Roommate From Hell: The Maribel Ramos Case

An Aspiring Officer and Her Roommate

In 2013, former Army veteran and aspiring police officer Maribel Ramos disappeared after a chilling 911 call. Her seemingly perfect roommate, KC Joy, harbored a dangerous obsession that turned deadly. Join us as we explore the twists and turns of Maribel’s tragic case, uncovering how trust and friendship turned into a nightmare.

Maribel’s Path to Law Enforcement

“I’m just calling to let you guys know that if something happens that I did it because I was trying to defend myself.”

That was how a 911 call from Orange County went in 2013 and as far as friends, family and local law enforcement were concerned Maribel Ramos was certainly more than capable of handling business herself if she needed to.

Maribel Manriquez Ramos was born on November 22nd, 1976, and from the get-go, she was a strong and hardworking person. She had a passion for law enforcement, and even as a child, she saw herself as working for the police one day.

Maribel actually got a little taste of what that would feel like as soon as she graduated from high school and got a job as a security guard for a local Kmart, but it was shortly after that she got the real deal. Actually, perhaps it’s more accurate to say that she got even more than that because instead of joining law enforcement, Maribel joined the US Army. 

It was shortly after 9/11 and, like so many others, Maribel found herself deployed to Iraq later that year. She did two combat tours before being honorably discharged and coming home. Back on American soil, Maribel returned to her roots and went to California State University-Fullerton to study criminal justice. 

A Troubling Connection with KC Joy

That was Maribel’s future settled. She was well-liked, physically strong and fit from all of her military training, and she was well on her path to achieving her childhood dream of working in law enforcement. It looked like things could only continue to keep growing bigger and better for Maribel, but then she got some devastating news.

Maribel’s mother was sick and Maribel being Maribel, she moved into her mother’s apartment to look after her. Maribel continued to go to school and get her degree during the day and during the night, she’d be there for her mother.

And she was still in the apartment in Orange County when her mother died about a year later. Maribel was now alone in her mother’s house and when the dust had settled, she quickly realized   that she couldn’t afford the rent on her own.

Maribel’s first stop was her sister Lucy Gonzalez, but Lucy had a daughter and she didn’t want to uproot her child if she could avoid doing so. Lucy made Maribel a promise that she would move into the apartment if Maribel couldn’t find another solution, but now Maribel knew that she couldn’t put her sister and her niece through that.

She put an add out on Craigslist and began screening potential roommates instead.

It was amidst all the messages that came in, in response to her ad, that one name stood out: Kwang Choi Joy. There was something about his profile and about him that just seemed right. He described himself as an easy-going guy who just needed a place to stay while he was looking for a job. 

Maribel and Lucy met up with KC in person, and they liked him even more. Lucy found KC quiet and sweet. He had no wife and no children, and didn’t look like he was going to be any trouble. Maribel agreed, and the temptation of a future with a quiet, well-mannered roommate who pretty much kept to himself was too sweet to pass up.

From Friendship to Fatal Obsession

KC moved in and for all Maribel could see, living with him was exactly as advertised. He was low maintenance, didn’t make any noise, and never had people over. In fact, KC usually spent most of his time just hanging out in the apartment on his own.

At first, Maribel couldn’t believe her luck, but then once she’d gotten over her initial joy, empathy and concern quickly took over. “It’s sad because we felt his loneliness,” Lucy later said, and gave as an explanation for why Maribel and their family took KC in as one of their own. They began inviting KC to family events and everyone grew incredibly close.

That closeness continued to grow back at the apartment, too. Maribel and KC started spending more and more time together, and would often even be seen running errands and walking their dogs together in the neighborhood. For Maribel, she’d found the perfect roommate who’d turned into an even better friend.

For KC, he’d found the love of his life.

That summer, Lucy got a call from KC. He told her that he was in love with Maribel, that he wanted to marry her and wanted to have children together with her.

Lucy was shocked. She tried to soften the blow by telling KC that he deserved to have all of that, but that she didn’t believe that it would be with her sister, and then she called Maribel to warn her. She advised Maribel to do what she could to manage KC’s expectations and to make it clear that she wasn’t interested in him romantically.

Maribel did just that, and KC seemed to take the rejection on the chin.

But then again, KC also seemed to take it as a challenge. In his mind, all he had to do was win Maribel over, and then he’d have the woman and the life of his dreams. 

KC completely changed the way he looked. He bought new clothes, got a tattoo and even allegedly spent about 10,000 dollars on plastic surgery to make himself look younger.

And then he started trying to woo Maribel. He kept buying her expensive gifts and even took her on a cruise, probably thinking that she would be enticed by his new good looks and lavish gestures.

