Whatever happened to Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan?

Craig Titus - Mug Shot (LVPD)

One of the most common searches to my blog is for Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan.  Both Titus and Ryan were alleged to be involved in a murder of their assistant, Melissa James, during a fight possibly fueled by heavy doses of narcotics.

Although the story is covered pretty well, there are still a few lingering questions about the tragedy.  There were always rumors of a sex tape involving Kelly Ryan, Melissa James, and Craig Titus, but that has apparently never surfaced.  Some people claim to have seen it or clips from it, but to my knowledge, no substantial proof that it exists has ever been released. What is clear is that Kelly Ryan and Craig Titus lived a drug fueled party lifestyle and probably had a situation of an open marriage where both partners were free to swing and engage in outside relationships.

Kelly Ryan - Mug Shot (LVPD)

The fact that Melissa James came to live with Kelly and Titus is a perfect example of this relationship.  It would seem somewhat unusual for a married couple to need a young female live in assistant when they had no children and their occupation was professional bodybuilding.  What it came to in the end was apparently the result of jealousy on the part of Kelly Ryan towards Melissa James.  There were accusations that Melissa James was stealing money from them.

Although Craig Titus still doesn't freely admit that he intentionally killed Melissa James, he does admit dumping her body in their car and setting it on fire in the Nevada desert.  Both Ryan and Titus copped plea deals, making them eligible for parole in the future.  Titus will be eligible for parole in 2026 when he is 61 years old, while Kelly Ryan could be eligible for parole as early as next year (2011).  Whether or not the parole board will see it this way is yet to be determined.

A true crime novel called Fire in the Desert has been written about the ordeal, but it is explained pretty thoroughly in the 48 Hours piece, "Vegas Heat", produced by CBS that I've embedded at the bottom of this article.

• Craig Titus - Wikipedia
• Kelly Ryan - Wikipedia
• The Titus-Ryan Files - FlexOnline
• Free Craig Titus (no longer maintained)
• Titusandryan.com (also appears to be no longer actively maintained)

48 Hours - Vegas Heat

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If for some reason you can't get the video to play, you can watch online at cbsnews.com

This is a follow up on two earlier stories I did IFBB Pro Craig Titus & wife Kelly Ryan Wanted for Murder and Titus and Wife Captured!