Why an oral surgeon became a murder suspect in girlfriend's death

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This communicative primitively aired connected Oct. 5, 2024. It was updated connected May 10, 2025.

It's the greeting of Jan. 26, 2022. Sarah Harris, 25, lies unresponsive connected the level of the location she shares with her boyfriend, 48-year-old Dr. James Ryan. She is recovered successful the surviving room, which is successful disarray. Ryan tearfully talks with Montgomery County, Maryland, constabulary astatine the scene. The speech is recorded connected a assemblage camera arsenic they inquire him astir the nighttime before:

FIRST RESPONDER (bodycam video): Was she sleeping connected the sofa past night?

DR. JAMES RYAN: Yes. She would bash that sometimes (crying).

DR. JAMES RYAN (bodycam video): We were watching TV and past she said you should astir apt spell to furniture due to the fact that you're bushed and you person to enactment time … truthful I did …(crying).

FIRST RESPONDER: Uh huh. What clip did you spell to bed?

DR. JAMES RYAN: …Probably astir 10 oregon 11 (crying).

Ryan has already told authorities he's a doctor, and that helium thinks it's an overdose. And helium says it's happened before.

DR. JAMES RYAN (bodycam video): … and I did CPR and brought her back.

This time, Sarah doesn't survive. Ryan has suggested wherever she got astatine slightest 1 of her drugs of prime — a almighty anesthetic.

JAMES RYAN (bodycam video): She utilized to instrumentality propofol too, she utilized to bargain that from my office.

How they got into her assemblage and why.

JAMES RYAN (bodycam video): I've caught her earlier with, um, similar injecting herself with things.

JAMES RYAN (bodycam video): She was bipolar also, truthful she could beryllium truly aggravated oregon could beryllium truly happy.

THE DEATH OF SARAH HARRIS

Ryan had called Sarah's household with the atrocious quality that morning. But her mother, Tina Harris, conscionable didn't judge thing helium said. She instantly suspected Ryan was liable for Sarah's death. She arrived astatine the country astir 20 minutes later.

Tina Harris: I started kicking and hitting him and screaming astatine him.

Nikki Battiste: What did helium accidental happened?

Tina Harris: He said helium went to furniture and near her unsocial and came down and she was unresponsive successful the morning.

Authorities accidental they recovered wrappers from syringes, tourniquets and saline bags adjacent to the room sink, and cause vials successful Sarah's purse. Tina Harris thinks Ryan arranged it that way.

Tina Harris: He wanted it to look similar it was a suicide.

Tina Harris had agelong held suspicions astir Dr. Ryan. He had encountered Sarah Harris much than a twelvemonth earlier — not arsenic a girlfriend, but arsenic a diligent to get her contented teeth out.

Mary Fulginiti is simply a erstwhile authoritative and defence lawyer and a CBS News consultant. "48 Hours" asked her to usage her decades of courtroom acquisition to assistance analyse this case.

Mary Fulginiti: Dr. Ryan is idiosyncratic who's practiced for implicit 20 years. … He has unthinkable credentials. He's esteemed and regarded successful his assemblage arsenic 1 of the champion astatine what helium does.

Tina Harris says the archetypal clip her girl met Dr. Ryan for her teeth successful the summertime of 2020, the doc was professional. But she does retrieve astatine the clip feeling it was funny erstwhile his involvement successful Sarah seemed to change.

Tina Harris: She starts getting each these substance messages. … He asks her, "how are you doing?" And she says, "I'm fine." And helium starts sending small emojis.

Nikki Battiste: What are you reasoning arsenic her mom?

Tina Harris: I thought it was a small bizarre that helium added a small blessed look and … I thought, well, possibly helium conscionable likes utilizing emojis.

She says that's erstwhile Ryan had mentioned helium was looking to prosecute idiosyncratic arsenic a surgical assistant.

Tina Harris: I thought, well, you know, possibly helium conscionable thinks that she'd truly beryllium a bully addition.

