27-02-2025
Man charged after woman's body found inside trash can in Mill Creek: police
The Brief
On January 30, police say a woman's body was found in a garbage can in Mill Creek.
Weeks later, police released the identity of the victim and the man charged with her murder.
PHILADELPHIA - A man is facing several charges after police say he is a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in a trash can.
Police have released new details since the body was discovered last month.
What we know
Officers responded to reports of a body inside a garbage can on the 700 block of North 47th Street around 9:42 a.m. on January 30.
They arrived to find the body of a person, who was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
Police later identified the victim as 54-year-old Deborah Leatherberry. They say the cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to her temple.
Following an investigation, police identified the suspect as 61-year-old Ricardo Ponds.
He was arrested without incident by SEPTA officers at 15th and Market and will be charged with Murder, Violations of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA), and related offenses.
This is an ongoing investigation.
The Source
The information in this story is from Philadelphia police.
