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The recent arrest of Craig Nelson Ross Jr., the alleged kidnapper of Charlotte Sena in upstate New York has brought renewed attention to a pair of cold case murders that took place in Saratoga County. 

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The cases of Christina White and Jennifer "Moonbeam" Hammond, who disappeared years apart, remain shrouded in mystery, with their skeletal remains discovered in rural Greenfield, New York.

Christina White, aged 19, vanished near Daketown Road in June 2005, and her skeletal remains were uncovered a year later. Her phone, wallet, and a knife she typically carried were missing. Authorities determined she had been fatally stabbed.

Jennifer Hammond, an 18-year-old Colorado native, was last seen in August 2003 while selling magazines door-to-door at Creek and Pines Trailer Park, off Middleline Road in Ballston Spa. Hammond's body was discovered near the location where 9-year-old kidnapping victim Charlotte Sena was rescued by the police.

Hammond never made it to her scheduled rendezvous with her boss, and her belongings were found in her hotel room, including an unused bus ticket to return to Colorado. Her skull was found six years later near Lake Desolation Road, but her cause of death remains undisclosed.

Cold case murders

Ross has become a suspect in the cold case murders.

He has lived in and around parks for decades and was apprehended after kidnapping Charlotte from Moreau Lake State Park. 

The proximity of Ross's residence to the locations where White and Hammond were last seen and where their remains were discovered, has led some experts to believe there is a possible connection.

Criminal profiler John Kelly, president of STALK Inc., noted that many killers are drawn to specific physical characteristics of their victims, often tied to their fantasies. 

He pointed out that both victims were found in the remote woods of upstate New York in Greenfield, near trailer parks in the county.

While Ross has not been officially named a suspect in either cold case, his alleged attempt to ransom Charlotte's family has drawn attention from the community. 

Ross’s Criminal History

Saratoga County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Matthew Robinson emphasized that there is no concrete information suggesting Ross's involvement in the unsolved murders.

Ross's criminal history includes a 1999 DWI conviction in Saratoga Springs, where his fingerprints were later found on a ransom note placed in the Sena family mailbox, leading to his capture. Subsequently, he faced accusations of misdemeanors, including aggravated harassment in 2016 and domestic violence in 2017.

Despite limited publicly known evidence linking Ross to the cold cases, experts like John Kelly remain hopeful that the increased attention may encourage individuals with valuable information to come forward.

 Anyone with information regarding the Christina White or Jennifer Hammond cases is urged to contact the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office at 518-885-6761.