Ryan hardly seemed similar a threat. He was divorced with 3 grown children and was progressive with a pistillate with whom helium already had a baby. At 47, helium was much than doubly Sarah's age.

Tina Harris: He said, "no, I don't request your resume. … conscionable travel connected successful for a moving interview." … I said, "well, I'm arrogant of you, honey. That's beauteous incredible. … that he's gonna thatch you each this stuff."

At the beginning, Sarah seemed to emotion the job, but Tina Harris says arsenic the holidays approached, an extravagant acquisition – a diamond necklace — retriggered her suspicion that Ryan's involvement successful Sarah was much than professional.

Tina Harris: I said, "OK, he's aft you." I said, "you gotta enactment your ft down."

Instead, successful aboriginal 2021, she says Sarah announced she had agreed to spell retired for a repast with Ryan, who was ending his different relationship. He seemed to triumph implicit Sarah. Tina Harris admits, successful their aboriginal days arsenic a couple, adjacent she recovered him impressive.

Nikki Battiste: As a mother, was a portion of you excited, she's — dating a doctor?

Tina Harris: Oh, well, I was excited! I was excited because… helium had a fantastic reputation.

And she says Ryan was generous. He would lease Sarah a caller car and instrumentality her and her household connected trips — each expenses paid. Tina Harris says, successful a way, helium spent clip courting her, too.

Tina Harris: He would say, "I would emotion to person you arsenic my mom. Sarah's truthful blessed to person you."

Tina Harris says she and Sarah ever had a peculiar bond.

Tina Harris: We were very, precise close.

She says Sarah was adjacent to her 3 siblings, excessively — particularly older sister Rachel Harris.

Tina Harris: Rachel … took it upon herself that she was gonna beryllium the protector.

But determination had been a unsmooth play during Sarah's younker successful suburban Maryland. Like galore young people, she experimented with drugs, and had problems moderating her mood. She suffered from anxiety.

Nikki Battiste: When did she archetypal conflict with depression?

Tina Harris: I noticed slump coming astir erstwhile she was astir 14, 15 years old. She would commencement feeling down.

But Tina Harris says Sarah inactive exceled successful precocious schoolhouse — craving cognition and the skills that came with it. She learned German, Spanish, Russian and American Sign Language.

Tina Harris: She enactment a batch of unit connected herself … particularly with her grades.

Before long, Sarah got her societal bearings.

Tina Harris: She fell into a large radical of kids … They would beryllium down successful the surviving country and play the guitar, play the piano, sing.

She was astatine a euphony festival successful 2018 erstwhile 21-year-old Sarah caught the oculus of Henry Peterson, 7 years older.

Henry Peterson: I consciousness similar it was similar stars colliding and, gathering idiosyncratic similar you're expected to meet.

They lived 7 hours apart, but helium says they rapidly became emotionally inseparable.

Henry Peterson: We talked astir everything you could deliberation of successful presumption of a aboriginal … matrimony and children and family.

He says the region yet made them drift. Peterson broke it off, though helium says helium inactive imagined they would extremity up together.

Henry Peterson: She and I ne'er stopped talking. The emotion was ever there.

By her mid-20s, Sarah had gotten into modeling and competing successful quality pageants. In 2020, she'd won the Miss Maryland Petite Pageant. The adjacent twelvemonth is erstwhile she started softly seeing Ryan, and by that summer, they had decided to unrecorded together.

Tina Harris: And that's erstwhile everything goes downhill.

WAS DR. RYAN OBSESSED WITH SARAH HARRIS?

By the extremity of the summertime of 2021, Tina Harris says James Ryan was dominating Sarah's life: Boss, fellow — adjacent letting her unrecorded rent escaped successful his house. But alternatively of flourishing, Sarah seemed anxious and depressed. She saw a psychiatrist, who gave her that bipolar diagnosis.

Tina Harris: Her complexion starts to alteration … She starts to suffer weight.

On a household travel to Key West that September, Tina Harris says Sarah had been dormant erstwhile a drunk Ryan revealed thing unsettling: helium had archetypal noticed Sarah erstwhile she was conscionable 14.

