Are you hooked on true crime tales? Prepare to be gripped by the chilling real-life drama of a woman scheming to poison her lifelong best friend, all detailed in a Netflix documentary that’s leaving audiences astounded. We occasionally joke about offing our annoying flatmates for their late-night parties or never-ending mess, but who would actually go that far? Netflix’s series “Worst Roommate Ever” explores this shocking reality, and believe it or not, it’s all true.
The series kicked off with its inaugural season inspired by a spine-chilling article from New York Magazine penned by William Brennan. It features what’s been dubbed the ‘ultimate Craigslist nightmare’—a squatter who not only invades a woman’s space but slowly and meticulously pushes her out of her own home. In its second season, the series ramps up the terror, introducing audiences to four new roommate scenarios involving dark web dealings and deadly outcomes.
The promo image alone is enough to send shivers down your spine.
One of the most horrifying stories unfolds between Janie Lynn Ridd and her roommate Rachel, whose friendship spans over two decades. Their bond seemed unbreakable, having been best friends for 25 years and even deciding to move in together in 1995. However, soon after, Rachel began suffering from mysterious and severe illnesses which eventually forced her to quit her job as a paramedic. The truth, when it came to light, was far more sinister than anyone could have imagined. Rachel discovered her best friend had been slowly poisoning her with a strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
“I really have a hard time believing that the person I’ve known for 25 years, my best friend and roommate, could do what she did,” Rachel shared. “But it was diabolical, it was evil. It was plotted and planned so perfectly.”
Janie Lynn Ridd and Rachel were best friends for 25 years.
Life was seemingly idyllic until Rachel began expanding her social circle and dating, which triggered Janie’s controlling and jealous tendencies. “For the first time in our friendship, Janie had 100 per cent control over me because I didn’t have a job, I was pregnant, I had a back injury, and I was in so much pain, I needed her,” Rachel recounted. The situation escalated as accusations against Janie surfaced, leading to her arrest and charges including aggravated intentional abuse and attempted possession of a weapon of mass destruction, according to court records.
Rachel now suspects that Janie’s initial tactic was to administer Xanax, later escalating to more potent substances like Ketamine. She also revealed in the Netflix series her belief that she had been injected with E.Coli. “She found joy in tormenting me,” Rachel said. “I don’t think I was human to her.”