5 chilling details about Donna Scrivo's case ahead of Snapped

In January 2014, the peaceful town of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, was shocked by the case of Donna Scrivo, a 61-year-old registered nurse, and her 32-year-old son, Ramsay Scrivo. Donna called the police to report Ramsay missing after he supposedly left home and failed to return. Days later, police found dismembered human remains strewn in black garbage bags along rural roads in St. Clair County, approximately 30 miles northeast of Detroit.

The victim's remains were confirmed to be Ramsay's using DNA and dental records. Donna Scrivo was connected to the crime scene by evidence such as blood spots in the condo, a newly-purchased electric saw, and her car's use in carrying the bags. Prosecutors accused her of drugging and strangling her son before cutting his body in their condo.

Donna denied the accusations, stating she was forced by a masked intruder to be a part of the disposal. She was indicted on a count of first-degree murder, mutilation of a body, and stealing a body. The trial was held in 2015. She was convicted by a jury after very short deliberations and subsequently sentenced to life without parole.

This case is highlighted in the true crime series Snapped, season 19, episode 8, titled Donna Scrivo, which is re-airing on September 26, 2025.

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Five terrifying facts regarding Donna Scrivo's case before Snapped

1) The mysterious disappearance and gruesome discovery

Ramsay's body was dismembered into 14 pieces(Image via Unsplash/ @ JOSHUA COLEMAN)

On January 27, 2014, Donna Scrivo reported her 32-year-old son Ramsay missing to St. Clair Shores police, claiming he had left their condo and failed to return. Just four days later, on January 31, passersby discovered several black trash bags scattered across rural areas of St. Clair County.

Inside were dismembered human remains, including Ramsay’s lower abdomen, thighs, arms, chest, head, and internal organs. Some of the body parts showed signs of burning. One of the bags even contained an electric saw, jigsaw blades, and unused matches. Authorities later confirmed the remains as Ramsay’s through DNA and dental records, as per ClickOnDetroit.

Investigators quickly turned their attention to Donna Scrivo. Detectives smelled bleach inside the condo and found charring in the bathtub, along with chemical residues. Neighbors reported seeing Donna carrying heavy black bags to her SUV around the time Ramsay vanished. Blood was also found in her vehicle, linking it to the transport of the remains, as per CBS News.

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2) The brutal dismemberment process

Ramsay's body parts were discovered in trash bags(Image via Unsplash/ @ Richard Bell)

Investigators determined Ramsay’s body had been dismembered into about 14 pieces using an electric circular saw, which was later found in one of the trash bags with his remains. Evidence indicated the dismemberment took place in the condo’s bathtub, where blood and charring were present. Some limbs and the neck area showed signs of burning, suggesting attempts to destroy evidence.

Ramsay’s head, with singed hair at the cut site, was found in one of the bags alongside other limbs. One arm was never recovered, according to the Detroit Free Press. Surveillance footage later showed Donna purchasing the saw shortly before the incident, allegedly for household use.

Investigators also found blue tarps around the condo’s kitchen table, possibly used to prepare the body for dismemberment. Prosecutors argued that the methodical disposal, scattering the bags across multiple sites in St. Clair County, demonstrated planning and premeditation, as per AP News.

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3) Evidence of drugging and strangulation

Ramsay's body had toxic levels of Xanax in his system (Image via Unsplash/ @ Lance Reis)

An autopsy revealed Ramsay died from ligature strangulation, with a fractured Adam’s apple indicating several minutes of neck compression. Toxicology tests showed toxic levels of Xanax and other medications in his system, which prosecutors alleged Donna Scrivo, a registered nurse, administered to subdue Ramsay before strangling him.

No defensive wounds were found, supporting the theory that he was incapacitated when killed, as per the Lansing State Journal. Additional evidence further implicated her: a Coke bottle with her DNA was recovered near Ramsay’s head, and cell phone records showed she contacted a charity about donating a vehicle later linked to hauling the remains.

The prosecution argued that the combination of drugging and strangulation, along with careful disposal, proved premeditation, as per CBS News.

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4) The mother’s outlandish defense story

Snapped, season 19, episode 8 (Image via Unsplash/ @ National Cancer Institute)

At trial, Donna Scrivo claimed an armed intruder in his 40s, wearing a mask, entered the condo on January 25, killed Ramsay, and held her hostage for five days. She alleged the intruder handcuffed her to the bed, gagged her with a scarf, and forced her at gunpoint to help dismember and dispose of Ramsay’s body. Donna said she transported the bags out of fear for her other son’s safety.

Her attorney emphasized her small stature, about 110 pounds compared to Ramsay’s 235 pounds, and pointed out the absence of her DNA on the saw or some of the bags. They also referenced witness claims of a suspicious man in the area. Prosecutors dismissed the story as implausible, noting no evidence of forced entry or another suspect. The jury ultimately rejected her defense, according to CBS News.

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5) The trial, conviction, and life sentence

Donna Scrivo was sentenced to life in prison (Image via Unsplash/ @ Tingey Injury Law Firm)

The May 2015 trial in Macomb County Circuit Court lasted about two weeks and featured testimony from roughly 30 witnesses, including forensic experts and police investigators. Prosecutors presented the saw, DNA evidence, and witness accounts, arguing the murder was carefully planned. The defense insisted there were gaps in the case and no clear motive.

After just one hour and forty minutes of deliberation, the jury convicted Donna Scrivo of first-degree murder, mutilation of a corpse, and removal of a corpse without authorization, as per the Lansing State Journal. On June 23, 2015, Judge Richard Caretti sentenced her to life in prison without parole, with concurrent terms for the additional charges.

At sentencing, Donna Scrivo apologized but continued to claim her innocence, telling the court she was not “mother of the year” but had been unfairly judged by media coverage. Her appeal in 2017, based on claims of ineffective counsel and prosecutorial misconduct, was denied. She remains incarcerated at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, according to the Detroit Free Press.

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