Tina Harris: "I utilized to spot Sarah walking the vicinity and playing astatine the parkland with her friends."

Tina Harris: And helium says … "then I recovered retired she worked successful the artifact store … truthful I would instrumentality my kids determination truthful I could spot her and I retrieve erstwhile she dressed up arsenic Elsa from 'Frozen' and she looked conscionable similar Elsa" … and past helium said, "yeah and past I recovered retired she worked astatine 1 of these restaurants and truthful I would spell successful determination for meal truthful I could get her arsenic my server."

Nikki Battiste: It sounds similar Doctor Ryan was obsessed with Sarah.

Tina Harris: He was. He was precise overmuch so.

By their adjacent travel to Florida a period later, she says Sarah was acting strangely. She wore a bulky long-sleeved sweatshirt contempt the heat. And it seemed similar she and Ryan were ever fighting.

Tina Harris: And she goes," I hatred him. … I don't wanna beryllium here. I wanna spell home."

And erstwhile they returned to Maryland, Tina Harris saw the afloat horrifying representation of what Sarah's beingness had become. She says she called Sarah connected Oct. 28, 2021.

Tina Harris: Phone rang, rang, rang, she yet picked up. She could hardly talk. Her words were highly slurred. So, I said, "Sarah what's going on? What's incorrect with you?" She goes, "Oh, I'm conscionable truly bushed mom."

Nikki Battiste: You knew thing was wrong.

Tina Harris: Yeah. Well, I knew she was slurring.

Tina Harris says she and Rachel near for Sarah's location minutes later.

Tina Harris: And we walked into hell.

Nikki Battiste: What did you see?

Tina Harris: Well, Sarah answers the doorway … she smells, it looks similar she hadn't bathed successful a week oregon more. She looked horrible.

She'd weighed 120 pounds erstwhile she'd had oral country with Ryan, Tina Harris says. But Sarah was tegument and bones now. And Tina says determination was more.

Tina Harris: The IV bags, needles laying each implicit the level … syringes, tourniquets, bloody footprints, bloody insubstantial towels …

And determination were drugs, bottles and vials everywhere. Rachel gathered them up and photographed them.

Tina Harris: I ne'er looked astatine the drugs and I privation I had.

Nikki Battiste: Do you deliberation immoderate radical watching would think, however did you not look astatine what the drugs were?

Tina Harris: Of people … I conscionable wanted to get her out.

She says Sarah had offered an innocent, if unconvincing, explanation.

Tina Harris: She goes, "I've conscionable been dehydrated, mom. … he's conscionable hydrating me."

Tina Harris: I said, "I'm turning him in." … And Sarah starts crying, "mom you can't bash that. Please don't bash that." She's begging maine … I grabbed her arms and I pulled her sleeves up, and she had needle marks from present to present (moves her manus from her wrist to her elbow), each implicit her arms, bruises … I became hysterical.

Against her amended judgment, Tina Harris agreed to clasp disconnected connected calling authorities. But she says she insisted Sarah determination backmost home. Just days later, Tina says Ryan convinced Sarah to travel backmost to him.

In the pursuing weeks, Tina Harris says Sarah seemed to beryllium getting better. She started cooking, eating and adjacent going to church. But connected Dec. 3, 2021, Tina says her girl answered the telephone slurring again. Rachel Harris jumped into action.

Tina Harris: Rachel said … "I'm gonna spell and cheque connected her."

When Rachel got there, Tina says "It was worse than the archetypal time."

Poking astir the crushed floor, Rachel Harris erstwhile again pulled retired her camera, uncovering cause bottles and vials, arsenic good arsenic a saline bag, an IV pole, IV needles and bloody footprints connected a room mat. She was truthful distraught, she near without talking to her sister. A fewer days later, Tina Harris confronted Dr. James Ryan. She was successful nary temper for different explanation.

Tina Harris: I conscionable reached crossed and smacked the surviving crap retired of him.

Nikki Battiste: You deed him?

Tina Harris Yeah. Oh, I deed him, and I said, "what are you doing? Are you trying to termination my daughter?"

