Left: John Ryan. Middle: Investigators in Jackson, Mississippi, dig up a body found in the backyard of a home. Right: Samantha Ryan (Jackson Police Department).
In Mississippi, a married couple has been arrested after a grim discovery was made during the investigation into the disappearance of an 81-year-old woman. Authorities found a body buried in the backyard of their residence, leading to their detention.
The case unfolded when a concerned family member reached out to the Jackson Police Department on Saturday to report Carol Ryan missing. The family member explained that Ryan was supposed to be residing in a nursing home located in Brandon, near Jackson, but she had not been seen or heard from in several months, raising alarms.
Jackson Police Chief Tyree Jones shared with reporters on Tuesday evening that the investigation quickly directed officers to Ryan’s former home. The property is currently occupied by her 50-year-old son, John Ryan, and his 48-year-old wife, Samantha Ryan. All three had previously lived there together, according to police records.
Armed with a search warrant, investigators combed the backyard, where cadaver dogs signaled the presence of human remains, as noted by Chief Jones.
Upon further examination using excavators, authorities uncovered a body encased in a tarp and sealed beneath a layer of concrete, buried at a depth of about six to eight feet.
The next steps involve a medical examiner’s efforts to positively identify the remains and establish the cause and manner of death, as detailed by law enforcement officials.
The discovered human remains had been buried “long before” Carol Ryan was reported missing, Jones added. The police chief said he did not have an estimate as to how long the body was in the defendants’ back yard.
The missing person investigation will continue until the remains are identified as Carol Ryan’s, authorities said.
Police arrested John Ryan and Samantha Ryan on one count each of desecration of a human corpse. The husband is being detained at the Hinds County Jail on a $100,000 bond while his wife is detained on a $75,000 bond.
The investigation remains ongoing and more charges are possible as investigators uncover more evidence, according to Jones.
