering where she is now. 

Who is Janie Ridd?

Former job centre assistant, Janie Ridd, had seemed like the perfect roommate for Rachel after moving in 1995.

Despite their close bond, it was later discovered that Janie had been slowly poisoning Rachel with a deadly antibiotic resistant bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus - sourced on the dark web.

Rachel never suspected her former friend - even after being repeatedly hospitalised.

Having suffered a debilitating back injury in the nineties, the former paramedic had assumed her poor health was a result of this.

She even allowed Janie to co-parent her young son, with her friend gradually gaining more and more control over both their lives.

It was only when the FBI began investigating the now-55-year-old that her crimes came to light.

Though her motive remains unclear, it's thought that she’d become increasingly obsessed with Rachel's young son - which led to her using the antibiotic resistant bacteria online.

There have also been reports that she also injected her roommate with insulin, which can have deadly consequences for non-diabetics.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Where is Janie Ridd now?

In 2020, Janie Ridd was convicted of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult and attempted acquisition of a weapon of mass destruction.

After pleading guilty, Janie served two years in prison before being granted parole in early 2022.

Little is known about her life following her arrest, although The Tab reports that her LinkedIn profile is still states that is still living in Utah.

The US state is also where she formally resided with Rachel and her young son.

Meanwhile, Rachel has tried to rebuild her life following the incident.

“I really have a hard time believing that the person I’ve known for 25 years, my best friend and roommate, could do what she did,” she told filmmakers, adding: “But it was diabolical, it was evil. It was plotted and planned so perfectly.”

Season two of Worst Roommate Ever is available to stream on Netflix now.

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