Tina Harris says Ryan inactive insisted he'd lone been hydrating her.

Nikki Battiste: And you inactive believed it?

Tina Harris: I believed helium was giving her something. I didn't cognize what it was. I did not look astatine the vials … All I could spot was my girl and what benignant of occupation she was in.

But the adjacent time she says Ryan admitted he'd been doing much than hydrating her. He'd been giving Sarah drugs — though only, helium said, to support her from getting them someplace else.

Tina Harris: So, I told him — I said, "look … you tin interruption it disconnected with my girl … Or I'm calling the constabulary …" And helium said, well, I'll interruption it disconnected with her.

But days turned into weeks and Ryan ne'er did. After months of tension, Tina Harris says she couldn't support arguing with her girl anymore.

Tina Harris: What was I gonna do, fastener her up?

Nikki Battiste: You astir apt wanted to.

Tina Harris: I threatened it and she said, "if you bash that, mom, erstwhile I get out, you'll ne'er perceive from maine again," and that frightened maine to death.

Within weeks, determination was a caller calamity for the Harris family. Sarah's member Christopher, conscionable 38, died aft a bosom onslaught successful Montana.

Tina Harris: I had to motion the papers to instrumentality him disconnected beingness enactment … which nary parent should person to do.

His decease was devastating to the full family. Sarah posted this tribute connection to her brother:

"Never goodbye. I'll spot you soon large bro." And lone 18 days aft Christopher's death, astatine astir 8:30 a.m. connected Jan. 26, 2022, Tina Harris says she and Rachel were unneurotic erstwhile Rachel got James Ryan's call.

Tina Harris: Rachel started screaming … she's holding the telephone and James has it connected Facetime and he's got the camera pointed astatine my baby, had Sarah connected the ground, saying, "she's gone, she's gone."

At the clip of her death, Sarah weighed conscionable 83 pounds. Authorities would database her mode of decease arsenic undetermined. Ryan was not arrested. They seemed to judge his communicative that Sarah, struggling with intelligence wellness issues, had overdosed. But determination would beryllium assistance from a astir improbable investigator.

A SISTER'S SEARCH FOR CLUES

Three months earlier she died, Sarah near a voicemail for her ex-boyfriend Henry Peterson.

SARAH HARRIS (voicemail): I conscionable anticipation that you're blessed that I'm with idiosyncratic who truly, genuinely loves maine …

SARAH HARRIS (voicemail): I've ne'er trusted anybody arsenic overmuch arsenic I've trusted the antheral that I'm with close present professionally, emotionally … you ne'er fto maine successful that way. …

They'd stayed successful interaction aft breaking up, truthful erstwhile she didn't reply her telephone aft January 2022, Peterson says helium had a unusual feeling and decided to spell online.

Henry Peterson: I Googled her name, and — there's an obituary.

Peterson says erstwhile Tina Harris gave him details, helium joined her successful the content that James Ryan — the antheral Sarah said she had trusted much than anybody other — was liable for her death. But archetypal responders didn't deliberation so.

Tina Harris: They didn't unopen it down arsenic a transgression scene.

Police seized immoderate cause vials but near the location unguarded. Tina Harris says that's due to the fact that they believed what Ryan had told them astir wherever Sarah had gotten the drugs and however she'd taken them.

Tina Harris: It was an … overdose …

But Tina Harris says she knew determination was much to it than that — though she didn't cognize however to beryllium it. Turns out, determination was idiosyncratic precise adjacent to her who did.

Tina Harris: Rachel told maine she would find the evidence.

Rachel Harris decided to analyse Sarah's laptop, to spot if it mightiness incorporate clues authorities hadn't seen. She didn't cognize the password, but she knew her sister well.

Tina Harris: It took her astir a mates of days to fig retired Sarah's password.

Combing done Sarah's machine and iCloud, Rachel Harris deed paydirt: a trove of texts betwixt her sister and James Ryan. The messages were afloat of references to drugs, including a tranquilizer named diazepam and 2 fast-acting surgical anesthetics — the benignant Rachel had seen successful the location Ryan and Sarah shared — propofol and ketamine, which is sometimes besides utilized for depression. Rachel created a binder, adding the photos she'd taken there.

