A man who pleaded his innocence online for millions to see has now been arrested in the death of missing mom Leila Cavett.
Shannon Demar Ryan, the self-proclaimed "witchcraft teacher" last seen with Leila and her 2-year-old son just before her disappearance last July, has been charged with second-degree murder. Ryan told police he was just meeting Cavett, a former roommate, to buy a car from her. He asserted she drove off with her son and some men after he advised her not to, but investigators were never able to corroborate that version of events.
What they were able to confirm was that Ryan was seen on camera disposing of kids toys and women's clothing while cleaning out his car. A look at his search history at the time also brought forth some concerning points police could not ignore.
A witchcraft teacher whom authorities had previously implicated in the disappearance of Leila Cavett has been charged with her murder. Shannon Demar Ryan has been charged with second-degree murder, according to documents obtained by Law&Crime.
Cavett's case first came to light when her 2-year-old son was found wandering the streets of Miramar, Florida, on July 26, 2020. Officers couldn't find any indications of who the child's parents were. They ultimately determined that he was Cavett's son. Cavett, who was from Atlanta, became the subject of an investigation in Hollywood, Florida, when her white Chevy 3500 with the "Baby on Board" sign was discovered abandoned there. Cavett's loved ones said she had no reason to be in Florida.
Ryan was arrested in August 2020 for allegedly lying to federal investigators in connection with Cavett’s disappearance. He said that Cavett was in Florida to sell him her truck, and that was as much of he knew of her. He defended himself in an hourlong video shared to Facebook proclaiming his innocence.
In the video, Ryan maintained that he had cooperated with police entirely. He also claimed Cavett was talking to some men she and her son got in the car with, against his advice. Police say that he only spoke with investigators twice and did not show up to one scheduled meeting. He was arrested after the FBI tracked his car and found him traveling north toward Texas.
Another portion of police paperwork points to the possibility that there is another witness who claimed to have lived with Cavett, her son, and Ryan in Alabama. It's believed Cavett and Ryan first met in 2019, when he started teaching her witchcraft after their paths crossed. He claims the two worked and lived together for two months.
Cavett, her son, and Ryan were seen on camera together in surveillance video from July 25, 2020, at a RaceTrac gas station. The next day, Ryan is seen buying carpet deodorant, trash bags, and duct tape from a Walmart.
Surveillance footage also showed him cleaning out his car, throwing away children's toys and women's clothing. Bloody towels were allegedly found in a nearby trash can. A search of Ryan's cellphone data allegedly revealed a Google search for whether bleach and alcohol make chloroform. He also looked up the waste management website for the city of Hollywood, Florida, to find when commercial trash pickup took place.
Ryan had originally been charged with kidnapping and lying to a federal officer as to how Cavett's 2-year-old son was found wandering alone near an apartment complex in Miramar wearing just a T-shirt and a diaper. That charge has since been dropped and replaced with a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm.
