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Ronald Schroeder, age 41, of Huntington Station, was indicted for concealment of a human corpse and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in the death of Seikeya Jones.
The 33-year-old mother’s partially decomposed remains were found in a suitcase outside of an apartment building in Huntington Station, near Nassau and Woodhull roads, on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
A passerby called 911 after discovering the suitcase and noticing a foul odor, the Suffolk County DA’s office said.
Jones was found with her wrists and ankles bound with a cord. Her cause of death has not yet been determined and autopsy results are pending.
The case garnered widespread media coverage and left neighbors on edge for days before police arrested a suspect, 31-year-old Ronald Schroeder, of Huntington Station, on Friday, Sept. 6.
Schroeder was located at Penn Station after he showed up to the Long Island Rail Road lost and found office to claim his backpack. Inside the bag, police reportedly found methamphetamine and GHB or “liquid ecstasy.”
According to investigators, Jones was last seen alive with Schroeder on Thursday, Aug. 29, inside the building where they both lived.
In court Wednesday, he was formally charged with concealing a human corpse, a felony, along with multiple drug offenses. Notably, he was not charged with causing Jones' death.
A judge ordered him jailed on a $1 million bond. He faces up to nine years in prison if convicted on the top count.
Following the indictment, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney called the case “immensely troubling” and suggested additional charges are likely.
“Ms. Jones and her family deserve a full investigation,” Tierney said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that the victim and her family receive justice.”
Meanwhile, friends and loved ones continue to post tributes to Jones, who grew up in Huntington and graduated from Harborfields High School. She leaves behind a 4-year-old son, according to her obituary.
“Seikeya was a sweet, humble person. She would always say everyone was her friend,” reads her memorial. “When we would ask who she was with or where she was staying, she would always say I am with my friend. She loved her siblings, and family.”
Funeral services will be held at the M. A. Connell Funeral Home in Huntington Station at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact Suffolk County Police homicide detectives at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
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