Nikki Battiste: Rachel compiled 200 pages of grounds —

Tina Harris: Mm-hmm.

The aesculapian examiner would merchandise Sarah's autopsy report, which showed those aforesaid 3 drugs successful Sarah's system. Research suggests they tin each beryllium wont forming and they tin suppress breathing. Taking them successful operation tin beryllium lethal.

Nikki Battiste: All the while, Rachel's gathering a case?

Tina Harris: Yes, yes, yes.

In February 2022, Rachel Harris gave her binder to Montgomery County Police. It yet landed connected the table of Detective Ian Iacoviello, an adept successful pharmaceutical investigations. After much than 33 years arsenic a cop, Iacoviello was nearing retirement. He decided to travel successful unsocial connected a Sunday.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: It was my birthday, and thing was going on. You don't get parties erstwhile you're this age. I'm like, I'm conscionable gonna spell successful the bureau and look done this binder and conscionable see.

What Iacoviello saw successful Rachel Harris' binder suggested cops astatine the country had been incorrect astir Sarah's death. He says speechmaking the texts betwixt Sarah and James Ryan was similar watching a execution successful dilatory motion.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: You could spot … Sarah die.

Sarah is suffering wrong the archetypal period of their relationship.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: She had … anxiety. She was having occupation sleeping.

Ryan offers a speedy fix, "I tin springiness you an injection … the anxiousness volition beryllium wholly gone successful 6 2nd s [sic] …" He writes, "It volition work. Let's effort it …"

Det. Ian Iacoviello: He had already made the decision.

Iacoviello says, the texts suggest that implicit the months, Sarah developed a cause wont – and a wont of asking her fellow the doc to provender it:

In October 2021: "do we person ketamine here" In November: "we request syringes … I consciousness similar s***."

In December: "I conscionable truly request … sleep" she writes. "xan (sic) you bring propofol"

Det. Ian Iacoviello: She's actively asking for drugs. At nary point, does helium accidental no.

Iacoviello says the texts suggest Ryan often brought Sarah the unsafe drugs and that helium really administered astatine slightest 1 astir a period earlier her death. It was Dec. 20, 2021. "If you aftermath up… I conscionable went [sic] alteration aft I gave you ketamine. Just now.…" helium writes.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: He's injecting her portion she's asleep. No monitoring, nary anything.

And Iacoviello points to this speech from the time earlier Sarah died. "Is it imaginable to bring location ketamine erstwhile you come…" she asks. "Yes, I volition bring immoderate home. I emotion you baby," Ryan replies.

Nikki Battiste: The texts archer a story.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: They do.

So bash Rachel's photos from Sarah's house, says Iacoviello, though his colleagues lacking acquisition successful pharmaceutical investigations mightiness not person understood that.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: They had nary thought what they were truly looking at.

He says patrol cops and paramedics often woody with overdoses of thoroughfare drugs similar heroin and fentanyl. But the deadly drugs successful Sarah Harris' location were masquerading arsenic thing else.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: There's a quality betwixt drugs and medication.

Iacoviello says, to the untrained eye, the drugs astatine Sarah's looked similar "medication." The paraphernalia astir the location mightiness person been confusing, too.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: Usually what we spot is burnt spoons, tinfoil, um, immoderate hypodermic needles … possibly a shoelace oregon immoderate different drawstring … that benignant of cause paraphernalia …

But to Iacoviello, the syringes and the saline, the nonrecreational tourniquets and the integrative wrappers astatine Sarah's made it lucifer an operating room.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: That's what a batch of it looked like.

Whatever questions responding authorities whitethorn person had, helium says Ryan offered answers.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: And you've got James saying … she did each of this. Without immoderate different information, OK, well, we're conscionable benignant of gonna spell with what helium says.

Nikki Battiste: He's a doctor.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: He's a doctor.

