Husband eliminates his father-in-law for helping wife escape with kids, then 'just sat in a chair' and waited for cops to show up: Prosecutors

A antheral successful Maryland changeable and killed his father-in-law erstwhile the suspect's wife filed a extortion bid against him and the older antheral helped relocate their children, authorities say.

Mark Ryan, 41, has been charged with murder successful the decease of 74-year-old Robert MacMeekin, Baltimore County's authorities announced. The suspect was placed successful the Baltimore County detention halfway without bond.

On Saturday astatine astir 2:25 p.m., Ryan and MacMeekin were astatine MacMeekin's location connected the 14000 artifact of Sawmill Court successful Phoenix, Maryland, authorities say. Their beingness was reportedly not truthful overmuch a gathering arsenic a confrontation, with Ryan allegedly equipped with a loaded handgun successful his pocket.

The younger antheral was upset that his woman got a impermanent protective bid against him connected Saturday morning, the authorities argued successful tribunal connected Monday, according to Baltimore NBC affiliate WBAL. She had made claims of home abuse.

As Ryan allegedly entered his father-in-law's property, helium accused MacMeekin of keeping him from seeing his 2 sons, ages 2 and 6, respectively. Prosecutors contend that Ryan fired 3 shots astatine MacMeekin successful beforehand of the children, with 1 of them striking the older antheral successful the neck.

Police responded to the scene, wherever MacMeekin was pronounced dead. Ryan was arrested and charged with murder, with authorities saying, "Preliminarily, this incidental appears to beryllium home related."

Ryan's woman and her parent were besides contiguous astatine the clip of the shooting, section Fox affiliate WBFF reported. They said Ryan dropped the weapon aft the shooting and "just sat successful a chair" until officers arrived.

She besides allegedly said that connected Friday — the time earlier the shooting — she and her begetter went to instrumentality enforcement to question the protective bid due to the fact that Ryan had deed her and threatened to drawback a gun. She and her begetter moved the children to MacMeekin's home, and helium informed his son-in-law that the kids would beryllium staying with him for the weekend.

The defence — portion seemingly not disputing the information that shots were fired — has offered a antithetic mentation of events. They accidental Ryan's woman was cheating connected him and MacMeekin was the 1 who initiated a "struggle for a gun."

Ryan's defence attorneys besides reportedly claimed Ryan lone brought the weapon to the spot to support himself and that the children did not spot immoderate of the violence.

The wife's protective bid against Ryan was reportedly dismissed connected Monday. Still, the justice denied him bail oregon enslaved astatine the hearing.

MacMeekin was portion of the idiosyncratic wounded instrumentality steadfast Fine, Kelly & MacMeekin, which operated passim Maryland. Prosecutors said his decease was "absolutely needless" and lone caused by Ryan's "anger," besides alleging that the suspect "admitted to everything," per WBAL.