Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Death in Hell’s Kitchen’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘People Magazine Investigates’ chronicles the tragic passings of two men, Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, of the gay community in New York City between April and June 2022. As the detectives connect the two deaths, they are led straight to multiple perpetrators, who had a specific motive, responsible for the horrific killings. Featuring insightful and emotional interviews with the deceased men’s loved ones, the documentary provides a detailed account of the two tragedies.
Julio Ramirez Was Found Dead Inside a Cab on the Lower East Side
Ana and Julio Ramirez welcomed a little bundle of joy on August 16, 1996, in the form of Julio Cesar Ramirez. He grew up in a loving and supportive household alongside his older brother, Carlos Ramirez. With a drive to help others, he attended the University of Buffalo, where he earned a master’s degree. He then became a mental health counselor and resided in Bushwick, Brooklyn, in New York City. His bright future was cut short in the early hours of April 21, 2022, when he went to The Ritz Bar and Lounge, a spot he regularly visited with his friends.
Around 3:48 am on April 21, the police received a call from a taxi driver who informed them that he had an unconscious male passenger in the back of his vehicle around Ludlow Street and Stanton Street on the Lower East Side. When they rushed to the scene, they identified him as Julio Ramirez and pronounced him dead at Mount Sinai Brooklyn a while later. Initially, the cause of death was determined to be a possible drug overdose as he had multiple drugs in his system, including fentanyl, lidocaine and cocaine. Thus, the authorities launched an investigation to get to the bottom of the 25-year-old man’s untimely demise.
John Umberger Was Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances in His Manhattan Townhouse
John Anthony Clary Umberger was born on February 21, 1989, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Linda L. Clary and Alexander Campbell. While growing up with his three siblings — Abigail Grace Umberger, Benjamin Randall Umberger, and Nathan Beall Umberger — John went to Christ School in Asheville, North Carolina, before attending the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. In order to pursue a B.S. in History, Society, and Technology, he went to the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Having graduated with flying colors, he managed to work with members of the Republican National Committee, the US House and US Senate, the Georgia Governor’s Office, and the Republican Governors Association, primarily as a consultant.
Furthermore, he served as the Director of Diplomacy and Political Programs for the American Center for Law and Justice. His other professional endeavors involved being the Director of Operations for Chairman Neil Chatterjee at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the executive director for the Embassy Guild. More than a month after Julio’s demise, on June 1, 2022, 33-year-old John Umberger was found dead in a townhouse in Manhattan, where he had been staying at the time. Like Julio, the political consultant also died of a drug overdose with a cocktail of drugs in his system, including cocaine, fentanyl, and lidocaine. This detail connected his death to Julio’s death.
Julio Ramirez and John Umberger Were Targeted by a Group of Robbers
As part of the investigation, the detectives reviewed the surveillance footage of the area around The Ritz Bar and Lounge, where Julio Ramirez met with a friend. The investigators saw that Julio parted ways with his friend and entered a taxi nearby with three unidentified men around 3:17 am on April 21, 2022. Less than an hour later, he was found deceased by the taxi driver. In the days following his demise, about $20,000 was withdrawn from his bank accounts. The detectives also learned that John Umberger had also met two unidentified men outside The Q nightclub a few days before his demise.
The evidence led the investigators to Jayqwan Hamilton, Jacob Barroso, Robert DeMaio, Shane Hoskins, and Andre Butts, who allegedly targeted five men and drugged them with cocaine and fentanyl outside bars and clubs in New York City. As per the detectives, the suspects then gained access to their mobile phones in order to steal thousands of dollars from their mobile banking apps, before shopping for food, clothing, alcohol, and other items. When they had enough evidence against them, the police arrested all of them in connection with the two murders.
Jayqwan, Robert, and Jacob Are Serving Their Respective Sentences at New York Prison Facilities
Out of the five suspects, Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in the first-degree and robbery in the first-degree, respectively, in order to get a reduced sentence of eight years. The other three suspects, Jayqwan Hamilton, Jacob Barroso, and Robert DeMaio, were tried together in January 2025. During the trial, the prosecution told the jury that the trio was collectively responsible for drugging and robbing five men after meeting them outside bars and nightclubs between March 2021 and June 2022. They also presented a video of Robert and Jayqwan celebrating at the townhouse after killing John Umberger. On the other hand, the defense argued that both Julio Ramirez and John Umberger allegedly used drugs recreationally, and it was not certain which drugs resulted in their death.
After three weeks of back-and-forth between the prosecution and defense, the jury deliberated for over a day, and on February 10, 2025, they found the three men guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, burglary, and conspiracy. Three months later, on May 21, the sentencing for the three convicts took place. Julio’s brother, Carlos, took the stand and addressed them directly during a victim impact statement. He stated, “My only hope is that the weight of this crime haunts you. That you spend the rest of your life sitting in silence knowing you brought nothing but suffering into the lives of people who never harmed you.” Through the Assistant District Attorney, Julio’s parents, Ana and Julio, also stated, “We lost him to a calculated, cold and heartless act of greed… His life meant nothing.”
John Umberger’s mother, Clary, expressed that losing him was the worst pain. She added, “I also know that one of the greatest things John taught is that every problem is an opportunity. And through this tragedy, there has been so much love.” Jayqwan Hamilton also took the stand and opined, “I’m sympathetic towards the victims and their families. However, I disagree with the verdict. I maintain my innocence. My actions weren’t deadly at all, but I made some mistakes, and I regret them.” Ultimately, Jayqwan and Robert were sentenced to 40 years to life in prison while Jacob Barroso was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for their involvement in the killing of Julio Ramirez and John Umberger. As of today, 38-year-old Jayqwan and 37-year-old Robert are serving their sentence at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York. Meanwhile, 33-year-old Jacob is incarcerated at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York.
Read More: Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne Jr. Murders: Where Are Barbara and Marvin Potter Now?