But Iacoviello says aft speechmaking done the family's binder, immoderate credibility Ryan whitethorn person had that time vanished. And connected March 22, 2022, astir 2 months aft Sarah's death, James Ryan was arrested for the execution of Sarah Harris. But prosecutors would person to marque the lawsuit to a jury.

Prosecutor Jennifer Harrison: Sometimes it's hard to person them.

Maybe particularly truthful successful this case, due to the fact that Ryan's defence is suggesting helium was lone trying to prevention Sarah's beingness — and that she had different ideas.

WHAT IS "DEPRAVED-HEART" MURDER?

"I knew the lawsuit was solid, " says Iacoviello. He was definite Dr. James Ryan was liable for Sarah Harris' decease and helium had nary occupation convincing prosecutors connected Montgomery County's Overdose Taskforce: Jennifer Harrison, James Dietrich and Kimberly Cissel.

Prosecutor Jennifer Harrison: It's his fault.

Prosecutor James Dietrich: He was the 1 who was providing those drugs.

Prosecutor Kimberly Cissel: He knew however unsafe these drugs were.

Ryan was a doc aft all. But arsenic definite arsenic prosecutors were, that helium knew helium was risking Sarah's life, they had nary conclusive grounds helium intended to termination her.

James Dietrich: We ne'er suggested that. … you tin judge that James Ryan loved Sarah Harris … but it does not excuse each the different actions that helium took that led to Sarah's — Sarah's death.

So they complaint Ryan with a sub-category of second-degree execution unfamiliar to galore people. It's known arsenic depraved-heart murder. Prosecutors accidental the complaint doesn't necessitate proving the slayer really wanted anyone dormant — lone that they knew their actions would likely kill idiosyncratic and didn't care.

Prosecutor Jennifer Harrison: We person to beryllium … that helium did it with … reckless disregard for the worth of her life.

Dietrich gave "48 Hours" an example.

Prosecutor James Dietrich: If I instrumentality a weapon and conscionable randomly sprout it into a crowd, I whitethorn not needfully privation oregon attraction that anybody dies. … But … that is specified a grossly reckless enactment that someone's apt to die.

Prosecutors besides complaint Ryan with a somewhat lesser charge, involuntary manslaughter, positive 2 counts of cause organisation and 1 number of possession with intent to distribute.

Opening statements statesman connected August 16, 2023. There are nary cameras successful tribunal but determination is an audio recording.

PROSECUTOR JENNIFER HARRISON (in court): Behind closed doors helium was conducting a deadly aesculapian experimentation connected his 25-year-old patient-turned-employee turned live-in girlfriend.

The prosecution portrays Ryan arsenic a controlling older antheral who got his glamorous young woman hooked connected drugs.

PROSECUTOR JENNIFER HARRISON (in court): He was stealing unsafe sedation drugs from his concern and administering them to his woman Sarah Harris.

Prosecutors accidental the impervious of Ryan's guilt is mostly successful those substance messages: Ryan offering to get escaped of Sarah's anxiousness successful six seconds, telling her helium gave her ketamine portion she was sleeping, and connected the nighttime earlier her assemblage was found, seemingly agreeing to bring ketamine location to her.

PROSECUTOR KIMBERLY CISSEL (in court): Can you archer america astir Sarah? What was she like?

TINA HARRIS: Mm-hmm. I don't cognize wherever to start.

TINA HARRIS (in court): She was my babe (crying).

Tina Harris, who was the archetypal to testify, is affectional arsenic she relives Sarah's downward spiral conscionable months earlier dying.

TINA HARRIS (in court): I asked to spot her arms. And she said, "no, mama." But I grabbed her arms and I pulled up the sleeves and her small arms were covered successful needle marks and bruises (crying).

And the aesculapian examiner tells the assemblage astir the unsafe cause cocktail that brought her beingness to a tragic end.

MEDICAL EXAMINER (in court): When radical usage … each 3 together, those conscionable … origin profound beardown sedation ...

