“It’s been hard on us,” Ott, 53, of Kearneysville, W.Va., said of her brother’s still-unsolved murder.
But hope may be rising. This past month, investigators in the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office reopened the cold case to give modern forensic science a crack at shedding light on what led to Ryan’s death.
As he did many weekends during the warmer days of summer and early fall, Ryan, a sheet metal worker, met up with friends near the river’s Millville Dam No. 5 to drink beers and “party” on Sept. 30, 1988, Ott said.
Ott, the oldest of Ryan’s five siblings, was late arriving at the gathering. When she got there, she was told Ryan and several friends had driven into Loudoun to buy beer at a general store along Route 9. But as she waited, Ryan never returned.
West Virginia police were eventually called to look for her brother, but found no sign of him. Ryan's disappearance turned to weeks, which slid into months. Searches were launched, newspaper articles written and fliers posted—but still no Ryan.
According to a Loudoun Times-Mirror article from the time, it finally took an anonymous passerby on March 14, 1989, to lead police to Ryan’s body, which rested about 200 feet off Route 9, not far from the store where he set out for beer.
And Ryan’s body was not the only one discovered in Loudoun that day. Also according to the Times-Mirror, a Centreville woman, Carolyn Taylor, 44, was found stabbed to death in a pick-up truck at Gilbert’s Corner. Her stepson, Roger Taylor Jr., was charged with her murder.
“This never happens in Loudoun,” one investigator was quoted saying at the time about the two grisly discoveries a few hours apart.
Regarding Ryan’s death, Loudoun Sheriff’s Office investigator Mark McCaffrey is working the case. He said it was reopened so technology not available in 1989 can be employed to help identify a potential suspect.
He would not comment on how Ryan died, or if DNA evidence is available. He also wouldn’t say if anyone is currently considered a suspect. He did say he recently spoke with several people who were with Ryan the night he disappeared. However, since alcohol and drugs were prevalent at the party, he said, “memories are a little fuzzy” on what happened.
For the family members he’s spoken with, though, the emotional wounds from this decades-old case are as fresh as ever, he said. “It was like it happened yesterday,” he said. “These people need closure … and I am confident we can solve this case.”
Ott, who keeps two of her brother’s bandanas and a collection of articles about the case, said she thinks of her brother often, and can’t imagine why anyone would want to harm him. She called him the “Santa Claus” of the family, because he was the one who would dole out presents on Christmas morning.
“He was a friend to all and a stranger to no one,” she said. “He would give you the shirt off his back.”
Adding insult to injury, she said, after Ryan’s body was found, it was kept as evidence then cremated. “We never got to see him,” she said in frustration. Her parents have Ryan’s ashes with them in Florida.
Ott added that early in the investigation, one person was eyed by police as a potential suspect, but she would not say who. She also said a couple of people who were with Ryan that night have since died.
Ott said she’s encouraged by the fresh look into the case. Echoing McCaffrey, she said finding her brother’s killer would go a long way toward healing her family, which, two decades later, still pains over his murder.
“It would bring closure and peace of mind,” she said. “But it would also bring justice.”
Anyone with information about Ryan’s disappearance and murder is asked to contact Investigator McCaffrey at 703-777-0475, or call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919 to remain anonymous. If the information leads to an arrest and indictment, you could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
Looks like this is based on work done by the Loudoun Times-Mirror. It is quoted several times. I'll start reading that paper.