A Chilling Disappearance

And then about nine months after KC called Lucy to confess his feelings for Maribel, Maribel suddenly disappeared. She missed a scheduled event without letting anyone know beforehand and friends and family couldn’t reach her when they tried to call.

Knowing that this was totally out of character for Maribel, her family rushed to her apartment to see if she was alright. Maribel wasn’t home, in fact they couldn’t find any signs that she’d even been home recently.

Her family reported Maribel as missing and an investigation quickly ensued. It took no time at all to uncover surveillance footage from the evening before that showed Maribel dropping off her rent check, and then Maribel simply disappeared.

KC Joy Under Suspicion

KC was obviously front and center of the investigation. Not only was he her roommate, but he was also the last person to have seen Maribel the night before. He told the investigators that he and Maribel had gotten into an argument over expenses and then he’d left to go out on a long drive to clear his head. According to KC, when he’d come back home, Maribel was gone and he hadn’t seen her since.

His story was somewhat believable, but Maribel’s family kept pointing the finger at KC and his unrequited feelings.

And then the investigators found the recording of Maribel’s call to the police. She’d made it only twelve days before she’d suddenly disappeared and it completely changed the investigation. 

Given her military training and physical strength, Maribel was more than capable of protecting herself from KC if she’d needed to and with his constant advancements, and growing impatience, Maribel was starting to think a physical altercation between them was on the horizon.

In fact, it turned out that Maribel had actually asked KC to move out the month before, but KC had kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn’t. The argument over expenses the night before Maribel had disappeared had actually escalated so far that Maribel apparently ended up telling KC that he had to move out the very next day.

The timeline and growing tensions between the two roommates had the investigators looking into KC’s past. It turned out that he had moved to Orange County to escape his previous life that had been on a sharp downward trajectory. Before moving he had lost his job and both of his parents and disputes over inheritance had driven a wedge between KC and his sister.

The Search for Maribel

While the investigators continued to look for Maribel, her biggest fan was nowhere to be seen. He stalked online platforms, commenting on social media posts about Maribel and telling the world how much he missed her, but in reality, he’d stopped all contact with her family and showing up to vigils held in Maribel’s honor. 

However, the investigators kept KC firmly in their crosshairs. They still had no idea what had happened to Maribel, or even if she was still alive, but they were sure that KC had something to do with whatever had happened to her.

Perhaps thinking that he was covering his tracks, KC began going to public libraries to follow updates on Maribel’s investigation, not knowing that he was being closely watched by the authorities. 

“How long does it take a body to decay?” read one of his searches and then he looked up the strangest thing. KC searched for a lone tree in a remote canyon and then he zoomed in, almost like he was looking for something.

The investigators made note and rushed to the location only to recover the badly decomposing remains of a woman. Dental records revealed that it was, unfortunately, Maribel. She’d spent about two weeks under the Californian sun and no cause of death could be determined.

An Arrest and the Final Outcome

But seeing as he’d known the exact location of her remains, it was pretty safe to say that KC was at the very least somewhat responsible for Maribel’s death. Chances were that because of her military training, KC had attacked Maribel in her sleep and killed her then and so, the investigators wanted to talk to him again. 

But KC then made himself look even more guilty by jumping out of a window when the police came to arrest him. He luckily didn’t make it very far, however, and was quickly charged with her murder. He was found guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Conclusion: A Tragic End to an Unmatched Obsession

The heartbreaking story of Maribel Ramos and KC Joy is a chilling reminder of how trust can be weaponized, and how an unreciprocated obsession can spiral into tragedy. Maribel, a brave and determined woman who served her country and was on her way to achieving her dreams, was robbed of her future by someone she believed was a friend.

KC’s actions—from his escalating advances to his desperate attempts to cover his tracks—paint a harrowing picture of entitlement and unchecked infatuation. His calculated behavior, including searching for Maribel’s body online, underscores the unsettling reality of how far some will go to maintain control over those who reject them.

For Maribel’s family, justice was served with KC’s conviction, but no sentence can replace the light and joy Maribel brought to their lives. Her story is a somber reminder of the importance of recognizing and addressing warning signs in relationships, no matter how seemingly innocuous they may appear at first.

As true crime enthusiasts, we’re drawn to cases like this not just for their shocking twists but for the lessons they teach about boundaries, safety, and the dangers of unchecked obsession. Maribel Ramos’s legacy is one of resilience and strength, even in the face of unimaginable betrayal. Her story urges us to honor her memory by advocating for those whose voices are silenced and by continuing to seek justice for victims everywhere.