Kelly Ann Ryan was born on July 10, 1972, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. As a child, she was involved in various activities, including cheerleading. She later attended the University of South Carolina. There, she studied journalism and continued to be a cheerleader for the university's team.

After graduating from college, Kelly pursued a career in fitness. In 1995, she entered her first fitness competition, the NPC South Carolina State, and finished in first place. Her success in fitness competitions continued, leading to her winning a total of eight competitions, including the prestigious IFBB Fitness International Champion in 2000. During this time, she also placed second in the Fitness Olympia four times in a row from 2000 to 2004.

In 2003, Kelly married professional bodybuilder Craig Titus. They lived in Las Vegas, where both were active in their bodybuilding careers. They first hired a woman named Melissa James to be their live-in personal assistant in Southern California. After some time, James moved back East but returned to work for Kelly and Craig in late 2005.

On December 14, 2005, the body of Melissa James was discovered in the trunk of a burning car in the desert. Law enforcement managed to put out the fire soon enough to gather evidence from the scene. The vehicle, a red Jaguar, was identified as belonging to Kelly Ryan.

Ryan had suspected her husband, Craig Titus, of having an affair with James. After the body was found, Kelly Ryan and Craig Titus fled from Las Vegas. They traveled cross-country to Massachusetts with accomplice Anthony Gross. They were captured and arrested in Boston and later extradited back to Nevada.

While Kelly Ryan waited for her trial, her mother passed away from a heart attack in April 2006. The Washoe County District Attorney's office decided to prosecute Kelly Ryan and Craig Titus together but on different charges. They both initially pleaded not guilty. Anthony Gross faced separate charges for arson and being an accessory to murder.

In the lead-up to the trial, it was alleged in court that a fan of Titus had plotted to kill three witnesses scheduled to testify in the case. However, no formal charges arose from this claim. As their trial date approached, on May 31, 2008, Kelly Ryan and Craig Titus changed their pleas. They each accepted reduced charges, including an Alford plea on some counts. Kelly Ryan pleaded guilty to one count of arson and entered an Alford plea for another count involving battery with a deadly weapon that resulted in significant bodily harm.

She received a sentence of two consecutive terms of 3 to 13 years in prison. Ryan served her time at the Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center. On December 23, 2011, the Nevada Parole Board granted her parole for the assault charges. However, she remained in prison to serve time for the arson charge. On September 2, 2014, her request for parole on the arson charge was denied. Eventually, on October 24, 2017, Kelly Ryan was released on parole after serving nearly 12 years in prison.

While incarcerated, she filed for divorce from Craig Titus in 2009, and the divorce was finalized in 2017 after her release.