Overview of The Deck — Shad Ghande Khadiyah (Two of Spades, Rhode Island)
This episode of The Deck recounts the 2013 unsolved murder of 22-year-old aspiring rapper Shad Ghande Khadiyah (sometimes called Ghande Shad). His body was found burned in Picasset Cemetery in Cranston, RI on March 20–21, 2013; the medical examiner determined he was strangled before being set on fire. The investigation uncovered family conflict, a suspicious $250,000 life-insurance policy arranged weeks earlier, multiple inconsistent stories from a key person of interest (Ruben Ortiz), missing surveillance footage, and strong circumstantial evidence — yet prosecutors say there wasn’t enough to charge anyone. Over a decade later, Shad’s family still seeks answers.
Key facts & timeline
- March 20, 2013 (late night): A neighbor calls 911 about a brush fire at Picasset Cemetery in Cranston. Firefighters find a burned male body; clothing and shoes melted.
- March 21, 2013 (autopsy): Victim identified by fingerprints as 22-year-old Shad Ghande Khadiyah. Cause of death: strangulation (likely with a cord); fire set postmortem to destroy evidence.
- Last confirmed sighting: March 20, ~12:26 p.m. — surveillance at the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence shows Shad leaving and getting into a white car. Witnesses later identify that car as a white 2012 Toyota Corolla.
- March 18, 2013: Confrontation at Maciel Ortiz’s family restaurant (Maciel is Shad’s ex and the mother of his daughter). Ruben Ortiz (Maciel’s uncle) reportedly aggressively confronts Shad: family members later recall Ruben saying “you effed up for the last time.”
- March 20 evening: Shad’s phone goes dark after getting into a car that day; he doesn’t contact family again. Fire at cemetery reported ~10:49 p.m.
- Following months/years: Police gather circumstantial evidence (cell data, witness statements, car sightings). Ruben’s stories change repeatedly. Prosecutors decline to charge due to lack of decisive evidence. Insurance litigation over $250,000 policy drags on; policy ultimately paid to Maciel.
People & relationships
- Shad Ghande Khadiyah: 22, aspiring rapper, had a daughter (Milan), described by friends as focused on music and his child rather than a seasoned gang member.
- Maciel Ortiz: Shad’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his daughter; listed as sole beneficiary and “intended spouse” on the life-insurance policy. Denies involvement in the murder.
- Ruben Ortiz (uncle of Maciel): Central person of interest. Allegedly the last person seen with Shad at the Institute. He helped arrange Shad’s life insurance, paid some premiums, and was seen by police to own/have access to a white 2012 Toyota Corolla matching witness descriptions. He gave multiple, inconsistent accounts of his movements and claims concerning Shad.
- Family & friends: Reported that Shad had tense relations with Maciel’s family, disputes over custody/visiting rights, and a physical altercation with Ruben two days before his death.
Evidence, leads, and investigative findings
- Forensic: Autopsy confirmed strangulation before fire; fire likely set to obscure evidence/identity. No clear physical evidence linking a suspect due to fire damage.
- Surveillance & video:
- Sign at cemetery claimed cameras but was a bluff; no internal cemetery footage.
- Dyer Avenue business/traffic cameras captured a white car entering the cemetery for ~5 minutes that night but not license plates or occupants.
- Institute surveillance confirmed Shad getting into a white car midday on March 20.
- Restaurant footage from March 18 (when the confrontation occurred) was reported missing/damaged for that day.
- Library footage did not show Shad at the time Ruben later claimed he dropped him there.
- Digital & phone data:
- Shad’s phone went dark shortly after the noon pickup.
- Ruben’s cell data placed him in Cranston/Providence that night; his alibi claiming he was in Massachusetts was contradicted.
- Ruben texted a friend at 10:32 p.m. March 20 asking to be let in; that friend’s house is less than a mile from the cemetery.
- Life insurance:
- Policy for $250,000 taken out in late November naming Maciel as beneficiary and listing her as intended spouse; monthly premium ~$18.63. Ruben arranged the meeting with the agent and paid part of premiums.
- Family contested payout under the state’s slayer statute; insurers sought court guidance; policy ultimately paid to Maciel after litigation and the family ceased contesting.
- Vehicle examinations: Police searched the Toyota and other cars; trunk/carpets were vacuumed multiple times with reportedly little recovered.
Why the case remains unsolved
- Destruction of physical evidence: Fire likely obliterated forensic traces on the body and clothing.
- No confession, no eyewitness to the killing: Prosecutors reportedly wanted either a confession, an eyewitness account of the killing, or physical evidence tying a suspect directly to the murder scene.
- Missing surveillance: Key video (cemetery interior, restaurant incident) was unavailable.
- Intimidation/silence in the neighborhood: Detectives believe potential witnesses are fearful of retaliation and have not come forward.
- Inconclusive forensics from vehicles: Car searches yielded insufficient trace evidence to support charges.
- Prosecutorial standard: Despite strong circumstantial buildup against Ruben (inconsistent statements, cell data, proximity, motives), prosecutors concluded the case still lacked the necessary evidence to indict.
Outstanding questions investigators want answered
- Where exactly was Shad killed (vehicle, another location) and by whom?
- What was the choking instrument (family suspects Shad’s headphones) and can it be located?
- Who, if anyone, witnessed the killing or the transport of Shad’s body?
- Did others participate (detectives believe it likely required more than one person)?
- Are there witnesses or associates of Ruben who will now come forward?
- Why was the March 18 restaurant surveillance footage missing and who can explain that gap?
Impact on family and aftermath
- Family trauma: Shad’s mother and siblings have been deeply affected; two additional family deaths followed in later years (brother and then mother), compounding the loss.
- Custody & contact: Shad’s daughter Milan is now a teenager; contact between Shad’s side of the family and Milan is limited and strained.
- Ruben’s later legal trouble: Records show Ruben pled no contest to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge and faced other allegations (extortion, impersonating an officer) that remain confusing and partially unresolved.
- Case status: Still active but unsolved; investigators continue to hope for a witness to break the case.
How to help / contact information
If you have any information about the murder of Shad Ghande Khadiyah, Cranston Police ask you to contact:
- Phone: 401-942-2211
- Anonymous text tip: Text keyword CranstonPD and your tip to 847411
Main takeaways
- The Shad Ghande Khadiyah case is a strong example of a circumstantial investigation that appears compelling in many ways (motive, opportunity, inconsistent suspect accounts, missing footage), yet lacks the direct evidence prosecutors say they need to indict.
- Key red flags: the life-insurance policy arranged by a close family associate who benefitted indirectly, the timing and location inconsistencies in the suspect’s story, and surveillance/gaps that have never been explained.
- The case remains open; detectives believe the truth likely resides with people who know what happened but remain silent out of fear or loyalty.