The news of one identical twin sister allegedly slaying another has devastated the women's family and friends. Anna, a mother of three daughters, was described as "born beautifully and extremely loved."
"She was a complete joy and one of the greatest gifts we have ever received," her family wrote of Anna in a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for her funeral expenses. "Sadly she was taken from us too soon."
While cases involving one twin killing the other are rare, recent history suggests it does happen. Last year, a Hawaii yoga instructor was acquitted of charges that she intentionally killed her identical twin sister in 2016 by driving the SUV they were riding in off a cliff.
In the hours after her sister's death after 6am on Saturday local time, Amanda, 27, told authorities a variety of stories, according to a probable cause statement released by the prosecutor's office yesterday and obtained by the Washington Post.
First, Amanda told police she picked up a disheveled-looking Anna on a main road in Camden. Amanda said the two got into an argument and that Anna collapsed and started to bleed when they arrived at her apartment.
Then, Amanda said the twins were drinking at their cousin's home when her sister appeared to fall ill. Amanda told police she called emergency services after her sister collapsed and appeared to be bleeding from her chest.
Finally, prosecutors said, Amanda claimed that Anna attacked her when they arrived at the apartment complex, adding that Anna's strikes to her face brought her to her knees. Amanda said that after Anna grabbed a knife, she managed to wrestle away the blade and then stabbed her sibling in the chest.
In addition to the blood stains on Amanda's clothing and the floor, detectives said they found a knife in the apartment that tested positive for blood.
Amanda Ramirez is being held at Camden County Correctional Facility pending a pretrial detention hearing, the prosecutor's office said. It's unclear whether she has a lawyer.
In the days following her death, family and friends remembered Anna, a certified nursing assistant, as a person whose "humble demeanor, kindness and willingness to give with a pure heart allowed her true beauty to shine through."
"She loved to spend time with her family and was a devoted mother," the family wrote in her obituary. "Anna had a special bond with her grandparents and enjoyed family dinners and weekly time hanging out with her sisters."
As of early Wednesday, the GoFundMe page to help assist with her funeral costs had raised nearly $2,000 toward its goal of $10,000. Anna's funeral is scheduled for Friday.
On social media, many turned to the Facebook photo posted by Anna hours before her death, which features an image of Amanda smiling nearby. "You know the vibe," Anna wrote, followed by a string of emoji.
A separate Facebook post from a woman who identified herself as Anna and Amanda's cousin included a two-second video of the sisters sticking out their tongues.
The cousin wrote about the bond she had with Anna.
"I love u cousin so much," she wrote on Facebook on Saturday. The cousin added: "This feel so unreal."