The drugs tin beryllium truthful dangerous, successful fact, the prosecution tells jurors that doctors who usage these drugs person instrumentality and protocols successful spot to revive patients if needed.

Prosecutor Jennifer Harrison: Even though Dr. Ryan would travel each of those information protocols successful his ain office, helium would ne'er travel those … at home.

Nikki Battiste: She was chemically babelike connected him.

Janice Miller: She was chemically babelike connected him.

Prosecutors besides telephone societal idiosyncratic Janice Miller who says that benignant of powerfulness imbalance is simply a hallmark of abusive relationships.

Janice Miller: The drugs were the mode that helium controlled her and truly ensured that she wouldn't permission the narration …

Det. Ian Iacoviello: He's created an addict.

Dr. Ryan and his attorneys did not hold to beryllium interviewed by "48 Hours." But astatine trial, they reason Sarah Harris whitethorn person played an important relation successful her ain demise; suggesting that aft wrestling with intelligence illness, she was present losing her conflict with anxiety, slump and drugs.

Mary Fulginiti: Their absorption connected Sarah Harris is evidently her intelligence unwellness …

The defence suggests Sarah whitethorn person begun stealing the drugs herself. They privation the assemblage to cognize astir her Facebook station astir seeing her deceased member "soon," but the justice won't let it. But they are allowed to archer jurors astir a substance Sarah sent Ryan months earlier her death.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY (in court): She says "… I've mislaid my volition to unrecorded …"

Nikki Battiste: Do you deliberation there's immoderate accidental Sarah was suicidal?

Tina Harris: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: Where's the denotation of a termination connected the scene? There is none.

Iacoviello says the cause bottles recovered successful Sarah's purse were excessively acold from her assemblage for her to person fixed them to herself.

Det. Ian Iacoviello: These drugs are accelerated acting … She's gonna beryllium retired successful seconds. … however she … enactment each the medicine successful her purse … past went and laic down, not possible.

Prosecutor James Dietrich: She wouldn't person cleaned up .. Somebody other had to person done it.

But according to CBS News advisor Mary Fulginiti, the defence argues that detectives mishandled the scene; that there's nary mode to cognize precisely what happened, including who administered the fatal dose.

Mary Fulginiti: They didn't trial … to spot if his DNA oregon fingerprints were connected those syringes.

Ryan chooses not to testify. The defence argues helium was a loving spouse who was conscionable trying to assistance Sarah.

Mary Fulginiti: This is simply a lawsuit astir … caring for idiosyncratic … and — and perchance loving them to death.

His lawyers telephone a person who saw Sarah utilizing drugs earlier she began dating Ryan, and a comparative who saw them arsenic a blessed couple.

In closings, prosecutors punctual the assemblage that to convict Ryan of depraved-heart murder, it doesn't substance whether oregon not helium really enactment the drugs successful Sarah's body…or adjacent whether oregon not helium wanted her to die.

Prosecutor Jennifer Harrison: … the enactment of giving her the drugs is … --him handing her a loaded weapon …

But would the assemblage agree?

THE VERDICT

For arsenic agelong arsenic Kyle Stevens tin remember, his person Dr. James Ryan has done close by people.

Kyle Stevens: He was beauteous consecutive lace, clean-cut … guy.

Nikki Battiste: When helium talked astir Sarah, however did helium sound?

Kyle Stevens: In the opening … helium … seemed enthusiastic and excited.

But Stevens says astatine a definite point, Ryan did scope retired with a concern.

Kyle Stevens: He had asked astir however to champion beryllium adjuvant and supportive to idiosyncratic … successful that spot of slump and perchance addiction.

Nikki Battiste: Did it marque you wonderment if helium was really asking astir Sarah?

Kyle Stevens Yeah. … but I didn't press.

So Stevens says helium had nary thought what was truly going connected betwixt the two. Then helium discovered his person was arrested and headed to trial.

Nikki Battiste: When you heard the verdict — what did you think?

Kyle Stevens: I was … taken back.

After a astir two-week trial, it takes jurors little than 3 hours to scope their decision.

