JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI - A desperate search for an elderly woman has ended in a gruesome discovery that has shaken a Mississippi community. John and Samantha Ryan are behind bars after police found a body encased in concrete deep in their own backyard.
The Nursing Home Mystery
The investigation began on Saturday when a concerned family member contacted the Jackson Police Department. They reported that 81 year old Carol Ryan had not been heard from in several months. The family believed she was living at a nursing home in Brandon just outside of Jackson, but she was nowhere to be found.
The trail led detectives back to the former home of Carol Ryan, which was now occupied by her 50 year old son John Ryan and his 48 year old wife Samantha. All three had lived under the same roof at one time, but the elderly woman was gone.
A Concrete Tomb
Armed with a warrant, investigators brought in cadaver dogs to scour the property. The dogs signaled the presence of human remains in the backyard. Police brought in excavators and dug down six to eight feet deep where they uncovered a dark secret.
Buried deep in the earth was a body wrapped in a tarp and covered by a layer of solid concrete. Police Chief Tyree Jones stated that the remains had been there long before the missing person report was filed.
Buried Secrets
While the medical examiner works to determine the cause of death, John and Samantha Ryan have been arrested. They are currently charged with desecration of a human corpse. The husband is being held on a 100,000 dollar bond while his wife is being held on a 75,000 dollar bond.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities warn that more charges could be coming as the full truth is unearthed.
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