Murder trial begins for self-proclaimed witch in Broward over missing mother case

Shannon Ryan, 44, faces trial in Broward County for the murder of Leila Cavett, 21, who vanished in South Florida in July 2020. Her body has never been found.

Broward murder trial opens six years after mother's disappearance

A murder trial opened in Broward County this week for Shannon Ryan, 44, a self-proclaimed "witch" accused of killing Leila Cavett, a 21-year-old mother who disappeared in South Florida in July 2020, nbcmiami.com reports.

Ryan faces charges of murder, child neglect and tampering with evidence. Cavett's body has never been recovered.

Cavett was last seen on surveillance footage at a RaceTrac gas station in Hollywood in July 2020. Hours later, her then 2-year-old son was found wandering alone at an apartment complex in Miramar. Her vehicle was discovered abandoned several days after that.

Court documents describe Ryan as a self-described witch and chakra master who told investigators he had known Cavett since around January 2019 and that she had travelled to Florida to sell him her pickup truck.

In a 50-minute video posted to his Facebook page, Ryan claimed Cavett had shown up at his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in the middle of the night with her then 1-year-old baby, saying her car had broken down and she needed shelter. He said he allowed them to stay for two months and taught Cavett witchcraft before she moved out.

FBI investigators, in a criminal complaint filed in Fort Lauderdale, said video evidence did not support Ryan's account that he watched Cavett and her son get into another person's vehicle at the Hollywood gas station.

Authorities also established that Ryan purchased odor eliminator, duct tape and extra-large garbage bags around the time of Cavett's disappearance.

Several employees of the RaceTrac station were interviewed. One recognised a photograph of Ryan and told law enforcement they had seen him using the station's dumpster. A second employee specifically recalled seeing children's toys and women's clothing in that dumpster on or around 26 July — including a distinctive pair of floral trousers matching those worn by Cavett in a photograph shown to them.

Surveillance footage from 27 July 2020 showed Ryan dragging a large object wrapped in black garbage bags from his truck to a dumpster. He was also observed discarding what appeared to be bloody towels.

Investigators further found that Ryan had searched online for "does bleach and alcohol make chloroform" and had visited Hollywood's Waste Management website to check commercial trash collection times in the city.

Ryan has pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody without bond as the trial continues.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)