Thursday, 4:30 PM
Dishwasher pleads not guilty in slaying of restaurant manager
By John R. Ellement, Glove Staff, and Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent
A kitchen worker stood expressionless and pleaded not guilty to a murder charge this morning in New Bedford District Court after police allege he fatally stabbed his manager at the Old Country Buffet in Dartmouth following a series of arguments about how he washed pots and pans.
Ryan Jones, 28, said nothing during his arraignment, standing in a maroon long-sleeve pullover next to his court appointed lawyer. The New Bedford native had only one previous arrest, a shoplifting charge that was later dismissed, said his defense attorney, Michael Zeman.
Jones told police that Valerie Oranski, 39, of Middleborough, had been stabbed with a steak knife Saturday morning at the Dartmouth restaurant by a masked intruder. Jones came running out of the bathroom with blood on his hands and face and told coworkers he saw an attacker flee out a backdoor.
Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Brackett said in court this morning that none of the other employees saw the “masked man” described by Jones, who investigator said changed his description of the perpetrator during questioning. Jones initially said that the man had been wearing gloves, and then later said that the killer had a ring on one finger, according to Brackett. When asked about the discrepancy, Jones said that the man was wearing a ring over his glove.
Other workers told investigators that Jones, a three-year Old Country Buffet employee, and Oranski, a general manager, had a long running feud. Oranski frequently disciplined Jones for the way he washed dishes, in part because he put pots and pans inside the dishwashing machine, which was against company policy. Brackett said that Jones, in turn, told other employees that he wanted to kill Oranski.
Zeman, his court appointed defense attorney, said this morning that Jones had been a “special needs” student who was sent to a special school in Bridgewater. Zeman said he was still gathering background about his client and may consider an insanity defense.
Prosecutors allege before the Old Country Buffet opened Saturday morning, Jones lured his manager into the bathroom by telling her there was something wrong with a toilet.
At 7:25 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a 911 call at the empty restaurant and found Oranski, an Old Country Buffet manager for 10 years, bleeding from more than 20 stab wounds on the bathroom floor. Investigators found a steak knife near her body.
This morning a judge ordered Jones held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court again Aug. 29.
