By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Aug 29, 2008
Updated: Sep 5, 2008

DURHAM COUNTY — According to their wedding announcement, Saturday, September 6 will be a big day for Raven Abaroa and his new bride, Vanessa Pond Abaroa. 

The announcement indicates that Raven and the new Mrs. Abaroa will attend a reception in Raven's current home state of Utah.  "The reception is scheduled at the home of the bride’s parents on September 6 from 6-9 p.m. in West Jordan, Utah," the invitation reads.

Here in Raven's former home state of North Carolina, Saturday, September 6 will mark just over three years and four months since Raven's previous wife, Janet Abaroa, was stabbed to death in the couple's Durham home, while the couple's young son, Kaiden, was inside.

The murder in Durham occurred April 26, 2005.  Raven's late wife, Janet, was pregnant when she was killed.

Durham PD investigators have told NC WANTED they have not ruled out Raven Abaroa as a suspect in his wife's murder.

In an exclusive interview, Raven Abaroa told NC WANTED he had nothing to do with his wife's death, and he only came home after his soccer game to find her dead body.

"I got home at, um, ya know, go upstairs, wha, I'd always go in and give Kaiden a kiss and just feel his warm little body and, you know, that's when I found out that something wasn't wrong, and, Janet died that night. (long pause)  I wasn't there," he told NC WANTED in an exclusive on-camera interview.

Durham Police Investigators have pointed out that Raven's claims about his timeline, the night of Janet's murder, remain suspicious.

Timeline Facts:  April 26, 2005 at the Abaroa Home in Durham

* Investigator notes from Durham PD indicate Raven claimed he returned home at around 10:40 p.m. the night of Janet's murder.

* The autopsy report indicates Janet Abaroa sustained injuries at approximately 10:50 p.m.

* The autopsy report approximates her time of death at 10:55 p.m. 

* 911 records indicate Raven called for help at 10:58 p.m.

Raven confirmed to NC WANTED that he has refused to take a polygraph test.  He said his family and friends advised him against it.

"I said I'll be available for any type of questioning, but you don't need a polygraph from me. You may think you do, but you don't need one from me because I have nothing to hide," Raven told NC WANTED about his conversations with investigators.

Durham Police Investigators emphasize that Raven Abaroa has not been fully cooperative throughout their investigation of his wife's murder.

If you have information on this case, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.

-----

From a previous story on NC WANTED.COM

Last week, a source told NC WANTED that Raven Abaroa recently tied the knot in La Jolla, California.

According to the wedding invitation, the wedding of Raven Abaroa and 25-year-old Vanessa Pond of Bluffdale, Utah, took place August 23, 2008, and the reception is scheduled at the home of the bride’s parents on September 6 from 6-9 p.m. in West Jordan, Utah.

This week, sources tell NC WANTED that due to financial problems, the couple decided to postpone the wedding until the same day as the reception.

The new photo appeared on the Abaroa wedding invitation provided to NC WANTED.

The invitation reads: "Auria Pond and Kaiden Abaroa are pleased to announce the marriage of her mommy and his daddy. Vanessa Pond and Raven Abaroa will exchange vows on the twenty-third of August Two thousand and eight in La Jolla, California. Please join them for a celebration on Saturday, the sixth of September from six until nine o-clock at the home of the bride's parents. JoDean and Randy Pond...West Jordan, Utah."

Raven's late wife, Janet, was found stabbed to death in their Durham home on April 26, 2005. NC WANTED profiled Janet's murder, which remains unsolved, and sat down for an exclusive interview with Raven. (You can watch that interview by browsing the links in the gray sidebar at right.)

In that interview, Raven said he was at an indoor soccer game in Morrisville the night Janet was killed and he came home to find her body.

Raven has one son, Kaiden, from his marriage with Janet and his new bride has a daughter from a previous relationship.