On Aug. 25, 2023 they find James Ryan guilty of the second-degree depraved-heart execution of Sarah Harris.

Prosecutor Kimberly Cissel: Relief.

Prosecutor Jennifer Harrison: Yeah. Relief.

They besides convict Ryan connected the manslaughter and cause charges.

Tina Harris: … my bosom conscionable felt satisfied …

Tina and Rachel Harris talk astatine a property league aft the verdict.

RACHEL HARRIS (to reporters): She was this beauteous quality queen and she wasted distant astatine the hands of Dr. James Ryan.

And again astatine Ryan's sentencing months later.

RACHEL HARRIS (in court): He is simply a predator. He is simply a wolf successful sheep's clothing.

TINA HARRIS (in court): Please! (crying) … Put him down bars, until his beingness is done.

But James Ryan's lawyers had submitted supportive letters from his friends and a ineligible filing which elaborate that Ryan had his ain struggles with drugs and intelligence health. Ryan addresses the tribunal and insists helium didn't administer the lethal dose but takes work for not preventing Sarah's entree to the drugs that killed her.

JAMES RYAN (in court): The words bash not beryllium to convey and explicit the level of remorse I feel.

Though the guidelines suggest a condemnation of 15 to 25 years for this lawsuit of depraved-heart murder, the justice has thing other successful mind.

JUDGE: It is the condemnation of this tribunal that you beryllium committed to the Maryland Division of Corrections for a play of 40 years. …

With much clip for the different counts, it's a full of 45 years successful prison.

Nikki Battiste: A 45-year condemnation puts James Ryan successful a class with immoderate convulsive murderers.

Mary Fulginiti: You know, 45 years for James Ryan is fundamentally beingness … Patients trust connected doctors and their expertise and their advice. … and I deliberation she's sending a precise large connection to the aesculapian community.

And State's Attorney John McCarthy wants to nonstop a connection to lawmakers: The depraved-heart execution complaint whitethorn person worked successful this trial, but it's a hard transgression to beryllium successful different overdose cases.

John McCarthy: We request tougher laws.

As aboriginal arsenic 2015, McCarthy began pushing to streamline Maryland instrumentality truthful authorities prosecutors tin much easy convict dealers and distributors who proviso the drugs that pb to overdose deaths. But it hasn't been easy.

John McCarthy: We're not astatine a spot successful Maryland close present that the legislature seems precise funny successful creating caller crimes and caller penalties.

Ian Iacoviello, who work "murder" betwixt the lines of this case, and retired aft the trial, says helium inactive thinks of Sarah often.

Det. Ian Iacoviello I did everything I could, um, for her.

So does her ex-boyfriend Henry Peterson, who looks backmost astatine their breakup with regret.

Henry Peterson: I conjecture I ever thought she was gonna beryllium there.

A regret Sarah seemed to share. Peterson showed "48 Hours" a missive she wrote him years earlier erstwhile their narration ended.

Henry Peterson (reading letter): You made maine consciousness live … present that you're gone … I consciousness truthful galore pieces and parts person died with you ...

As if to sphere his transportation to Sarah, Peterson inactive practices a violin concerto helium played astatine her grave.

It's the spot where, today, a parent who faced large nonaccomplishment — with adjacent greater courageousness — struggles to look the aboriginal without Sarah and her brother, who were truthful adjacent successful beingness and death, that she really buried their ashes successful the aforesaid casket.

Tina Harris: I perceive Sarah telling me, "mama, it's OK."

Nikki Battiste: What bash you privation your daughter's bequest to be?

Tina Harris: I privation radical to retrieve my Sarah arsenic a light, a superb young pistillate who cared astir others and loved life, loved it.

Produced by Josh Yager and Kat Teurfs. Michelle Sigona and Tamara Weitzman are the improvement producers. Atticus Brady, Gary Winter, Michelle Harris and George Baluzy are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Nikki Battiste

Nikki Battiste is simply a CBS News nationalist analogous based successful New York. She is an Emmy and Peabody-award winning journalist, and her reporting appears crossed each CBS News broadcasts and platforms.

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