HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A murder charge has been filed in the disappearance of a Georgia woman in South Florida.
Hollywood Police charged Shannon Ryan, a self-proclaimed witch doctor, with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, Tuesday night.
The charges stem from the disappearance of 21-year-old Leila Cavett. Ryan claimed she traveled to South Florida from Alabama to sell her truck to him.
She was last seen in July 2020 with her 2-year-old son at a Hollywood gas station.
The next morning, her son was found wandering a Miramar parking lot by himself.
Shortly after Cavett’s disappearance, Ryan posted a video onto Facebook, where he claimed that he told investigators everything that he knew. However, authorities said otherwise.
According to investigators, Ryan was captured buying bleach and carpet cleaner at stores across the area. They also said he was recorded dragging a large object covered in trash bags to a dumpster at a Hollywood gas station, as well as throwing away bloody towels.
Investigators added Ryan also threw toys into the dumpster.
The 40-year-old has been in jail since August and faces a slew of other charges, including child neglect, lying to authorities and kidnapping. The kidnapping charge, detectives said, stemmed from when Ryan allegedly took Cavett’s son and abandoned him.
Ryan appeared before a judge on Wednesday for a hearing on his new charges.
“The court does find probable cause for murder in the second degree,” Broward Circuit Court Judge Tabitha Blackmon said. “We’ll hold you no bond on that count, also deeming you a flight risk.”
Cavett’s body has not been found. Her family traveled to South Florida last summer to beg for answers on their loved one’s whereabouts.
“We just want to know that you’re OK,” a family member said. “Please just reach out to anyone.”
The investigation into the Georgia mother’s disappearance led federal authorities to a landfill in Broward County to find a lead in the case. However, the search revealed nothing.
Prosecutors said they believe they have enough evidence to imprison Ryan for murder.
The judge also ruled that Ryan will not have any contact with Cavett’s family.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.